The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-29

asks herself what is wrong. Her own
idea is that 1t is civilization II it is
not civilization then it is the American
man or nature-Or democracy. Miss
SparhaWk maTries the wrong man. La
ter on she gets engaged to the wrong
man. In the end we are left to believe
she is about to be married to the right
man. should be better satisfied IL
could hear Miss SparhaWk talking six
months after that last marriage. But
If mistake has again been made I am
confident that, in Miss Sparhawk's opin-
lon, the fault will not be Miss Spar
hawks. The argument is always the
same; Miss Sparhawk, being a lady.
can do no wrong. If Miss SparhaWk
cared to listen to me for five minutes,
feel I could put her right on this point.
1T is quite true my dear girl, should
say to her, something is wrong, very
wrong. But it is not the American man.
Never you mind the American man:
you leave him to worry out his own
salvation. You are not the girl to put
him right, even where he is wrong. And
it is not civilization. Civilization has a
deal to answer for admit; don t sou
load H-up with this additional trouble.
The thing that IS wrong in this case OF
yOurs-if you will forgive my saying so
is you. Your make fool Of yourself
You marry man who is mere aTli-
NAL because he appeals to your animal
instincts. Then, like the lady who cried
out, 'Alack, I've married a. black you
appeal to heaven against the Injustice
of being mated with a clown. You are
not a nice clean girl. either in your ideas
or in your behaviour. don't blame You
for it; you did not make yourself. But
when you set to work to attract all that
is lowest in man, why be SC astonished
at your own success? There are plenty
of shocking American men, I agree. one
meets the class even outside America
But nice American girls viii tell you
that there are also nice American men.
There is an old proverb about birds of
a feather. Next time you find yourself
in the company Of a shocking American
man, you just ask yourself how he got
there, and how it is he seems to be feel
ing at home. You learn self control.
Get it out Of your head that you are the
center OF the universe. and grasp the
idea that a petticoat is not halo, and
you will find civilization not half as
wrong as you thought it." I know what
Miss Sparhawk's reply would be. tsYou
say all this to me-to me. a lady. Great
heavensi What has become Of chival-
ry2' A Frenehman was once put on
trial for numbering his father and
mother. he confessed his guilt but beg
ged for mercy on the plea that he was
an orphan. Chivalry was founded on
the assumption that woman was worthy
to be worshipped. The modern woman's
notion is that when she does wrong she
ought to be excused by chivalrous man
because she is a lady. like the naughty
heroine; we all of US do. The early Vic
torian heroine, the angel in q white
frock, was a bore. We knew exactly
what she was going to do-the right
thing. We did not ever have to ask our
selves, What viii she think is the right
thing to do under the circumstance
It was always the conventional right
thing. You could have put it to Sum
day school and have got the answer ev-
cry time. The heroine with passions,
instincts, emotions, is to be welcomed.
But I want her to grasp the fact that
after all she is only one Of us. I should
like her better If, instead of demanding,
what is wrong in civilization? What
is the world coming TOT" and so forth,
she would occasionally say to herself
Guess I've made a fool of myself this
time do feel that 'shaned of myself
She would not lose by it. We should love
her all the more.
JEROME K. JEROME.