The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-02

which I had started was the SureSt
way to attract him and SO 1 persisted
| in my new role of plain living, plain
dressing and plain speaking. ] ScOrned
to practice the usual receptions. I
would be Myself But to be ones self
without embellishments, is to be very
ordinary, unintereSting sort of person.
What a woman who wishes to charm a
\ man must be is herself and a thousand
others She must be all things to one
man, or create that Illusion. She must
be constant mystery, puzzle and
wonder. She must also be something
of a fool. Men say they like sensible
women, but they don't. They like the
frivolous ones and respect the sensi-
! BILE ones and heaven forever defend us
from having nothing but mans re-
spect. y
'AL these things I knew then but as
I said before 1 thought this man was
different. However, 1 found out that
he wasn't. 1 fell head over heels in
love with him-something I never did
before or since. was completely off
my guard. He appeared interested in
me, encouraged me, one might say, and
I thought 50 noble a creature as he
who 'breathed through his nose like
Camille in the third act when he talked
of honor could never deceive a woman.
But, my dears, my idol was nothing
but clay. He was just like every other
man. scorned to hide my true feel
ings from him, thinking he would ad
mire my openness, my frank ingen-
uousness, my perfect trust in him and
all that sort of thing But he had no
sooner discovered that I was crazy
about him than he began to think
slightingly of my affection. And in
spite of his grand and noble talk about
what he admired in a woman-common
sense, fairness, usefulness, truth, honor
and naturalness-he fell dead in love al
most before my very eyes with a fool
ish, vain, selfish, deceitful little. piece
who added to these attractions pretty
face, charming clothes, the gift of jol-
lying a train of admirers, and a big
fortune in her own right No, he didn't
marry her because she wouldn't have
him and that of course clinched it. If
he had loved her before he was mad
about her then. The last I knew he was
still a bachelor and hardened cynic,
nursing the romantic illusion, every
now and then, when he had time to
think of it, of a broken heart.
"As for me, I was so terribly cut up
| to think what fool had been. after
all my experience, and so disguised
with my brief attempt in the High Life
that L threw the whole thing up, came
back home and went on in the old friv-
| olous way of killing time in the most
interesting ways that offered and MAX
ing myself as agreeable as could 70
whatever men presented themselves, old
and young, rich and poor, married and
| single according to my old theory that
that whoever is worth doing at all is
worth doing well.
But you can't say that it's my fault.
don't care a snap for being popular
with men and having a lot of danglers.
1t isn't worth the trouble of dressing
and smiling and jollying and making
oneself agreeable. Why the strain of
answering the telephone alone is
enough to kill one woman It's all right
for the young girls. They enjoy it. But
I'm at an age when I should appreciate
the Simple Life and a quiet fireside and
all that sort of thing. But even If one
marries one doesn't enjoy those bless
ings any more. Indeed married wo-
man, besides being eternally on exhibit
ton before one very important and diff
ficult critic has to try even harder than
girl to keep her popularity with other
men and prevent her husband discover
ing that he's. drawn a blank.
<And now they're even denying MS
the privilege of growing old. The New
Thought has made old age unfash1on-
able and the career of a grandmother,
which used to offer compensations for
all that youth can give in the way OF
rest and relief from many of the wor-
ries and vexations of youth requires so
much that is strenuous and exacting
that really the only rest a woman can
look forward to any more is in the
grave"
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