New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-22
A DESPERATE CLERGYMAN.
Silly Woman's Traits He Attributes to Feml-
nine Sex as Whole.

Every now and then some man takes up ms
pen and writes an article about women consider
ing them as a collective body, talking ABOUT Tenn,
nine traits as If said traits were common 10 an
women like the fashion of wearink skirts. There
is an article OF this kind In a recent NUMBER VI
THE INDEPENDENT" and If readers-female read
ers-accept the EDITORS invitation TO reply 10 the
article there IS likely to be some Sizzling hioiS
the mail routes around New York
The author, a clergyman. prudently Wlthhoius
his name The fact that he is a clergyman should
be remembered in his extenuation- Except Tor
their husbands. no men suffer more from shy
women than clergymen- They mock 10 ciei syiiLel
so inevitably that the latter may be pardoned for
| harboring delusion that the world is filed with
silly
After abiding to woman ''vitalzed inter
rogation point" and few things like that, this
clerical writer fills column and a half with
womans idosyncraCies. which he defes his read
TO explain, he says he cannot. Among other
things he wants to know. without any hope of an
| answer. why thinks she thinks when she
knows she only feels; why she puts off deciding
matter as long she and then decides as
suddenly upon impulse she had hesitated long
cut OF caution; why she VIII never stay put
but when she appears be convinced and says
I will goes away and won't; why she is possessed
Of such Imagination enables her 10 see insults
| where none had been intended, and so on, and so
on. He says he has given such problems up. and
thereby found the only peace of mind he hopes for
with regard
| His grievances against the sex. as he describes
them, do appear calculated TO give man pain In
his temper. One woman wants him to telephone
her. and gives no number TO CALL one wants TO DC
his stenographer. and is she satisfy him.
though she lives twelve miles away and cannot
leave her sick mother than hour at time
One resigned position against his strong
advice and then became his bitter enemy, in the
belief that he had told her do #. They write
for baptismal certificates and omit the child S
name: they ask him to address meeting, and do
not say where the meeting is TO be held; and they
write him long, rambling letters about nothing
all
| Is vagueness-the quality this writer most COM
plains of in women-the sort of thing that makes
person painstakngly present series of data and
leave the most important faCt-is that strictly
feminine quality? Other writers have held that
il is a matter OF training; that men and women
taught to he exact and businessike are exact ana
businesslike. but whereas most men are taught
that only a limited number Of women are put
through mill 1t does seem unfortunate Tor
clergymen that the women who do not know no"
to present a have no case 10 present are
Sc frequently moved TO present II to the minister
1t must be admitted that the minister who writes
this article is not bitter about his troubles. lie
even generously admits that womans traits do not
indicate e-rnindedness If she does not follow
his scheme as he outlines It, that is because ne
| and she do not think by the same process Does
he forget when he writes that that little further
| back he said that do not think. but feel?
Then comes sentence which may reveal the Sc
| woman 10 whom he had said something = L
! know now she not listening She was LOOKING
| at me while talked. but she was thinking
| about something else That was blow 10 mascu-
/ line vanity.