The herald., 1897-01-24
woaanx AND THEIR Wars.


does not count among her chief treasurer
woman friend. She may be hedged about
with the tender devotion Of husband. and
surrounded BY . brilliant court Of mascu-
inc ADMIRERS. but life has still withheld one
OF its most precious gifts from her, unless
there Is some woman to whom ehe may gc
at all times. secure Of such love and com-
prenension and sympathy a. only one wo-
man can give another.
Platonic affection between men ana wo-
men mas ever been q series Of dangerous
experiments. Leaving the ethical side OF
the question out Of consideration, however
men are but fair-weather friends where wo-
men are concerned. They love Us while we
iaugn. They leave us. II they possibly can,
as soon as We begin to weep. They do not
know how to sympathize, unless the sympa-
tiny can take the form OF doing something,
our head aches, perhaps. and your woman
friend is content to sit beside you In a dark
ened room listening to your tale of woe.
Your man friend may pity you Just az
much. but he wants to get out Of hearing
or your complaints and send the doctor to
You.
Herein lies the essential difference be-
tween masculine and feminine friendship,
and 1t Is what makes the woman friend %
necessary and soeuetaining A woman knows
that when you complain you don't always
want things changed. She comprehends-
Tor does she not do the same thing herself!
that there Is relief unspeakable in un-
burdening your soul to a sympathetic heart,
and that there is solid comfort to be de-
rived from having somebody mingle their
tears with yours, even when the weepinl
leads to nothing. A man is bound to un
dervalue or overvalue these things, but q
woman assesses them at their true worth.
A gift Of beauty and expense Is the little
table Of china. to hold trifies in the modern
drawing-room. The standard is with flower
decoration. while the top is formed of a Sc
ries Of Sevres medallions-oftentimes heads
of fair women, alternating with bits of land
scape. etc.
The craze for crests Is increasing, and not
content with blazoning 1t on ones station
cry. 1t ie now the mode to have 1t ex-
quisitely hand painted on parchment,
framed and hung in conspicuous place
in hall or library. For mourning station
cry, dead white linen with narrow black
very wide black border. which was
supposed to gauge tho depth Of
the writer's grief. is quite out Of
date. For second mourning. pure white pa
per. with very narrow border Of pale gray
or violet Is sometimes used. with monogram
or address die in color to match.
- .
It Is not every woman who possesses the
faculty of so adjusting ribbon decorations
on hat or dress as to produce
the most harmonious effects. And
yet nothing adds so much to the
beauty of toilet as the disposition of
the ribbons that adorn it. 'Visions Of love-
illness in ribbons and laces'' are frequently
topics for the poets to rave about Clad in
tailor-made gown and muf1ed up in her
/ wraps. a woman Is ready for the outside
world: ready for the hurry and stress of
shopping or the formalities of calling, and
those who meet her see the fair, somewhat
cold octside. take her as she presents her
self and are-strangers. or. at best. ac-
quaintances. But lot this staid damsel
cross the threshold Of her home and in an
hour or two appear in her drawing-room
with some warm. rich color at throat and