The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-12-19

from our everyday ufe?
II don't" 1 said, because my chief
amusement consists in watching other
peoples"
Il didn't know you were such a critic.
l hope you haven't reckoned me up"
1.-The critic" I said, SHUTS one eye
in order to get O. better view; the cynic
purposely puts on glasses that don't fit
him; the philosopher sees n thing
with one, and the opposite with the
other"
"Have you got a better viewY she
asked.
81 have no view or views" ] said.
81 ann the plain man who Is supposed
not to exist. Now, the plain wom-
ALI"
Il know lots she said, land very
nice they are"
What a pity 1t u.s." l said, "that only
wOmen can understand ONE That's
why it Is that men never really make
them good companions. We think too
highly Of them; for instance, we think
that they are all beautiful"
But you know better all the timeE"
"Of curse we do in practice, but the
theory is a good one all the same. 1t
Is al attempt to take their own view,
to put ourselves in their place for a
moment. The fact is hat very few men
take any interest in individual women;
1t IS the sex that they think about-the
whole lot at once; it's so like a school
book; l hate anything dry"
"Tea:" l said.
with pleasure" said she, smiling for
the first time: and We went off together.
Well, we were getting on, but still !
didn't see the end. Chance came to my
rescue, as it q es to everyone II they
only wait long enough. There was n
new play, the great situation In 1t was
the heroine, VII was universally sup
posed to be a light and u~nsubstantial
woman. demonstrating quite without
design her love for her husband; every
body was talking about II. On this Oc-
casion conversation "a general, and
some genius remarked that his only OBJ
lection to the new woman was that
she was so h~opelessly old she was al
ways relapsing into weakness of this
sort; there was no strength in such a
character. A strong woman would have
acted quite differently in the second
scene, where she could have deserted
with honor.
A well-grOOmed youht sitting next to
her remarked pOintedly that, If she did
love her husband, you know, that made
oil thA Ay,o Nh Eni1 xs,ae
didn't love their husbands it was their
(the husbandsO own fault.
"Quite So" l said, "if they will per
sist in being satellites instead of having
an orbit Of their own, playing Damon
and PythiaS instead Of Darby and Joan,
they can'texpectthat the wear and tear
of their society can be made good, I'M
less they allow the proper intervals for
the worn and torn to discover that 9TH
or peopl" continuously please, either"
That's a nice view Of married life"
she said. Il know you don't mean it,
unfortunately" / said, "the expert.
ment cam be made, or you'd see"
What should | seeT"
well something, l fancy. would as
tonish you. The fact is, / don't think
any one has understood matrimony be-
fore me, and I've had no experience of
it.. 1t has long been recognized as fatal
to love, If 1t exists. and more or less apt
to produce 1t, if it does not, just as there
are places which give you neuralgia If
you don't take it there, and cure you if
you do. But l don't think love has any
thing to do with the matter; that's q
detail important enough in the early
days Of meeting, but not comparable 10
the bargain which is the essence Of the
business"
"The bargain" she almost gasped.
Yes | said, the bargain. Then he
says: | must have feminine society. 1
must have the female point of view al
ways there whenever l want it; my
womankind won't do. In the first
place, can't rely on their p~unctuality;
and then at any they may
lapse into seriousness, think hard for
mc-the very thing | want to avoid, and
the mischief Is done. Besides, they
know YOU; they never give you a
chance. Now, matrimony at its best
must be between people who don't
know one another, and who never will.
That's the great secret. It's the only
chance Of n revelation. 1t is the only
hope of getting anything read into you,
and then learning the lesson yourself,
especially anything high, noble OF not
commonplace. There Is no Don for
love here. That discolors such a union
-such a contract, If you like-with all
the pageantry Of the rainbow; 1t Is very
natural, a pleasant sight, but 1t effects
nothing. On the other hand, the she
says: I am tired Of this kind Of life-I
want something new. Whatever / like
in my present existence l can practical
ly keep; he will make a new oma OF
NE. Really, what she wants, toa, is