The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
NONAN'S - WORLD.

Ini experience of listening to papers by
| experts who know all about one thing and
precious little about anything else.
TO read paper is TO be a bore; to lis
ten 10 the reading of a paper is to be
oored. And yet we are told that one mil
hon of our American women do this very
thing every week, and actually pretend
tnat they like ii. Is this not conclusive
evidence Of impregnable amiablity?
A mere man looks upon tiresomeness as
something more fearful even than immor-
ahty. He viii not stand a bore; he will
nee from the paper-reader and the didac-
TIC pedant as though pestilence were near.
BUT the women. heaven bless them, not
only stand the bores, but encourage them
and make much of them. This is nothing
save sublime amiability; a beautiful vir-
tue IN this instance sadly wasted. We
FANCY that when these sweet and charm
ing creatures learn whittier their emanci-
patton Is leading them they viii take a
new tack and convert their clubs into
those more like to what a mans club is
place for recreation and pleasant fellow
ship.
Bicycle health statistics are beginning to
come in recent number of a medical
journal says that the Massachusetts
health board has found that since the in
crease of cycling among women In the
state there has been a marked decrease
mlrable in some senses, it bids fair TO
make more serious a condition which is
already deplorable, the numerical super
iority of women TO men in Massachusetts.
Nothing is said of the increase of health
fulness of men in Massa chusetts, and with
the proportion of women to men in the
state constantly increasing and woman
suffrage surely on the way as 1t is said to
De, Massachusetts is bound to be in time
a little republic of women by itself It
viii be manless kingdom, like the uni
versity of Tennyson's Princess on a large
scale, with the isms and ologies which in
terested the princess maidens, and which
would be sure to be found in a maiden
republic which had Boston for its club"
What became of unmarried gentlewoman
in the eighteenth century? There were
many. Some had money and lived alone
with the brevet rank of mistress. Some had
none, and lived for the most part with
the eldest brother. Even the thought of
working for their livelihood was a degra-
dalton unspeakable; in fact, they did work
but 1t was the household work. Such a
woman is described by Grose, writing in
1888 He says:
w hen j was young man there existed
in the families of most unmarried men
or widowers of the rank of gentlemen, res
ldents in the country, a certain antiquated
female, either maiden or widow, commonly
an aunt or cousin. Her dress / have now
before me; 1t consisted of a stiff-starched
cap and hood, a little hoop, a rich silk
damask gown, with large flowers. She
leant on an ivory headed crutch cane, and
was followed by a fat phthlsicky dog of
the pug kind, who commonly reposed on
cushion and enjoyed the privilege of snarl-
ing at the servants occasionally biting
their heels with impunity. BY the side
of this good old lady jlngled a bunch of
keys securing, in different closets and cor
ner cupboards, all sorts of cordial waters,
cherry and raspberry brandy, washes for
the complexion, Daffy's Elixir. a rich seed
cake, number of pots Of currant Jelly
and raspberry jam, with a range of galli-
pots and phials containing salves, electu-
aries, Juleps and purges for the use of the
poor neighbors. The daily business of this
good lady was to scold the maids, collect
eggs feed the turkeys and assist at all the
interesting events that happened within
the parish.