The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-10-04
MYSTERIOUS WOMAN.

An able editor of popular maga'
ine, which circulated wholly among
women, has again repelled the state
| nent that he understands the sex.
II don't understand women" he 10
understood heatedly to have declared.
Woman, is. the darkest mystery in
the world"
I doubt not that the editor made
this statement, in effect at least, for
three. years ago he made a similar
one to ME. :.
II don't understand women He
flung back my insinuatiorL OF that
suspicion with: all the heat his ex-
haustless courtesy permitted. 1t
would be presumption to say so,' he
insisted. 1T keeps me busy all the
time wondering which way Mrs. Box
will jump on proposition. No man
understands women, and no woman
understands men. There will always
be a. veil OF inscrutapllity between
them
"Atn tnleast, you, know how .tto please
HEM" | retorted. "Four circulation
lgures prove that"
But even as I spoke this goman's
crown Of argument, "the last word"
an answer to 1T sprung UP in my own
mind. His magazine was successful
because he had the stuff of success
in him, the energy and: determination
to address his particular audience.
He might have manned the ship Of 2
yellow Journal, he might have direct
cd the destinies Of a vehicle Of liter
atnre, he might have nodded the, opin.
ion Of capital classes" or their. anti
theses, as successfully as he managed
this woman,s journal. He had: been
chosen to speak to women, and he
spoke to them: as directly, as force
fully as he would have spoken to a
political meeting or a meeting!of tho
board of directors of bank. He was
4 gifted executive. Like any. othe,
broad shouldered, strong featured
keen minded man.. he scorned the rep.
utation Of being a specialist in femi
uine psychology. r. a..
Other clever men have. wisely CIV
en- up reading the riddle Of women
For why attempt to understand them
when other, women are always ready
% act as interpreters. Set one wo
man to catch another. Most men
have sisters, and every man has 1
mother. These priestesses in the
temple Of femininity can always en-
tighten him. For women are not mys
teries to each other. Their conclu
sions are correct because they build
as men do not, upon the premise
that woman is a reasonable being.
Women know that there is reason
even for her moods, that menta
weather that men declare is so puz
zling, though have seen as many mel
as women in the clutch OF mood. The
difference. is merely that the. mood:
of men are governed by their stom
achs; women's moods by their hearts
A woman's mood is a knife edge o
doWny cushion, according as hei
heart hides a hurt or leaps with Joy
Moods are mental weather, but ther'
is a reason for a change Of weather
Men not being subtle or inoustrioui'
enough to seek out these reasons, dia
MISS what they: don't understand ~
something past understanding.
A woman is low-spirited for. days
and her husband remarks to hi
friends at luncheon: Women are
queer creatures" He is at no pain.
whatever to learn why she, is low.spir
tied. Whatever manifestation. he II
coo mentally lazy to investigate hi
sets ,downras a,,":wonan;s.! way"
For every mood OF. woman there il
a reason: She. cannct cannot hide il
from her mother. She could not
hide it from her husband il he caret
enough. to try to find the. reason
Woman is nota synonym for whim
sy. She is as amenable to the laws
of cause and effect as any other ere
ated being or thing; but men haven"
chosen to take the trouble to trace
the effect to its cause, Even wo
mans lightning changes Of mind, Sc
puzzIing to man, have their root in
the natural order Of cause and ct
feet.
An, element in her bafflipgness Is in
troduced by man himself. He has
said, again and again, stupidity, that
somans chief charm is her mystery
She has taken him at his word. Mys
terry has been multiplied, because men
wanted mystery.
For goodness sake tell her she's in
scrutable. She loves it" said frienc
OF the most transparent woman
know. The transparent woman's f
ance had talked of inscrutabilit.
scarcely knowing what it meant, am
this lovable young woman had III
Stan.ly tried to swathe herself in !;
veil of mystery.
Tie phrase would better go upol
the rubbish heap Of past follies, ban
ishe,l with the "mothcr-in.law tyran
ny and the old maid angles" Mar
gets mystery because be asks for it
When the demand ceases the supply
will vanish.
Men and women are becoming more
alike. They have more subjects in
common than the former household
expenses and children. They speak
the same language, even to bits Of
over.emphasis now and ther They
are comrades in q larger sense thar