Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-03-22
A WOMAN'S SPHERE.

II have often wished to be n man,"
said Mrs. Clementry, turning those glori-
Gus eyes of hers full upon Mr. Warburton,
whose good fortune had placed him next
to her at dinner. AS it was tho first time
he had faced this battery he was some
what dazzled. He thought, however, that
it was an unreasonable wish and felt
rather glad that it could not be gratifled.
Then the humor in him pictured this dan-
ty beautiful woman as she wished her
self, and he laughed cheerfully.
"Why do You laugh?" she asked severe
ly.
cat a mental picture of the transforma-
tion, he replied, but why do you want
such changer
"A woman's sphere is contracted, re.
strained, hemmed around, " answered the
lady. "Sho cannot do great things. Tho
worlds battle goes along without her.
She stays at home, anxious eager to
know what is happening, while the man
is on the scene of action. She has yearn-
ings to accomplish something. She re-
pines at being helpless"
Mr.. Warburton was about to answer
lightly when young Mr. Shirley, the rising
author, broke in:
You are right, Mrs. Clemeptry, women
have always been overridden. l have just
finished a little sketch on this subject,
which, If you will permit me, will send
you"
Mrs. Clementry had rather a tender SEN
timont for this big, rudy faced young
ster, who incidentally was a great favor
lite with women, perhaps because he treat
cd them with unusual Difference, perhaps
because he always made them his conf
dants.
Mr. Warburton looked at the young
man sidewiso a moment and then ven
tured to ask how women were downtrod
den. Mr.. Shirley never cared much to ar
que with men. They were often too prac-
tical and ana ytic. So he turned the lues
ton off by promising also to send his
sketch to Mr.. Warburton. Then that gen
tleman, having perhaps noticed the more
than kindly glance that my lady had
thrown at the young author and maybe
resenting the favor Che himself couldn't
have told WHY, remarked:
II should much like to read your COM
ments, Mr.. Shirley, although fear shall
not agree with them. Mrs. Clementry's
view of life's battle and the advantage
that man has in being on the field, 1
think, will bear arguing. Take the av-
erage couple-the husband goes to his Of
fee or his desk and all day pores over his
correspondence or his books, while his
wife stays at home with the children
Meanwhile life's battle wages, and neither
of them knows anything about it until
the newspaper is delivered next morning.
Then, as the woman is usually up first,
she gets tho first information and has the
advantage by 20 minutes.
There was general laugh at this, and
Mr.. Clementry, who had been discussing
sheep raising, and who thought woman S
sphere was home, and who didn't like the
young author, probably for the same reason
as Warburton, called down the table:
"You are sound, Warburton, very
sound. There is too much useless talk and
too much written on rights and wrongs,
but you always find the right thinking
women at home"
Mr.. Shirley flushed and looked at his
plate. The lady gazod coldly at Mr.. War
burton, who promptly froze, wondering
how he could have. thought those eyes so
glorious few minutes before. Indeed her
displeasure continued during the remain
der of the dinner, and Mr.. Warburton,
who was Il thoughtful man, came to the
conclusion that there was a quality about
his fair neighbOf, and that her charm was
much dependent upon her own feelings.
Later in the evening Mrs. Clementry,
who was little attracted to the serious
engineer, after petting the young author
back to good humor, relented little, and
Mr.. Warburton went away with an invi.
tation to call the next afternoon.
''Tell me something about yourself