Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-03
Mr.. HOWELL PEOPLES

This is a very personal thing you have
asked me to do, to discuss proposition
with which | am not sufficiently familiar
to form an opinion and certainly not so
favored as to know by reason of expert
ence that woman does or does not do half
the wooing. In my personal view If she
does she doesn't half do it-and yet she
becomes the better half" To me this is
singular.
The word "wo'' is from the Anglo-Sax-
on "Wogian,' meaning "A bending"
ITO solicit in marriage" ITO make love-"
''To court" These women, bless their
hearts, stay their bending and may not so
licit in marriage, but they make love"-in
fact they are love incarnate-and they
frequently go to court"
BY the very nature of things woman
does half the wooing Eve devised 1t and
1t has been going on ever since, being &C
cepted as a hereditary belief as tremen-
dous theological problems are. Her very
existence courts the admiration, the defer
ence the love of the entire brotherhood of
man, making the wilderness to bloom and
blossom as the rose and frames mans on
ly prayer about her name. She is the very
center about which the schemes. hopes
and plans of men revolve; she absorbs
the heart and mind of man traversing the
whole extent. exercising absolute domain,
and by every test covert and overt does
at least half the wooing / am too gener-
Gus IN matter. 10 place any uIIllldliOuS
around the subject and will therefore
grant full pardon to those desiring to do
all the wooing. 1t Is a beautiful thing to
do, I am told But don't let it be marked
down to half. So commercial IT is to say
''Woing-Marked down; take me home for
half price. Woman's exchange" or Is woos
for Is cents-four poses" Liberal dis
count for violets. Transfers given at CEN
trail points to all diverging lines. Rain
checks given with carriages, red or green
trading stamps for American Beauties"
Make 1t whole hearted, If you have ever
been half wooed" you will appreciate
this.
Society has evolved condition that re-
quires the woman to do half the wooing
and woman must conform to society. To
plan and successfully conduct card par
ty where the unfair sex are desired a
woman must WOO every man she knows to
insure an attendance adequate to the ext
gencies of the occasion. Then the demands
Of society generally make 1t necessary for
a great deal of wooing to be done as all
other subjects were long since exhausted,
and woman of course always does her
part, and this Is fully half. 1 think she is
all-everything-and does nothing by
halves. 1t is big subject There is a va
riety to the thing. 1t is too much for me.
/ am now over my head and ears. But
invite all would be wooers"-not half
hearted would be-hers, but whole
hearted ones. My experience covers a cir
cumscribed territory, but 1 am for whole
hearted woers in the future and it will be
my mistake If it becomes necessary for
her to do even half the wooing.
Mans gallantry should be a controlling
influence embracing the scheme entire,
brooking no interference and bringing the
subject to a near relationship. After all
the positions are relative.
When misunderstanding arise and dis
rupt Cupids realm, the woman graceful
ly invites a reconciliation and should SURF
render completely, including side arms.
There can be no logical conclusion, for
Love and Logic are strangers. There Is
no reason in Love and no Love in reason,
but women should gladly do half the WOO
ing. Whatever they do they do happily
and well. "Barkis is willin."
Some men deserve to be wooed mot half
wooed) in consideration of long and faith
full service and 1 hereto subscribe myself
willing candidate as
A WUNCE-WUZZER AND
A HAS-BEENER.
Eefarences given If demanded.