The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-11-14


dear Aunt Lucy herself was the most
inviting and placid as she sat at her
crochet work. Mamma was a quiet col
Iege girl, with fair Gibson hair and
glasses, and a great contrast to her
dark little neighbor on Aunt Lucy s
ample sofa, Mollie, or Mrs. Jack Wheel
er. SibyI was there, too, darning black
stockings.
Aunt Lucy held her crochet needle in
her hand a moment as she repeated a
question, one that Mollie had asked
| her when she came to the sofa.
What is my idea of the new wo-
man? Give me your definitions, and 1
will hunt up some good ones found in
the last Public Opinion"
Mamma and Mollie spoke at the same
time, Mamma saying: AN enfranchised
| slave" and MoIIie singing out: al
| most a man" The other woman had
| thought a moment before she said:
"a feminine compound of Ajax, Alex
ander and Diogenes," whereupon Man
ma lazily advised Sibyl to give up her
role of oracle for the day, as Mollie had
| not the least idea what she meant.
| Thereupon, Sibyl explained: Ajax
prayed for more light, you know; Alex
ander sighed for more worlds to con-
quer, and Diogenes was always looking
for an honest man."
Just fancy Miss Diogenes hunting
down a man for herself" and Mollie
laughed soft, mellow peal, which put
her back to the position she had lost,
in not grasping SibyPs allusion.
Aunt Lucy came to the rescue. "All
dissatisfied, you mean. Yes, am afraid
it is true that modern women are too
full of divine discomfort, and sigh
YEARLY for new worlds to conquer. [
do not believe in them any the less,
for they are in a state of transition
now, which will be over some time,
am sure. But you are too classical,
Sibyl and too long. Mollie has done
well with her Almost a man." She
comes near two definitions I have here.
The new woman is Fone who has not
attained to be a gentleman and one
who has manishness minus manli-
ness"
Mollie laughed with the rest, and
said: Perhaps you mean that for me
myself, but you'd better try again,
Aunt Lucy"
Perhaps this will suit you better:
Six of one and half-dozen of the 9TH
err" continued Aunt Lucy, and at her
words Mollie fell in a heap on the
sofa, with a mock groan. Convicted
of murder in the first degree, and
guilty"
Aunt Lucy did not pay much atten-
ton to MolIie, but read on MANS
newest and best reason for remaining
SINGLE
1t was growing more and more point
ed, and Mollie was delightful in her
acting, which was all true to life, when
Mamma asked her what Jack would say
to that. amen, suppose, if he were
not already burdened with a Mrs.
Jack. AS he is, I do not dare to i'm
agine his remark; I'll ask him for you,
however. Have you any more poisoned
arrows left, Aunt Lucy? Am 1 the
only type of new woman here?"
There is just one left, the definition
that took the prize out of a great many.
a fresh darn on the original blue
stocking" Quick as the words were
uttered, Mollie threw a pillow at the
unwary Sibyl, and with unerring aim
AS Sibyl, who had dropped her work
and her thimble in the vain attempt to
smooth her tumbled hair began slow
ly to recover her possessions, includ
ing her equanimity, Mollie walked after
the pillow and examined Sibyl's work
That's what you are doing, Ell? A
patch on the original blue stocking!
But where are your blue ones?"
By this time the beleagured party
was able to stand it's ground, and Sibyl
answered: Just thirty years ago
wore blue shoes, my dear, and I have
had none since that first pair
TheN baby stare that Mollie affected
was very pretty. "Shoes? I said stock
ings."
Mamma, aroused more than before
"Sibyl has a hobby in the matter of
footwear. Just before you came [ had
an interview with her, all because she |
noticed the black stocking with my
bronze shoes. She considers it the
triple extract of bad taste for man, wo-
man or child to wear black stockings
what I have, ma'am"
Nov is your time, Sibyl, to wreak
vengeance on your prosecutors. Or
der coffee and pistols for two; no,
three, right away" chimed in Mollie.
eff l were but in a German univer-
sity few moments" sighed Siby1 fer
vently. CAS- I am an American, I can
only walk about with a chip on my
shoulder, you know. But I'm not even
boy; I can't do that, either"
Aunt Lucy, you must know, should
have been graduated from a theological
seminary. She was always ready to
preach, and she had many a time be-
slowed upon the girls an unsolicited
sermon. Here was her opportunity,
and she seized upon it.
What good text that is, a chip on
the shoulder. 1t may be an American
saying; it certainly is a universal GUS
tom, and not confined to men or small
boys. So many persons are always
ready to be hurt on the slightest pre-