The leader., 1897-08-25
COMPLETE FUSION.
BY ElylRA FLOYD FR0sMCKE.
(Original.)

M rs. NEO > Al'i In was 'hoIougn
jV business woman and cared for the
1Mniire correspondence of a large import
inc house. Mrs. Olhausen was perfect
bonsewife and looked carefully after
,be 50 ial interests of her husband and
herself.
Mrs. Neustadter was a worker in
women's clubs and for political adj
rancement. Mrs. Olhausen was be-
liever in the homemaker, and woman as
the inspirer and helper in man't politi
cal Advancement.
Mrs. Neustadter always worshiped in
the Chapel of Nature" This meant
hammock under two shady trees, pill
low under head and a spicy novel in her
hand. While Mrs. Olhausen trotted off
every Sunday, prayer book in hand, to
the morning service.
One made bargains with the washer
woman As to the mending, the other
darned her husbands socks. One
scorned needlework as frivolous, the
olher EN- broidered the daintiest things
rof silk, muslin or lace. One found the
sweetest music lay in eloquent sem
terces that fell from the lips or flowed
nom the pens of the great female re-
formers. The other played upon the
piano and sang most sweetly.
Yet each loved her husband, walked
firmly in the path she considered right
each was fond of pretty dress, of
books and flowers.
Their husbands were very much alike.
Two fairly educated, pleasant young
Germans. Fond of the good things of
life and disposed to look favorably on
all men, providing their dinners were
good and their beer well cooled. Each
was proud of his wife in patronizing
sort of way, considering certain
amount Of affcctionate attention her
just due, yet taking instant alarm if
the wife's conduct bordered on the
poetic or elusive.
They would have become the warmest
friends, only somehow the wife of each
looked slightly stubborn if intimacy
was suggested. SO they smoked an oc-
casional pipe together and sighed in
puzzled way, attributing the difficulty
10 women's queerness.
: One dark, clear night, night that
clothed hills and meadows in sable
shadows, a night when every flower
seemed to send forth redoubled fra
GRANGE and the stars shone brilliantly,
we sat in quiet enjoyment of the pie
ture before us. Way off to the north
lay the great twin cities, New York
and Brooklyn, their lights sparkling
like tiretlies, and stretched across the
dark expanse dividing them a twinkling
OF fights making them one.
Nrs. Olhausen spoke gently: THE
giant of earth gives a diamond neck
lace to the queen of night"
f We all thought this very pretty. We
were becoming used to Mrs. Olhausen's
romantic and igurative expressions,
when an odd little sound came from
dark corner. 1t was half laugh, half
sneer, and we recognized the owner be-
fore words came.
III the lights went out on Brooklyn
bridge it would mean that the Giant
OF Earth had taken back his gift and
The Queen of nj ght would be weeping
rainy tears?"
An no. l fancy not. Queens, you
KNOW, do not weep or complain in pub
nc, They have too good training"
lhstInctively stir went through the
group, There was sound of some one
moving restlessly. The neutral young
man whispered: THAT was a clincher,
told you she'd balk."
Mrs. Old never let the smallest slip of
tongue or manner on. Mrs. News part
pass unobserved. Did she say: "Oh,
see how beautifully that brig looks with
It's sails spread"
Mrs. Oh would look over the land
scape-the water view-and find the
vessel "brigantine." Or if Mrs. New
appeared with bunch of flowers in her
oe!t and asked:
Aren't these bluetts pretty?" Mrs.
ola would declare that "chickory"
was one of the loveiiest wild flowers.
and once Mrs. New said the water dried
up quick" on the sandy path. Mrs. Old
agreed with very quickly"
roor Mrs. New so often defeated, de-
cared TO her husband that Mrs. Old was
most disagreeable creature-"a reg
ular know-it-an."
les, she is very schmart, my dear;
maj learned many tings from her al
ready"
on the other hand, Mr.. Old remarked
The beauty of Mrs. News hair, whilst
MS wife was braiding her scanty locks.
ms was hard! But she conquered.
symptom of hysteria and calmly re-
marked:
Yes! l wonder if her peasant an
res'resses raised hair for the Berlin or
dresden barbers?"
After that night Mrs. Olhausen ar
rayed her wits in material order to
meet her advancing foe. 1t was con-
unuous skirmish; advance, retreat; ad-
vance, defeat.
iney became pivot for household
eossip, and we abbreviated their names
" mrs New and Mrs. Old to facilitate
!, constant discussions of them. Even
~, neutral young man made his usual
day?"
Iross purposes ruled. The boating
auu bathing. tennis and croquet, were
oesonu In attraction to watching these
oplnionated women.
Al breakfast Mr.. New looked pale
au III 1t was so strange to miss his
,hs hy color and CHEEKY smile that
~ sIere was general chorus of inquiry.
~ acknowledged he was suffering, and
.ssnea pleased to have our general
Not so his wife!
,. que suggested, quite openly and with
~ ~ intonation, that he had better re-,
Nh nome; II he was sick that was the
'''ss '0s him Poor mani He grow