The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-13
WOMHNS WORLD

Of ten Of you steal every day of your lives
and defy you to deny it,
Women steal?" repeated one Of his
oonpanions, a dainty. white-haired little
cresture, in a surprised tone, says the
New York Sun.
"Oh. I suppose he's referring to our
habit of appropriating mems hearts,"
suggested the other, a winsome girl, with
an exaggerated method of speech. "Of
course we do that I'd like to steal hearts
nv the billion, would, and so would every
o+ber woman If she'd only own IT, AS for
nv part. 1 think 1t the duty of every lIv-
ting woman to hurt the hearts of as many
men as she can get hold on just to get
even with the sex for all the things they
do"
you're stealing now" said the bachelor
with an amused smile. Actually steal
ing before our very eyes"
The girl shrugged her shoulders and ex-
claimed: "Why, l always understood that
you really believed you had no heart"
Hearts be-banished," CALCULATED the
bachelor 81 haven't got heart in the
neighborhood of my ribs, much less in the
back part of my head. You are stealing
time That's what I'm talking about.
I repeat it; all you women dote on steal
ing time from one another. It's really
appalling. I never could quite understand
why Thou shalt not steal thy neighbors
time was not included in the command
ments. You know I've been spending
three weeks with my sister in a New
England village and my observations
there set me to thinking on this subject.
From morning until night she is inter
rupted by people dropping in, not be-
cause they care for her and want to talk
with her in a spirit of sympathy and un-
Outstanding, but because they have moth
ing else to do. Their calls are absolutely
aimless. That isn't all This village is
a very central point, and people must pass
through it TO get to large number of
towns and other villages which surround
IT, Wen, they drop in by the score for
day. a day and night, and oftentimes
week, on their way to and from visiting
other people, and all because they have
nothing else 90 do. To my mind there
is something actually wrong in such in
something nothing short of criminal in
stealing time in this way"
"Oh, it's all in a lifetime" said the girl.
What difference can it possibly make,
and. anyway, people in the city don't do
that. It's only people in the couRtry.'
You are vastly mistaken" answered TIE
bachelor. "City women are more given
to this pernicious habit than their country
cousins. Take those who live in big, hand
some houses, and are blessed with big in
comes. They form advanta geous acquain-
tanees for the most part and must needs
simulate genuine feeling for one another
by dropping in on each other at any time.
The people with limited incomes who live
in flats and cheap apartments are no bet
ter, for housekeeping is so simplifed for
them that they have lots of spare time on
their hands with which to steal the time
of other folks. AS for the inmates of board
ing houses, they make regular business
of stealing time from one another. 1t is,
in fact, a failing common TO your sex.
And the mischief of il all is that the av-
erage woman talks to tell what she thinks,
and not, like that good Boston philosopher,
TO find out what she thinks"
You are entirely too harsh in your
Judgment" spoke up she of the white
hair. Success in life depends largely on
the number of people one meets"
Indeed, not" retorted the bachelor,
but it does depend on the power of COM
ing into real sympathy with some of that
number"
Il do not consider that callers, dropping
in, as you call them, steal ones time, for
they do not interrupt specific work. I
must admit that they do take up lot
of valuable time, but
The woman hesitated and the man added
cynically, ITS all in lifetime? DO not
misunderstood me-" he went on. II am
not crying down the companionship OF
friends. No other possession In life can
begin to compare with loyal friends, but
these women who drop in on each other
because they have nothing else to do
make real friendship next to impossible;
they leave no time for the cultivation of
real friendship which is a tender delicate
essence and needs much care and thought.
To exchange formal or even informal calls
and reception and dinner invitations is not
friendship; oftener il is politics. To agree
about the latest book or opera is not
friendship, and neither is membership in
the same club or class or society, and yet
you women call it so, and thus cloak your
habit of stealing time"
You can't convince me that men ,lon't
steal time from one another just as mucn
as We women do" put in the girl flip
PANTY I've noticed that when women
have a fault men always have it ten times
worse"
You are vastly mistaken" said the
bachelor. Man, as a rule, does not steal
time from his fellow man. He is loo
selfish. Man only seeks the companion
ship of those whom he can enjoy. 1t would
never occur to him to drop in for an hour,
or two hours, or a day. on a man with
whom he has nothing else to do, or no
where else to go. All personal association
should uplift, should leave behind a sense
Of charm. Do women feel that after some
one has stolen precious hour, a morning
or an afternoon from them. ! think not.
When you do feel this after a caller or
visitor has departed, make up your mind
that you've been entertaining a thief, a
person who has stolen that most precious
thing in lifetime.
Come to think of H." answered the
woman, Il have given the best part of my
days TO entertaining people who visited
me because they had nothing else to do,
and, as you say, it has certainly interfered
with my entering into real relationships
with many who would undoubtedly have