Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-25

Woman and Her FHds-Are Women
Really Books of Mystery to Mankind?
ecialCorrespcndence OF Gazette and Journal
New York, Jan. 19.-Every season
brings forth u new type of woman.
And the new type invariably causes the
appearance of contrasting types, and
the consequence is that paying a visit to
my lady is extremely interesting, il one
happens to he student of human
nature. My lady who affects to be
something little out of the common
has long ago given mp having an TAT
home" where everybody may come; it is
possible that she may do this once
during the season, but her weekday
reception means that she invites people
whom she feels comprehend her. In
fact, she says they understand her, but,
as she is delicious little fraud, she
doesn't like to think, even for one
minute, that this is true, for then the
pretty little game of folly which she
plays would lose its interest. So the
elect are permitted to enter at certain
times, and the priestess of the fad, what
ever it may be, receives them.
The day of dull greens, of faded blues
and Of sulphur yellows has been given
the go-by, and my lady who used to
descant on her alteration of self-satisfy-
ing tints is now happiest when she is
attired in tea gown of brilliant red
silk, with slippers and stockings to
match. She has her jet black hair done
up in queer knot and fastened with a
bright gold comb, while she lays back on
lot of cushions that show Oriental
embroidery, and her boudoir itself Is
drape9 and furnished in the warmest of
colorZ If you happen to be very well
acquainted with her, you can sit on
Quaint, old-fashioned stool at her side,
= and she will rest her hand on your ARM
that hand the fingers of which arc GOV.
cred with rings, set with Jewels, among
which the ruby predominetes, and she
will
TALK TO YOU AFTER THIS FASHION:
Il never knew until now what il was
to live. ! went through that dull neu.
trail life, when my soul was satisfied
with monotonous shades, and seemed
TO drift along and not to have any real
feeling. But one day the great, glorious
sun seemed to glow upon me and said 4,
Heart awaken Soul come forth =
And the garment that l wore became
abominable to me. / went through all
the great shops and was never satisfied
until | touched this brilliant scarlet;
that satisfied my eyes and my heart,
and made me awake from the sleep that
had lasted for years. And ali life
changed for me. And it became bril-.
liant and glowing, and full of low"
Just at this time you happen to notice
that on the couch with my lady rests a
jet black cat. She sees you look at it,
and the hand that has been caress-
ing your coat sleeve smoothes that
abominable beast, and she adds: "This
is the only thing among the silent
creatures that appeals to me. 1t seems
to me that | once inhabited a body like
this, sleek and smooth and wicked"
Soon after this you leave, and, getting
out in the fresh air, you laugh at it ali;
admire the good acting, find q certain
pleasure in how pretty the woman looks,
are glad that she will be forced to buy
lots OF red gowns to crafty her newest
caprice and so circulate money, and then
you laugh again at the idea of the cat
being a speechless creature, for, in your
mind, there are memories OF nights
made hideous by its ability to speak
after its own fashion.
The next visit you make is to the
contrasting type. The room into which
you are shown is very simple. The fine
curtains OF last year are discarded for
simple muslin ones, and the chairs,
plainly covered with blue and white
cfetonne, are arranged about the room
IN just such q stiff way as they are in q
convent parlor. A pot of
WHITE LILIES IN FULL BLOOM
is on each side of the mantel shelf. and
on the large table in the centre OF the
room is lamp, two or three religious
books, and possibly paper-cutter, made
otolive wood. You feel horribly out Of
place. You sit down on one of the
chairs exactly as you would in church
and you almost wonder if you oughtn't
to whisper something in your hat Five
minutes so by, and then the door open:
and my lady walks in. Have you eyeI
noticed the difference between the way
child and woman walks? A girl OF
10 walks with her whole body; one of Il
sways her hips slightly; your hostes,
walks like the child. Her hands ar,
clasped together, and the plain gra,
gown she wears trails softly on thu
hoor, aud never makes the slightest hi
of frou-frou. Her blonde hair is partef
just in the centre, drawn back ant
twisted in knot low on her mock; sh,
walks up to you, unclasps her hands
gives You one as if il were a bi
OF ice, and when she withdraws it clasp
them together again. She is the poetr,
OF religion. You think you never saw
saint like her. But then, you neye
saw a saint. After you have talke,
with her for a while, you notice tina
she has pretty little trick of THROWN,
her head back SO that the line from he
chin down her throat is visible, and yo,
remember that Balzac says in one of hi
marvellous studies, that this line is on
that does mere to attract mankind thai
any other. And Balzac was not talkin
about the spiritual man. The hand
still clasped fall in her lap, but yo
notice there is only one ring worn, ant
that has huge white pearl set in n
Never changing the position of thes
hands, SO white and so cold-lookinL
hands that look as il they might be
for the poor, or nurse the sick-my lad
leans forward and says in low, almos
lnonotonous tones: " II seemed Oh
dained that We should meet. That W
should think alike, and that in all thi
great, wide world, there should be bu
THE ONE MAN WHO UNDERSTANDS ME
and who unconsciously bids me live IN
life as 1t should be. You never kne,
this, but have felt it since the first da
met you"
After this, there is deal more of sue
talk, and you go away wishing that 70
could warm this saint into being
human being, while you think to you