The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28

N
Wv middle-aged woman has dis
appeared from society She
can't be found anywhere; there isn't a
trace of her. The author OF the as
sertion is an eminent scholastic OF
Boston. who finds all women at the
beginning of the present century to be
either young or old.
AS a matter of course the women OF
forty all over the land are curious TO
know what this means and where they
stand, that is, If they have any stand
Ing at all. Are they old ladies or young
in the eyes OF this gentleman from
Boston and In the eyes of the world?
Not one of them feels old and yet. and
yet But is it fact that a woman's
as old as she feels?
Here we have the whole matter in a
nutshell. Neither you nor ] would
think Of using the term middle-aged
with reference to a woman whose age
is admittedly more than 35 years and
less than so. Yet the term was thor
oughly appropriate little more than a
quarter Of a century ago.
The disappea rance of this class has
been gradual and the knowledge OF 1t
has come to most OF US perhaps sub
consciously. which would make Il ap-
of class of women whose numbers
were a generation past not to be esti-
mated has met with no expression Of
regret. And I can say with authority
that such is the case.
1t used to be that. having arrived at
80, from that time-en during the sue
ceeding fifteen years the generality OF
women, irrespective OF rank, fell into
a sort of 1ethargy not altogether
charming. This period was one of re-
lapse and the victim found herself
dropping into mediocrity all due to her
own deliberate laying of herself upon
the shelf. unconscious act though it
were. She had made of middle age a
dim border land unlighted from either
direction. She was no longer courted
for her youth nor was it yet time for
her to reap the reverence of old age.
Sometimes with artifice and folly she
endeavored to bring back her youth.
but IL was already gone and she at last
must admit it. She must bide her time.
To even whisper these things is only
now possible. Were / living in the
day when the middle-aged woman was
ubiquitous, whatever my thoughts on
this subject might be. should guard
my speech and so save myself from
controversy, not to say yituperation.
Now If I find myself pitted against
a woman of 40. all I need say is. But.
lily ic1l HittOithilis NOu lAOt O A414A0AC-
aged woman" and so close the incident
To put 1t plainly. 1t is not now conr
sidered polite 10 become middle-aged.
and, In consequence. those who have
the leisure or are otherwise able to
comply with the edicts OF the day are
not permitting themselves to display
those properties recognizable as the
inheritance of middle age.
Therefore. regardless OF the fact that
an entire species--to be unscfentific-
has disappeared. the superstructure OF
society. so far from becoming weakened
by this knocking away of one of it's
props. has become strengthened and is
pre-eminently the gamer. for youth
and old age are beautiful. but not so
middle age.
All sorts of idle speculations are
being made as to the cause of this
strange state of things 1t has been
suggested that we live so lively that
our young women In the swiftness OF
the race cannot spare the time to larse
into the one-time WAYS Of the middle
aged. but keep on to the finish, giving
up at last when old age is at hand.
to be stood off no longer.
There is more or less truth in that
theory. still we must get solution
for this strange twentieth century