The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-07
womAN's AGE OF RULE
A Young Lady of Observation Declares
That Captivation Ends With Youth.
From the New York Sun.

n
That Captivation Ends With Youth.
From the New York Sun.
Some women fatigue me greatly" said
a young lady of observation to the re-
porter, crumplng up paper in one hand
and reaching for a cigarette with the
other. Now here's one of them has been
writing a lot of would-be sentimental
stuff to the Bizarre, saying that women
have two stages of captivation; the first
that of physical charm, and the second
that of experience, and that the second
state is better than the first. Is it? Well,
all / have to say is that I'm not in the
least anxious to run for that sort of con-
ISOLATION stakes yet awhile. Just write it
down, if you please, that youth is the
period of power. / don't mean bread and
butter youth, but the youth of physical
charm, just as this writer says, when
the bloom is on the cheek and the sparkle
in the eye, when the flesh is firm and full,
the teeth brilliant, the hair shining, the
step light, and the shape lithe'-the years
from twenty to thirty-five.
Now, she's all right there. That's the
time when we women are in it--when we
boss the whole world. But when she says
that there's a superior captiVation to
that exercised by the mere fieshly beauty
she's away off. That time when a woman
is no longer exacting and when she aims
to make people comfortable is all very
lovely, of course, but don't you think for
one single instant that it's the best and
strongest period in our lives. We can say
so, but we don't believe It, We can take
our little tin dppers to the still pools of
philosophy and say: oh, amt this de-
licious and soothing2 but [ notice one
thing, we're mighty careful not to look
at ourselves in the bottom of the clipper,
and we've got to get home before the dew
falls. No, thank you: ! want something
not quite so still in mine, and don't want
to know what time it is.
Don't mistake me, now. / don't mean
to say that there are not lots OF fascinat-
ing middle-aged and old women The
charm of their companionship is delight
full. Their graciousness is supreme. Their
unselhshness is adofable-and sad. Their
knowledge Of the heart is great They
are placid and pleasant. As I said just
now-that's all right, nobody is saying a
word against that statement of things:
but to say that you must pass thirty-five
before you can enter upon your most cap
tivatng period-well, now, that Just
makes me weary.
do you mean to tell me that the cIev-
crest woman in the world. with fish eyes
behind her spectacles, has more powers
of captivation than a young woman with
eyes like wet sapphires and a skin like a
warm rose leaf? Is a learned wrinkle
more captivating than a wicked dimple?
Is a mouth full Of comfort and dentists
work more captivating than the smile of
lips that are firm and fun, with teeth and
gums that look Ike a split pomegranate?
Would you rather be patted on the head
with a trembling hand than have me put
my arm around your neck2 Would you
be led away by a blue stocking and a
springfield gaiter further than you'd fol-
low pair Of black stockings in French
bottines. do you think? or course not.
And then, bless my soul, is a woman
not supposed to grow brains until after
she's thirty-hve2 Doesn't she get tact
until she's forty? Hasn't she had any ex-
perience before she's lfty7 Doesn't she
know how 20 make a man comfortable
before she's hfty-hve? DO you think more
Of my mother than you do OF me, and Is
my grandmother a more captivating wo-
man than both OF us2 What nonsensei
why It's the very horror OF life that
we've got TO grow old. and all the SNUG
philosophy In the world won't change
that truth. Calm, contented age rs "A
blessed portion. but we only get 81 after
the hard fight Of resignation IT'S a time
Of self-neEation and "Reminiscences. But
C amt time OF superior captvation and