The Washington herald., 1907-09-29

handle of the paper cutter and trying
TO look serious. in spite Of the rose in
her hair and the smudge on her chin,
its the knots in il"
The Mere Man glanced up sympatheti-
cally
You mean the shalt nots'?" he in
quired. clinging shamelessly 10 the
studio spoon" and regarding the dimpled
elbow above the paper cutter with artis-
tic admiration.
Yes, and the ought nots' and the
dare nots' and the-the what nOts"'
agreed the Bachelor Girl, waving the pa
per cutter dramatically over the whole
domestic situation. They're all tied SO
tight and hard that most people get
tangled up or raveled out trying TO
loosen them when they bind. or-or--'
RUB suggested the Mere Man.
"Or get twisted" added the Bachelor
Girl, with a nod of the rose.
And then" sighed the Mere Man,
leaning his shock of yellow hair back
against The Rembrandt sofa pillow, they
get disgusted and go and have them
cut-in the divorce court"
Girl, shaking her fluffy brown head.
that is, not at all often. Just think
how few divorced people you know,
compared 10 the married ones. who are
going through life fUmbling hopelessly
with the knots and getting snarled up
tighter and tighter. There IS a lot OF
talk about divorce; but it's a luxury OF
the upper classes. The ordinary man
and woman never resort 70 it until there
is nothing else left for them TO do. And
yet" she finished with glance of re-
proach across her tea cup, you ask
me"
I didn't ask you anything protested
the Mere Man quickly Il told you that
You were cut out for cradles and crock
cry instead of for low art and loneli-
ness, and that Il"
Don't, don't" cried the Bachelor
Girl. apprehensiveIy. Look at Bridget"
But Bridget won't do" protested the
Mere Man. In the first place, she's
married" 4"
Every Saturday night" continued the
Bachelor Girl, scorEfuIly ignoring the in
terrupion she VIII appear regularly
against Mike in the police court TO keep
him from beating her; yet every Mon
day morning she will cart home my
washing and a load Of other washings
and cheerfuIly break her back over the
tub TO pay for the beer she has put on
ice. and the pudding she had made
wherewith TO celebrate his return to her
hearth and bosom"
Bridget" murmured the Mere Man ad-
miringly, rs he filed his pipe, is an ideal
Wife
She's just Ike ali the rest" retorted
the bachelor Girl Mrs Middle Class
viii do the same thing IN a different way
She viii cry herself 20 sleep night after
night. and wake up IN the morning only
too thankful if her husband has come
home at all There is something the par
son puts into the ceremony or that the
Lord puts into matrimony that VIII make
q woman endure anything rather than
unite the knot. And it's the same way
with a man"
Yes" cried the Mere Man. suddenly
aroused TO interest That's what I can
not understand. It's easy enough to see
why woman should cling"
I beg your pardon. Nj Porter"
Should cling"
''WiH YOU have another cup Of tea?'
"Should-'
one lump or two?"
should cling to her duty and her
ideals, finished the Mere Man deter
miuedly.
And her home and her children" in
terpolated the Bachelor Girl, virtuously.
And her respectability and her In
come" finished the Mere Man. Women
T77ffT I'll
seen chaps who had nothing in common
with their wives but the dishes ana the
paTlOr furniture, who were hanging onto
matrim0ny by a mere thread and in dire
terror for fear the thread would break.
There's Billy Croker, who has 70 take "A
bracer every night before he can 90
home 70 face the battle. He actually
pities me, because I live in d bachelor
fiat and have nobody but "a nice, comfort
ing valet to greet me at the door
That's nothing" declared the Bachelor
Girl, sympathetically Suppose they
called you poor thing"
''What?"
That's the conventional name. Mr.. POr-
ter. that a married woman has for one
who carries her own latch key and knows
just what her income will be at the end
Of the week. and sleeps comfortably
nights. without listening for the door
knob. The most miserable married wo-
man alive honestly and sincerely pities
the luckiest ana happiest single woman
from the bottom Of her heart
BY jover' murmured the Mere Man,
musingly- There must be something In
II. Maybe, he added, regarding the bit
OF silver in his hand with sudden in
spiration, its the love of the spoons"
''The-what?" The Bachelor Girl dropped
her paper cutter and held her CUP Of tea
poised halfway TO her lips
The COI2estic ingredient. the honling
instinct in US ALL explained the Mere
Man. with a sigh. THE tender feeling for
darned socks and cups with handles and
brOiled steak and street and number 10
call our very own. 4 dog VIII stay with
the master who beats him daily In prefer
ence to roaming the streets. And cat
wei, we all have little Of the cat in US.
I think. We become attached 70 place
through mere association. and we some
how 10 get I wife or husband in IL con-
fused with the place. Il he or she is
nice and cOngenial, We take him or her
as a matter OF course, and if not, we ac-
cept him or her as a matter Of habit
It's the feeling OF belonging that gets
hold OF us and ties the knot round our
hearts. We all want to belong We hate
being detached. A man without a wife
is rudderiess and q woman without a
husband is Ike a sail without a shin
Haven't you ever seen q family that could
afford a Boston terrier with a pedigree
who clung 10 a thrce-legged dog with a
bad temper just because he was there and
belonged TO them?"
Yes exclaimed the Bachelor Girl. set
ting down her tea cup with d thud, and
that's just why | shall never, never
Don't say IT,! cried the Mere Man. ris-
ing and waving his spoon with a shudder.