The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-15


TINE MYSTERY IN WOMAN.
20, most delicate nend!
Who is't can read q woman?"
Wise VIII Shakespeare. who could
read almost anything In nature. help
lessly asks this question, - poets and
philosophers have vainly asked It
through oil time since the day when
perversity resulted In the leaving Of
Paradise "a the emancipation Of the
intellect from ignorance. The wonder
ful work which was thus inaugurated
Tor man by the inexplicable act Of the
woman may be continuing unseen and
uncomprehended by VI In oil the mys-
terious workings Of q woman's mind;
but the reason IL withheld. as It was
in the Garden OF Eden. When that
awe-inspiring voice asked Of the man
Why he ate the forbidden fruit he re-
piled with frankness and an attempt
at explanation, even though, % It seems
to .us now. with ungallant shifting OF
responsibility, '-The woman gave to
me ana I did eat" 1t Il not recorded
that Eve was asked the reason why
she did II, and she probably was not.
There II no doubt that the omniscience
would know the only satisfaction she
would rive would be Because"
The great virtue Of woman. her su-
periority In 10 many respects. will al
ways be and has always been conceded
with thankfulness by man. but this
acknowledgment does not renfove the
fact that there II one phase OF a
wcman's nature for which man finds
no adequate explanation. Experience
will not avail him. because the lessons
Of one life do not throw any light upon
another.
"Beshrew my heart but II r wondrous
strange:
Sure there Is something more than WITCH
craft in them.
That masters evn tho wisest OF US ALL"
That women reason is not to be
doubted: but that they often act with
cut Offering q reason or pretending to
be guided by any reason il certain. 1t
Is not instinct: q woman's instinct Is
the surest guide In human nature. 1t
is that perversity which 30 often In
duces her to do that which her sound
Judgment. her better nature, warns her
Is not best It's then she refuses to
explain; It il then that men help,essly
marvel. and even angels might weep
over the wanton waste OF womanly
worth. Pope abandoned ali hope Of ex-
PLANTATION and exclaimed:
''woman's at best contradiction STILL
How wide the contradiction. may be
quickly illustrated By the fact that
woman is a, once the symbol OF fidelity
and Of fiokieness. OF mercy and Of mer-
ciiessness. Of the purest virtue and the
most reckless shameiessness. While
sfsords the other and each will be &C
knowledged as equally correct Lowell
says In Irene:
"Earth's noh!est thing. woman per-
fected.''
Young. IN his famous satire. Love Of
Fame" declares that
"A shameless woman Is the worst of
men
What a strange thing Ia man; what
| q stranger IL wognan!" exciaims Byron.
who. 10 the glory OF her sex be IT said.
| knew very little OF wonan's true ma
| ture, He sought 1t perverted. and only
| found Il perverted for. with the delicate
instinct which is hers. the woman whom
| Shakespeare yeyere6--
| iris virtue THAI doth make them NEST
| admired
| Floated away from the erotic poets
| presence unseen by and unknown Ia
| him Yet he is forced 10 the asnss-
| slcn that there Is something In woman
/ he could not understand Whether
| nan cannot know. Whether she under
| stands herself none can know. not even
/ she herself. A man knows he AN
/ derstAnds mankind hecaase the results
! ~ analyses OF motives, q cong ar sons.
/ - experiences are the same Ore can
foressu with scne aesree Of precision
| what goan whose nature Is known
| will do gnaer certain circumstances. II
! wonli be uatrae 70 sag no woman can
| b. depended ursan 10 do any one par
| sicllar sntng IN accordance with her
anewn characteristics. bat Is Is The
| myKssFg os her nature that she canno;
| sse confidently DEPENDS. upon 10 So tina,
/ "a hitch ali circumstances rclnt 20 "a the
most probable.
Novels ahoan3 IN this motive ar
| plots. and II has been naturally mos,
/ prolific scurce et cssr1rnen: fer 10
| iees!c and rrosAlc students es psyehol-
! exy. Way women eoneeA their ssal