Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-10-24
Limitations Of Miss Lane.

copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub Co.l
A man and girl-that most ancient
OF combinations--with Its endless
chain Of possibilities-are seated side
by side on a bank of coarse grass and
gray boulder, looking scaward. Tho
old duel OF the sexes has been wagilg
between them for the best part OF an
hour, but as yet neither party has
been worsted. There are no seconds,
unless a small boy disporting himself
in the middle distance could so be
counted At any rate he serves as q
sort OF time-rest to the conversation,
occasionally drawing the attention OF
the pair to himself by the rarrowness
OF his escapes from bodily injury. His
efforts are directed toward fixing q
ilagpole on Il tree in homer OF the ap-
preaching Fourth OF July. Dr. Randall
hazards the prophecy that enc OF these
days Jack Hughes will kill himself.
Not he" says Miss La"e cheerful
ly; but ] wish he'd come Gown. love
boys who want to do dangerous things,
but can't bear to see them at It,"
You're simply" he says, "the most
feminine woman I've met.
And is that why you like me7"
One of the why's. There are others"
Il don't think | like the obvious"
returns Miss Lane. 1T is as bad to be
labeled feminine as being called sweet
or good-hearted."
You couldn't be the first without
being the two last. Why. | wonder. do
women grid so at belonging to their
own sex? Do you ever hear a man OBJ
ject to being called a manly fcllowf"
Il deny that we do grid at 1t. II Is
only the never getting beyond ones
limitations. Suppose one is primrose
by rivers brim; you don't want to
be that and nothing more 1t Is the
eternal feminine l object to-"
The man smiles beneath the shelter
OF his hat brim.
Getting beyond your limitations"
he says, "confessedly c t Of your
depths. Who appears to advantage,
man or woman. in that 81 hationT'
What are n woman's limitationsT'
impaticntly. II mean, OF course, your
idea OF them. know all men have a
cut-anddried theory on the subject,
ready for use at moments notice"
Evidently you agree with Hardy's
peasant that men are very poor
class of society,""
DO II? she laughs. ASK any u the
women over there'-pointing in the
direction OF the little summer settle
mcnt across the hill-"they will tell
you Miss Lane is never SO happy rs
when she has a man tagging at her
heels"
And you deny that your sex is
spiteful?"
That isn't spiteful, after all, per-
haps." ruefully. 81 dare say it is only
true. do like them-l," lamely, have
always been accustomed to them"
Don't annihilate me for saying
therein lies the chief charm of the
feminine woman"
"Oh! no. You're welcome to your
opinion. | believe | even psked for It,
You did. You said, WI At are wom'
ans limitations?' And yor accused me
of having a cut-and-dried answer. But
you didn't wait for it. | was about tC
say I'd never found a woman's limi
tations."
Then" calmly, you were about tc
tell an untruth. There was never yet {
man who hadn't set the boundary fol
his fellow woman"
You don't mind If l smoker" Sh'
mods permission. Il admit there arr
just one or two walks in life owe
which it IS written-'Nerboten ~
Eingang,' to a woman"
And those?"
We'll, medicine and the law. to be
gin with. AS doctor have 1t on m.
conscience to have dissuaded at leas
three young women from becoming
trained nurses
The silence that follows this state
ment becomes fairly ominous.
Il have no patience" begins Mis-
Lane at last with man-no respec
for one-who says such thing a
that. l am sorry-I-really though