The Van Buren press., 1895-06-22

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fbsted q mannish womaE- He Wns nos
: bachelor because he believed woman
to b quarre1some. - did Harris nor
expensive, a. did Adams. MOE because
she was inclined TO be sutocratic- No,
merely because she tried TO be What
she had no business 70 be. he idned
the Bachelors club He once beard ,
couple Of definitions Of the modern
style Of woman, and he never tired OF
irepesting them One was "NsfaH he-
come ADAM bu. according to his idea
this de6nition gave her the credit OF
having succeeded in her mAnward as
piration, and 50 he much preferred to
think Of her rs 'smannishneas mlrus
manlineA-s -
Baehe3ee - be was Hedsy did not
bold aloof entirely from the conran-
ionship of those who were theoretically
| hfs sworn enemies Every Eatzriay
evening he carefully brushed his hat,
and taking hisa gloves walked out to
call upon Miss Rose QuiIler. Is Is 1a-
necessary to state that Mia o1iller
was pretty. and to expetiase tpoa her
lovelinszs By the use Of conrentiozsl
adiectiTes and time-woru botanical
comparisons Suffice to ssy. she vas
as keen mentally as she wes heszsltl
physically between her AID Hedsy
Hort there had existed for years sort
of family friendship She knsE aim
almost as well as - Knew hsrse1 foe
is was always very frank vith h<r.
and besides. she possessed z10,zs keen
II intultive mind shieh lerfsr-@d
frequently fs2ts more H1ndsxfa- faz1
solving = single equation csaEsHt1z1g
two unknown qazlsIsie- Sc ess &c
qaainsed with HeesFs sEasass 10
naanish EanlesA1esss and l1kea Ezl
npou it more than oree-
-.Dou't yea really believe th<<s .
one- even one lone wonsn witkazs az
bitions upon your SEX she DOe1 ssa
with plaintfve drooginx of ker eEsS
and wonder that Hedsy's bachelor
principles didn't forsake hin fog the
time being until he had punished her
for looking 30 charming. Bat ne WoEli
slowly answer No. not even eoHeed-
ing the customary present company
always excepted"
The discussion In the Gazette had
continued throagh four montbs. Col
qnilIer WAS growing happier each
week, as his subscribers grew more uu-
merous, and yet the war Of words
showed but faint signs Of shsseu1rnt.
The secretary Of the Young Ladies'
Mission band, who kept the records Of
the matrimonial debate as a duty equal
1y important with keeping the records
Of mission work accomplished, am
pounced that all pseudcnyms had been
solved, and all but Hedsy. Of the Bach
elors' club, and all but two Of the N.
NJ. L. had appeared in print in defense
Of their apwed principles. And yet,
though Hcdsy was sconfessedly the most
wavering bachelor, he had thus far
shown not the least sign that he In
tended ever to capitulate or change
camps. As he explained to Miss Quillcr
one evening, there was no possibility OF
his being converted until some one in
the ranks Of the M. M. L. by example
or reason could overcome his one objec-
tion against women; and insomuch as
no writer on either side had yet
touched upon the mannishness Of the
weaker sex, either directly or Indirect
~, he was apparently safe for all time
to come.
Regarding the two married men who
had not written there was considerable
conjecture. One was a lawyer who had
recently moved into Welham and whose
abilities as disputant were still among
the unknown quantities; the other was
a young newspaper man lately married
to a Wellesley graduate who wore
starched linen collars and four-in-hand
neckties all the year round.
While concerning these two surmis-
ings had as yet reached no solid
ground, and while the NJ. NJ. l.. were
hoping and the bachelors were afraid
that Hcdsy would change sides in the
struggle, new nom de plume appeared
among the defendants of matrimony.
Peter Pen" was the Insignificant name
signed to the most virile and convinc-
ing article that had been printed dur
ing the whole course OF the discussion.
In it every rule Of logic and every can
on Of taste was most exactly observed;
argument followed upon argument,
each apparently more convincing than
its predecessor, and yet all articulated
with marvellous nicely, decked out
with every grace of style, frightened
by touches of the gentlest satire or
richest humor. 1t was, in short, a
masterpiece, and most, strangely of all,
its central theme, the idea from which
every argument derived its greatest
strength, wasthe eternal femininity OF
woman, the Ewig aoeiJHchs as Goethe
would call it.
If sudden death had overtaken all
the people Of Welham that night, on
every heart except one, and that Peter
PENS own heart, would probably have
been written the question: "Whu Ii
Peter Pcn?" Some said that the logic
of the article, its concise and vigorous
treatment OF hackneyed theme
pointed indnbitabl y 10 lawyer as II
writer. Others looking at the grace
full wording and fine literary work
manship denied that anyone but q
journalist could be capable of such
composition. And between these two
factions, each striving to lead the Other
unto the truth, and yet each unwilling
to yield one jot Of its own convictions
Welham almost forgot to think OF
Hedsy Hoyt, the doubtful bachelor.
He received his Gazette from his
newsboy, went upstairs, and entering
his room carefully locked the door be
hind him.
How the article impressed him
whether he was hardened or convinced
whether he was mad or glad, shall