The Coconino sun., 1902-04-19
The Testing of
 a Man By WIhhIHM BAOSS.
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 Copyright 1901. by Authors syndieass.)

some, these sawmakers declared that when a woman will she will That's all very well, and perhaps it is. for the better part, true; but there are slips between lips and cups, pitchers often are brok- en by making steady company of
 the well curb, and, in fact, one can't
 always safely bet on sure tip. lhavs little doubt that woman will when
 she will, if she can-but there's the
 rub, as Shakespeare wrote, and was
 most uncommonly abused by Critic Goldsmith for being so disagreeably vulgar, thereby proving that poet is
 without honor in his own generation.
 If she can. One must reckon with this essential ''if she can." It was be- cause of this lack of reckoning that
 Medora Folsom-something very dear to woman, her pride, entered into the shackles of matrimony with rude and husky male person who had big feet and coarse hands, which is quite contrary to all the con- ventions of maidenly expectancy, when maidenly expectancy is delight fully dwelling upon the prospect of
 marriage. All properly constituted maidenly expectancies do that, and
 Medora Folsom was altogether most properly yconstituttdg girl, and had been we'll taught, having a good mother. In itself this last is full marriage portion for any young woman who is not looking for coronets.
 Medora lived on the North side, up near Lincoln park, in one of those pretty by streets running lakeward, which are by no means aristocratic and by no means plebeian, but just good, comfortable, respectable, we'll to-do Amercan--which is fine enough for anybody, even a crown prince or the rajah of Singapore.
 And Medora, who was 20 years old and as sweet girl as ever bloomed in the countless myriad of girl gar dens this old world has looked on since Osiris was only a man and had not thought of becoming a deity. had given her the rare happiness of being wooed by two ardent lovers lat one and the same time,' as the ringmaster would say. It had looked for quite awhile as if John Brown would carry away this winsome prize and bear it to his tent triumphant. He had the first innings-which always counts, and Medora really liked him-which helps-and her mother favored his suit--which may or may not have been an advantage. Upon this latter point one may be pardoned tolerant de- gree of skepticism. The basic quality of glorious woman is contrariness. If you want her to, she likes to make you believe she would rather not; if you urge her, she shies; if you coerce her, she backs; if you command her, she bolts. My opinion is that it was largely because of her dear mamma that Medora refused John Brown, the first time he asked her.
 She didn't send him away peremp- torily, fiatly, about his business-that would have thrown the poor fellow at the feet of some other girl--the bold, saucy, thing--and have outraged all of Medora's finer feelings, but she plead ed that she didn't really love him yet enough to want to marry him, forever and forever (this was in Chicago, but Medora was a good Episcopalian), and that, for the time being. there was no hope. Besides that, Folsom is pret- tier name than Brown, don't you think? It's matter of taste. I know woman whose name was once Miss Angela Beatrice Montgomery. yet now her calling cards bear the title, Mrs. Adam Potts And she is proud of it.
 So John, poor John, fingered, and used to make long calls on Sunday even- ing after service, when all the family was in the parlor, and talk about the weather, the new vested choir and