The Washington bee., 1896-08-29
HOW LONG SHOULD A WOMAN
THINK?

A fair correspondent, who seems
very nervous from the way she handles
her pen, writes to me, asking how long
woman should think before she an
swers a favorable proposal. | am
somewhat, kinder, rather in an unCer-
tain way puzzled over this question !;
If starts within one an uneasy doubtful
conjecture, and have been for con-
siderable while asking myself If she
could at all.
This also reminds me Of a man who
having arisen to make a speech was
asked after he mad again sat down II
he generally thought before he spoke
and he answered not until after he had
spoken. Now about this woman'S
thinking. should like to answer the
lady for | am sure she is anxious about
my answering or she never would have
asked me. She doubtless Q almost
said thinkS) imagineS am the sole, or
rather her souls authority what ever
might desire to say and if she be the
lucky one, am sure the gentleman
desires me to be as lenient as possible,
debating to her no special time TO give
him the sought for reply. In fact |
have two people Squarely on my hands
trembling as did Gullivar'S Liliputians,
when he picked them up to find out
"where they were at" In fact they look
forward to my answer just as much as
the Negro looks forward to the act
ions of the two political parties in the
coming campaign. | don't know what
might do with them; it seems like |
ought to wash my hands of them; but
that is not the politest way of getting
rid of either them or the answer.
But can a woman think? | once told
a fair daughter she could not; and the
child was so convinced she actually
agreed with me; this, | think is proof
enough. Some one told me once that
Eve thought. But | am sure she did
not think enough to keep Satan from
putting the bandage~ over her eyes
until he appeared to her like the SER
pent, very graceful creature, at that
time, with a pair of pretty wings of
peacock green, one of the most grace
ful bird-like heads, pair of delightful
ly piercing eyes that seemed to trans
fix one at a glance, and mouth of real
pearl teeth, he had gathered from the
oysters that lay in the bed of the river
that Watered the garden, and a tongue
of such magnificent sweetness, its
WondrouS music, that the serpent in
deed deserved the title of being more
subtle than any other creature. Now,
Eve might have known this was Satan
from such handsome fellow, but she
is not any better,off than her daughters,
for they have been miStaking the devil
for these handsome men ever since,
which observation helps to show they
do 2 very little Thinking If anV
There is another ground from which
may make and prove my assertion.
Eve did not even think enough to dis
cover what she was, but poor Adam
had to be wakened from one of those
afternoon maps when he had eaten too
many grapes and watermellonS, to tell
her her name.
And now | am brought to the an
Swering of the question. How long
should a woman think before she an
Swers favorable proposal? 1t should
be whether the man means to favor her
in age or money, that is whether she is
getting old and this is her last chance
or he has some money in a bank that
does not burst despite the present con-
dition of the government, and he has,
and is not looking for a good salaried
position where he does not expect each
month his delightful card of dismissal
He should certainly have something
more than a macintosh for a rainy
day.
And there are other things that
should occupy her mind, such grave
considerations that | am panied to
make mention of them. She wants to
sit down one whole hour before the
mirror in the morning after she has had
a restless night, and try to answer
whether he will be pleased with that
face seen in that condition each morn
ing of her married life. Again it would
be well to feel sure he has seen her in
one of her every day, knock-about,
don't-care-looking skirts; and has
even called before she has had time to
escape upstairs, with her hair done up
in papers; whether she can bear to see
old short handle as well as long handle
pipes laying around on the mantel in
her bed room, on the table in the din
ing room, or piano in the parlor !;
whether she will fret when she has to
pick up half burnt matches, half smok-
ed cigarettes and cigars in every place
but the place they ought to be.
But of these, another grave con-
sideration is whether he knows her.
If, though she has remained in to re-
ceive him every time he called, he has
"found her out" If besides her up
to meeting smiles, she has lost her
temper and gotten really herself or
not; if he has not heard her quarrel
ling with Bobby for disturbing her
curling irons, or coaxing papa to buy
her a 90 bike; if he knows she is fond