Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-05-24

count So they gave me a bedroom
without the companionship of one Of
those things that were having their
brains slowly diluted and squeezed out
of them. did not learn music. be-
cause ! had no talent, and when the
drove made cushions and hideous flow
ers that the roses laugh at and n foot
stool In six weeks that machine
would have made better in five min
utes | went TO my room. With the
money saved from such work bought
books and newspapers, and at night l
sat up l read and epitomized what l
read, and found time to write some
plays and find out how hard it is to
make your thoughts look anything but
imbecile fools when you paint them
with ink on paper. In the holidays
learned a great deal more. | made ac-
quaintances, saw a few places and
many people and some different ways
of living, which is more than any books
can show one. On the whole. am not
satisfied with my four years. l have
not learned what l expected, but l
have learned something else. What
have you been doing"
Nothing"
''That is not possible. 1 shall find
out by and by"
They still stepped on side by side
over the dewy bushes. Then suddenly
she turned on him.
Waldo?"
NO" he answered readily.
She laughed.
81 thought not Even you are too
worldly wise for that never met
man who did. This is a pretty ring"
she said, holding out her little hand
that the morning sun might make the
diamonds sparkle. Worth ESQ at
least. / will give it to the first man
who tells me he would like to be wo-
man. There might be one on Robin
island [lunatics at the Cape are sent
to Robin islandl who would win 1t
perhaps, but doubt 1t even there. 1t
Is delightful to be woman. but every
man thanks the Lord devoutly that he
isn't one"
She drew her hat to one side to keep
the sun out of her eyes as she walked.
Waldo looked at her so intently that
he stumbled over the bushes. Yes, this
was his little Lyndall who had worn
the check pinafores. He saw 1t now,
and he walked closer beside her. They
reached the next camp.
"Iet us wait at this camp and watch
the BIRDS" she said as an ostrich hen
came bounding toward them with vel
vety wings outstretched, while far
away over the bushes the head of the
cock was visible as he sat brooding on
the eggs.
Lyndall folded her arms on the gate
bar, and Waldo threw his empty bag
on the wall and leaned beside her.
AZ like these BIRDS" she said; they
share each others work and are COM
panions. Do you take an interest In
the position Of women, WaldoY
mo"
81 thought not. No one does unless
they are in need of a subject upon
which to show their wit. And as for
you, from of old you can see nothing
that is not separated from you by
few millions Of miles and strewed over
with mystery. If women were the In
habitants OF Jupiter, of whom you had
happened to hear something, you
would pore over us and our condition
night and day, but because we are be-
fore your eyes you never look at u.s.
You care nothing that this Is ragged
and ugly" she said, putting her little
finger on his sleeve. 'but you strive
nightly to make an imaginary leaf
on an old stick beautiful. I'm sorry
you don't care for the position Of wo-
men. l should have liked us to be
friends, and it is the only thing about
which | think much or feel much, If,
indeed, have any feeling about any
thing" she added flippantly, readjust-
Ing her dainty little arms. when l was
a baby, fancy my parents left me out
In the frost one night, and / got nip
ped internally. 1t feels So"
81 have only few old thoughts" he
said, "ard I think them over and
over again, always beginning where
left off. l never get any further. am
weary of them"
Like an old hen that sits on its eggs
HIleT anu MY A~'S
come out?" she said quickly. Il am SO
pressed In upon by new things that,
| lest they should trip one another up.
have to keep forcing them back. My
| head swings sometimes. But this one
| thought stands, never goes-if l might
| but be one of those born in the future;
then perhaps to be born a woman VIII
NOT ho +o ha horn branded"
Waldo looked at her. 1t was hard to
say whether she were In earnest or
| mocking.
81 know 1t is foolish. Wisdom never
kicks at the iron walls 1t can't bring
down." she said. But we are cursed,
| Waldo. born cursed from the time our
| mothers bring us into the world till
| the shrouds are put on us. Do not look
at me as though I were talking non
sense. Everything has two sides-the
outside that is ridiculous, and the In
side that is solemn"
81 am not laughing" said the boy
| sedately enough. but what curses
| your"
He thought she would not reply to
him, she waited so long.
| 'It Is not what Is done to us, Dut
| what is made of u.s." she said at last,
"that wrongs us. No man can be real
ly injured but by what modihes him
| self. We all enter the world little
| plastic beings, with so much natural
| force perhaps, but for the rest-blank,
| and the world tells us what we are to
be and shapes us by the ends it sets be-
| fore us. To you 1t says-work, and TO
us 1t says-seem! To you 1t says, AS
you approximate to mans highest
Ideal of God, as your arm Is strong and
! your knowledge great and the power
| to labor is with you, so you shall gain
all that human heart desires. To us II
saws: Strength shall not help you, nor
knowledge, nor labor. You shall gam
what men gain, but by other means.
And so the world makes men and wo-
| men.
Look Mt this little chin of mine,
Waldo. with the dlmple in It, 1t Is but
q small part of my person, but though
I had a knowledge of all things under
the sun and the wisdom to use 1t ana
the deep, loving heart of an angel, II
would not stand me through life like
this little chin. | can win money with
It, I can win love; l can win power
with 1t, can win fame. What would
knowledge help me? The less WON
an has In her head the lighter she Is
| nnra hoard mn old man