The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-06-30
MYSTERIOUS WOMAN.

:
Il don't understand women" he 10
.,nderstood heatedly to have declared.
Woman is the darkest mystery in
1,e- world"
doubt NOT that the editor made
iais statement, in effect at least, for
three years ago he made ; similar
one to me.
Il don understand women He
lung back my lnsinuatior of that
suspicion with all the heat his ex-
naustless 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 a proposition. No man
understands women, and no woman
understands men. There will always
he a veil Of inscru,aollitE between
them"
AT least you know how to please
them," 1 retorted. -Four nirculation
figures prove that"
But even as | spoke this wOman's
crown of argument, "the last word, :
an answer to 1t sprung up a my own
mind. His magazine was .uccessful
because he had the stuff of success
in him, the energy and determination
10 address his particular audience.
He might have manned the ship Of a
yellow journal. he mlght have direct
ed the destinies Of vehicle OF liter
ature, 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 20 them as directly, as force
fully as he would have spoken to 8
political meeting or meeting OF the
board of directors of bank. He was
d gifted executive. Like any othe,
broad shouldered, strong featured
keen minded man. he scorneC the rep
utation of being specialist in femi
nine psychology.
Other clever men have wisely Civ
en- up reading the riddle of women
For why attempt to understand then
when other women are always read!
TO act as interpreters. Set one wo
man to catch another. Nest men
have sisters, and every mar has {
mother. These priestesses in the
temple OF femininity eau always en-
tighten him. For women are not mys
teries to each other. Their conclu
slons are correct because they build
as men do not, upon the premise
that woman is a reasonable Geing.
Women know that there is a reason
even for her moods, t?.at menta
weather that men declare is so puz
cling, though have seen as many mel
as women in the clutch OF mood. Tn,
difference is; merely that the mood
of men are governed by their stom
achs; wornen's moods by their hearts
A woman's mood is knife edge
a downy cushion, according as he.
heart hides hurt or leaps With jo,
Moods are mental weather, but therl
is a reason for a change Of weather
Men not being subtle or inoustriou:
enough to seek out these reasons, dis
miss what they don't understand a.
something past understanding.
A woman is low-spirited for days
and her husband remarks to hit
friends at luncheon: Women are
queer creatures" He is at no pains
whatever to learn why she is low-spir
tied. Whatever manifestation he il
100 mentally lazy to Investigate ht
sets down as a woman way
For. every mood, Of woman there Il,
a reason. Size cannt.t canno; hide II
from her mother. She could not
hide it from her husband Ii he cared
enough to try to find the reason
Woman is uota synonym for whim
sy. She is as ameuable to the law'
of cause and effect as .any other ere
ated being or thing; but men haven
chosen to take the trouble to tract
the effect to its cause. Even wo
mans lightning changes of mind, Sc
puzzling to man, have their root il
the natural order OF CAUSE and Ell
feet.
An element in her baff!ingIrss is in
troduced by man himself. lie ha'
said, again and az Tin. stupitly, tha'
woman's chief charm is her mystery
She has taken him 1t his word. Mys
terry has been multiplied. because HE!
wanted mystery.
For goodness sake tell her she's ir
scrutable. She loves it" said frien
of the most transparent woman
know The transparent woman's
ance had talked OF inscrlttabiiit
scarcely knowing what it meant, al
this lovable young woman had ii
Stantly tried to swathe herself in .
veil OF mystery.
Tile phrase would better 20 npo'
the rubbish heap Of past follies. ban
ished with the "mother.in-law tyran
ny and the old maid angles Maj
gets mystery because he 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 larger Sense thar
ever before. A young man calls his
sweetheart his pal" and she is
more charmed with the kin!hip Ills
word implies than if from some re