The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-19
A Curious Social Difficulty

SUPPOSE" said the bachelor.
its all right to abuse men for
remaining single till they are
bald headed and not marrying and hav-
ing happy home and keeping some
sweet woman from dying a lonely old
maid. But there is something to be
said on both sides of that question. Do
you think 1 remained a bachelor be-
cause I preferred my own selfish ease
and freedom to the love of a wife and a
companionship that would give me in
spiration and happiness? Not at all.
Listen. No man likes ladies' society
better than I do. If I had my way I
confess would have been married long
ago-that is, if could have found the
only woman. But among all the thou
sands of nice girls in this great city /
have never found her.
Il will tell you why. l came here if
teen years ago a youth of twenty. Ny
mother and two sisters were inteIiec-
tual. cultivated women. One sister, in
deed, was brilliant. Morally they were
of high type and sweet tempered and
gentle in their ways. They were and
are my ideal of womanhood. Particu-
larly I have always worshiped women
of brains because am fond of Iitera-
ture and of Intellectual culture. / had
my dreams in those days of the only
woman. First, she should be an intel
lectual, highly cultivated girl because
craved intellectual sympathy as well
as good comradeship which should last
I learned these ideas from my mother.
I thought other women were like her.
1 thought other girls were like my sis
tiers.
Il had my own way to make without
he .1t a-k 1,o1x a. It's
ence. but knew I was capable, and I
was determined. The first year I gave
so much time to mastering my work
that I was too tired at night to go any
where. I worked holidays. On Sundays
took walks alone or attended vespers
in the churches. always alone. Yes, I
did long for ladies' society, bright, mer-
ry girls who knew something as we'll.
/ love music, / was fond of dancing.
am fond of all the social outdoor ath-
letic games to this day; but, again,
was alone.
After two years some gentlemen
who had come to know me introduced
me in their clubs and stood sponsor for
me. They were kind and also intro
duced me to their wives and sisters.
But it's curious. do you know? The la
dies of clubmen's families belong al
most invariably to the set that cares for
dress and fashion more than for any
thing else. They are gay, bright and
pretty and exquisitely gowned, but IN
tellectual, with thought for the deeper,
higher side of life-no: Disappointed
again.
AT last found where the ladies
keep themselves who to my mind rep
resent the best class of women, those
whom / really desired to know. They
are the ones who do things-profes-
sional women and those of the musical,
literary and artistic class. And they
were almost without exception working
for their living all day and stayfnM
home evenings to rest for next day orr
else because they. like me on my
side. had no agreeable acquaintance
of the opposite sex. These are the wo-
men of brains, the college graduates.
the writers, the thinkers. the singers,
the students of life. But how to meet
them? The fashionable ladies did not
interest me; l did not interest them.
They drifted off to their own kind
We all have our own, but we cannot
always find it.
Il don't think should be altogether
disagreeable to ladies' said the bache-
lor Strengthening himself and his neck
tie. but the ladies whom wish to
meet are about as far away from me
as heaven. They are not the kind who
go into society much; they are too
busy with more important matters.
Neither are they the kind to seek mere
pick ups of men acquaintances; they
know their own worth too well. Be-
Sides it would take a pretty nice fellow
to fill the bill with them. But have
no doubt there are hundreds among
those that consider the best class Of
women who are situated just as I am
They like men, probably, but circurn-
stances pen them OF to themselves.
and they live and die single.
LAS for myself, have not yet found
a way to meet the ladies whom l wish
to know" KATHERINE RTAnEre