The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-14

race? Shade Of gentle William, who
said that
"A woman moved. was like a fountain
troubled
Muddy. ill-seeming, thick, bereft of
And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty, |
VIII deign to sip or touch one drop Of it.
Is the modern girl under the impress
sion that men will be contented with
poor limitations Of themselves to share
their homes and be the mothers of their
children? She is throwing away the
substance for the shadow
The moment she steps out from the
sanctuary Of her home, the glamor
that girlhood or maternity has thrown
around her cast aside, that moment will
she cease to rule mankind Women
may agitate until they have obtained
some political recognition, but will
awake from their foolish dream of pow
er, realizing too late what they have
sacrificed to obtain it, that the price
has been very heavy, and the fruit of
their struggles bitter on their lips
There are few men, l imagine, of my
generation to whom the words home"
and mother have not a penetrating
charm who do not look back with soft
ened heart and tender thoughts to fire
twilight talks at a mothers knee, real
iZing that the best in their nature owes
its growth to these influences.
L sOmetimes look about me and Won
der what these words mother and
home will mean later to modern lit
tie boys. They will evoke / fear, but
confused remembrance of some CEN
taur-like being, half woman, half
wheel or of a radiant craa t11ra in o,ra 20
and jewels, driving away to endless
fetes-fetes followed by long mornings,
when he and his brothers and sisters
were told not to make any noise, or
play too loudly, las poor mamma was
resting" What other memories can
the modern and successful woman of
to-day hope to leave in the minds of
her children? And if the child remem-
bers his mother in this way, will not
the man who has known and perhaps
loved her, feel the same sensation of
empty futility when her name is men
toned?
The woman who proposes game of
cards to man who has dropped in to
pass an hour in her society can hardly
expect to leave a particularly tender
memory in his mind as he walks away.
The girl who has rowed or ridden or
raced at a mans side for days with but
the one idea of getting the better Of
him at some sport or pastime cannot
very reasonably hope to be connected
in his thoughts with ideas more ten
der or more elevated than odds" or
"handicaps," with an undercurrent OF
pique and irritation if his unseXed COM
panion has ''doWned' him successfully.
What man. unless he be singularly
dissolute or unfortunate, does not turn
his steps when he can towards some
dainty parlor where he is sure of find
ing a smiling, soft-voiced woman,
whose welcome he knows will soothe
his irritated nerves and restore the
even balance of his temper; whose
charm will work its subtle way into
his troubled spirit? The wife he loves,
or the friend he admires and respects,
will do more for him in one of those
quiet hours where two minds are in
communion, and come closer to the
real man and move him to better eff
forts and nObler aims than all the
beauties and sporty" acquaintance Of
a lifetime No matter what a mans
education or taste is, none are insensi-
bic to such an atmosphere or to the
grace and witchery a woman can diff |
fuse into the simplest surroundings. |
She need not be beautiful or brilliant
to hold him in lifelong allegiance, if |
she but possess his magnetism.
Nine. Recamier was beautiful, but
not a brilliant woman, yet she held
men her slaves for years. To know
her was to fall under her charm, and
to feel it once was to remain her
adorer for life. She will go down to
history as the type of the most fas-
cinating of women. Being asked once
by an acquaintance what spell she
worked on mankind that enabled her to
hold them forever at her feet, she
laughingly answered:
Il have always found two words suf
ficient When a visitor comes into my
salon, I say, 'Enfni and when he gets
up to go away. 1 say 'Deja!'"
What is this wonderful charm he
is writing about?' l think I hear some
sprightly maiden inquire as she reads
| these lines. Ny dear young lady. if
you ask the question, you have judged
yourself and been found wanting. But
to satisfy you as far as 1 can, I will
| try and define it-not by telling you
what ii is: that is beyond my power
| but by negatives, which is the only
| way subtle subjects can. be approached.
The woman of charm is never
hustered and never distract She talks
| little, and rarely of herself, remember
| ing 'bores" are persons who insist on
| talking about themselves when you
| want to talk about yourself. She never
makes an effort to be brilliant or enter
tain with her wit. She is far too clever
for that. She never volunteers infor-
| nation nor converses about her troub
les or her ailments nor does she wan
| der off into details about people you
| do not know
She is all things to all men in the best
| sense of that phrase, approaching his