Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-10

daring enough to think. but to rut then,
oh. my dear. M dear she mosned
out. be careful what YOU say. Some
one might hear YOU who would not IN
derstand. as 7 do, that you are taikln
theory Stephens habit of thought
stood to her here She saw that her aunt
was distressed and q she did not wish
70 pain her urdulv. vas willing TO divert
the immediate channel of her fear. She
took the hand which Law in her lap and
held it firmly while she smiled N the low
ing old ewes
"of course. auntie. dear. It is theory
Ru. stin II is 4 theory which I hold very
strongly = Hers thought struck
her and she said suddenly:
Did Won ever How many pro
rcsals did Won have auntie7 The old
LADY smiled, her thoughts were already
diverted
Several my dear u is 50 long ago
that ] don't remember
oh yes. YOU Do. auntie' No woman
ever forgsts that. matter what else
she NAV or may not remember Tell me-
went YOU" The cid lady blushed slight
" Al she answered
There is no need - sp=cify. nlT dear
Let II be Ct this. that there ware more
than YOU could count on your right
hand
And whv did vou refuse them The
tone was whecdling. and the elder woman
loved TO hear il Wheeling is the court
ship by the Young of the old.
Because. my dear. I didn't love them
But tell me. auntie was there never
any one that YOU did love ,"
All my dear. that is a different mat
ter That is the real tragedy Of WON
an : life In fooding reminiscent, thought
she forget her demonstrating: her voice
became full Of natural psthos
To love and be helpless To wait and
wait. and wait. with vow heart all
sfame' tn hopa and hope till time
seems to have passed away. and all the
misery' To know that word might
oren I'D heaven and yet to have to re
main mute To keen back the zlances
that could enliehten. to mcdulate the
tones tina. might betrav' t. see al you
hoped for passing away to an
Stephan bent over and kissed her, and
then standing VI, said
I understand Isn't it wrong. auntie.
should that tone he checked Why
should ore be mute when 3 single word
might. would, avert the tragedy Surely
the very essence IF tragedy is that IT is
all unnecessary We dent call the evils
or sorrows of life that come naturally or
by accident ragedies. woman's heart
Is everything 70 her. I suppose we must
IA ke il that on IT rests all the happiness
OF nST HE. ana " IneSe IraEe1leS are Ir
occur they occur to the Young when all
the span of life is before them Is II net
possible. auntie that there is sonnet hing
wrong in our social system when such
things can happen and can happen SO
often
Some DAY women must learn their
own strength. as we'll as they have
learned their own weakness They are
taught this latter from their cradles W.
but no one ever seems to teach them,
wherein their power lies They have to
learn this for themselves. and he process
and the result IF tbs self-tes ching are
not good In the university settlement I
learned much that made nv heart ache
but cut IF il there emsd some lesson
for good she paused and her aunt
higher things asked
And that lesson, Stephen. dear Tbs
hl5ZinE eyes turned to her that she
was stirred by them as the answer
came
1T is lad women who seen, to know
men best. and to he able to influence
them most The can make men come
and go AZ will They can turn and twist
ard mold them as they choose And
they never hesitate to speak their own
wishes. to ask for what they want There
are no tragedies. Of the negative kind. in
their lives Their tragedies have come
and gone already. and their power re
mains. Why should gocd woman leave
power Vc Eucn as fneN W nv SnoVlG
good women lives be wrecked for con
ven:ion' Why in the blind following of
some society fetish should life lose its
charm, its possibilities Why should love
eat its heart out in vain The time will
come when women will not be afraid to
speak to men. as thev should speak. as
free and equal Surely if woman Is to
be the equal and lifelong companion of
man. the closest to hin-nsv. the only
one really close to him the mother Of
his children-she should be free AT the
very outset to show her inclination to
him lust as he would to her Don't he
frightened, auntie. dear. Your eyes sre
psining me- . . There perhaps said
roo much But after all II is only theory
Take for your comfort. auntie, dear that
] am free and heart whole You need not
fear for me: can see what your dear
eyes tell me. Yes 7 am very Young
perhaps too Young to think such things
But have thought of them Thought
them all over in every way and phase I
can ina CINE
She stopped suddenly bending over. she
took the old lady in her arms and kissed
her fondlv several times holding her
tight Then as suddenly releasing her
she ran away before she could say
word