New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-04
LETTERS OF AN OLD MAID.

TO A MAN

TO A MAN.
Dear Vernon: I have arrived at the conclusion
that men superior 20 women. ] wouldn't mako
tho admission John. or any other young man. Tor
words, you not 50 very young. YOU know;
not i0 years. There are some men. and even a few
women. 20 whom one can say that Ne. the
younger men arc rnmovable in their conviction
% their own superiority that So almost makes them
inferior: a condition which 8 ap; be the result
Of TOO much conviction 90 ones superiority
Therefore II doesn't do 20 encourage them. except
in purely personal ways. They need personal en-
cOUraE euen- for many Of Thorn have hard times.
poor bows! don't mean the weak ones with griev-
a1Ces but tho real men among them. who strive
and aspire. But 20 encourage them as a sex doesn't
30 az all We must reserve that for those % ripper
experience and great generosity. You have often
asserted the superiority o. women that take
generous delight Ga co-tessirg 10 you that we're a
poor lot. after all,
think so to-day. Next week may decide differ
entity. don't count on Il. some Of Us. you know.
spend most Of our time and thought IN that sort ~
balancing game between men and contemplating
the virtues and vices OF each into the scale and
watching them seesaw. just now, IA my scale.
woman kicks the beam. ] am temporarily pos
sesscd with the thought that men are more gener-
GUS more deeply Kind. more efficient iu everything
nesrly everything and Of necessity more courage
Gus. i arm IN the mood despise the too obvious
superiority Of women 81 Few well defined virtues.
As TO courage OF course a knows that ~ he is
not brave IN every way he IS simply worthless-that
> the verdict OF both sexes. so you he has 10
he brave or spend his life the shelf; and en-
forced virtue Is almost uEt Quite good as an in
hereut virtue
Take one example: During the war with Spain
worked myself up the idea that / wasn't such =
physical coward had always supposed myself
be- I inflated with patriotism that
magned I could have gone 70 the front
nurse. = my health had allowed 81. and stood in
rain OF bullets, witnessing wounds and death and
not finching the sight Of blood. In default
OF going the front ! visited soldiers IN the sur
gcal wards OF hospitals saw accident patients
brought e.. heard grOans' and performed trihlng
services Tor who had the shade OF death
upon their faces and whose cots had new occu-
pants the following DAY. All this I thought.
brought me a step 10 the nobler women
who are not afraid. But did Il? only last Sunday
I went to church for the first time after a two
weeks siege with grip Oou see I want 10 make
excuses FOR my lack Of uerveD As 1 knelt upright
in the pew a boy IN the pew Just ahead OF
began 10 show unmistakahle signs Of preparing 20
have q IT. Epieptc attacks DO come in
simultaneously; the preImlnaries differ in every
subject and In each attack. and always APP
paling. The boy twisted himself half around and
looked at me without seeing me. In OF Mark
IWain's stories he says. Il went away from there
] viii not say that L away 4 simply went
that IS sufficient" SO did l. ] left my purse. my
sexton 10 gather up and guard. And not thing
ca Know as 70 who was. where was or what
that church door. and found myself flying home
with trembling knees I assure YOU they tremblod
until after dinner. I haven't heard yet what hap
pened the boy 10 the rest OF the congregation
] IN a little curious about u. but not very L am
principally occupied ln thinking that II had been
"a man j could not have run AVA. some people
would think this an advantage. / don't: I'm hui
inflated. especially 1 know that II the same
thing happened again next Sunday ! should run
away again.
il Is true that have encountered some OF me
terrOrs OF Mfe and have not run away. feel also
a conviction that II ] had been the sister who sat
the pew with that boy. and who was bending
over him when ! fed. 1 should have stood my
ground for the sake OF duty and destiny But be
Ing a neutral. ! got out Of u; 50 would no man
have done whom i would call M friend, even II
be had had grip.
But that Is not all. said at the start that you
r1aulfnd-vyere generous. kinder. more ell
cient II seems take drink 70 ruin a man s dis
rloeition and make 81 bad that OF some
women who temperate and virtuous. but, biess
Won that may not be tTuei I suppose disposition
r. rflrelv Individual after all Wen analyze no
further: / viii simply relterate the conclusion or
nv present mood. viz. that men are superior,
after all -----.-
T3rlt don't tell any other man. For great many
would regard IL. N true a. a good reason why
should not perform any aet IS9uiIIng or ,b
GENERAL superiority OF men proves that women
should not" etc For men are so logical. Yours
IN an humility (pro tenn. FflS1lLi4A-