The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-06-07

receipt OF Rob Grants letter. Suf
4 flee to say it was battle OF the
giants. With characteristic fairness
Col. CUTLER had tossed up penny u
decide which side should be given the
first column on the page, and as for
tune smiled upon the bachelors, the
honor of opening the discussion was
awarded toa fiery article over the sig
nature Patrick Henry" 1t was an
eloquent appeal for masculine indie
pendence, for revolt against the
tyranny of the petticoat and the thrall'
dom of the apron string; and in IT all
men who loved the name of freedom
were brought to grid on their armor,
and like Joshua Of old be strong and
very courageous.
But fervid as was this philippe. II
became an ice when compared with the
spirit of the second article, which, over
the signature "Justitia," opened the
case for the married men. In hurting
bolts Of invective and lightning flashes
of satire the Bachelors were denounced
as traitors, soulless apologies for men,
|presuming to set themselves like Satan
and his angels in opposition to the
Power who had instituted marriage
and stamped it with His Divine APP
prevail. Ann Hathaway told her
friends that "Justitia' and Mrs. Scott
both said preferable than" but
probably Ann was jealous. Next
'Zanthippe" talked for the Bach
elors, dragging in divorce court
statistics to show that woman
was the root of all matrimonial
infelicity; and Cupid" retorted for the
Married Mans league, directing atten-
ton to the beneficent effects OF love
upon mankind, and introducing into
his article several sweet and touching
pictures of domestic comfort.
Now, though in this discussion all
fulminations appeared over a pen name,
1t was an open secret who the real
writer's of the several articles were.
Patrick Henry" was better known to
Welham as Mr.. Robert Grant; 'Justi-
tia" as Mrs. Scott; "Xanthippe" as
Mr.. Andrew Harris, who had himself
been cast off by his wife, and Cupid" as
Mr.. Fanchard. In successive issues of
the Gazette there were other articles
by other men over other signatures,
but somehow. when eight or nine Cos
sips gathered to discuss the latest in |
stallment of the controversy, it always
turned out that some one recognized !
some popularity of phrasing, or knew
Of some particular motive that fixed |
The authorship of the article in ques-
ton within reasonable certainty.
At the end of three weeks Col. |
Quiller's venture stood: Debit, one pos
age stamp; Credit, two hundred new
to the Gazette, twenty
seven letters of thanks from prominent
citizens for having originated the pub
ic discussion, and the colonel smiled as
lie saw the balance in his favor.
Though it is true that most of the
took part in the newspaper
lebate, and thus demonstrated the
liability of their single condition, still
here was one who had not aired his
Jews through the Gazette. "Oh, /
ant handle a pen," he apologized to
lis fellow bachelors, when taken to
ask for his lukewarmness. But He'd
" Hoyt (who would recognize in this
nickname the good Bib
ical Hezekiah? was not lukewarm
lie was as thoroughly imbued with
as Robert Grant himself,
With this difference, perhaps, that
iedsy had but one strong reason for
he faith in him, while Rob could reel
IF a couple of dozen as valid and in
oherent sas Luther's Theses. Hedsy
ated a mannish woman. He was not
bachelor because he believed woman
D be quarrelsome, as did Harris, nor
expensive, as did Adams, nor because
he was inclined to be autocratic. No, {
lerely because she tried to be what ]
he had no business to be, he joined {
he Bachelors club He once heard s
ouple of definitions of the modern j
lyle of woman, and he never tired of '
epeating them. One was: Madam be-
ONE Adam;" but according to his idea
mis- definition gave her the credit of l
aving succeeded in her MAYNARD as
iration, and SO he much preferred to
link of her as circumstances minus 9
anliness."
Bachelor as he was, Hedsy did not {
old aloof entirely from the compan- t
'nship of those who were theoretically h
is sworn enemies. Every Saturday 4
7ening he carefully brushed his hat, \
nd taking his gloves walked out to t
III upon Miss Rose CUTLER. 1t is I'M L
ecessary to state that Miss CUTLER t
as pretty, and to expatiate upon her s
by the use of conventional a
Electives and time-worn botanical o
'mparisons. Suffice to say, she was t
keen mentally as she was beautiful Il
lysically. Between her and Hedsy O
oyt there had existed for years sort 81
family friendship. She knew him