Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05
1882 .
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ingly, he made the little remark that did it
all for us, that solved the problem, that will
set him on the presidential chair again, that
will, for decade at least feel sure, give
men another chance to keep their freedom,
their equal rights with us.
"If l were engaged to Blake he blus-
tered, al could make her wait till after cleo
toni
For one half-second no one saw. Then,
almost shyly, Jerry and l looked at each
other and smiled. Papa caught that smile
on the way, and then too he saw.
ooh, no, nor he groaned-it really was
like a groan.
"Why not, Mr.. PRESIDENT" asked Terry.
"Why couldn't you, Dad?" said. "If l
could learn to call her Mother
/ must pass over the scene that followed
with my parent. 1t is no part of a woman's
duty to expose too ruthlessly mems weak
nesSes. | may say, however, that it was
good fifteen minutes before we could bring
Papa to the scratch, and then had to be
almost painfully firm and severe with him.
Finally we left him, and Blake returned.
WHAT happened then must be partly
passed over in silence. The agony of
a human soul must not be scanned too
closely. | know Papa must have taken the
line that an overmaster1ng passion for Blake
had forced him to speak-at last Blake
seems to have had no difficulty in believing
him. Is it true, wonder, that such belief
comes easily to woman, even the plainest?
Then he pointed out to her that if she mar
ried him he might control the nation, but
she would control him. And she seemed to
have no doubt that she would.
What would she be as mere Captains
wife? he suggested. She was Americas
Queen: would America endure it that she
should be other than the President S consort?
For an instant she suggested to Dad that
he be sort of Prince Consort to her Presi-
dent; but he pointed out that woman
should be philosopher enough to be content
with the power, that she should leave the
childish delight in mere names to men. She
was much struck by this. And she seemed
to come easily to see that a nper more full
blown man like Father suited her better. OF
course she had still a sensitiveness about
Jerry: she feared that she seemed like a
siren, Turing men to their destruction. But
somehow, she admitted, Dad seemed to have
got her. And Dad, who's fifty-five and bald,
seemed, oddly enough, to find it quite easy
to believe that his charms surpassed Jerry's.
| wonder if it can be true that such belief
comes easily to fat, plain, middle aged men?
Anyhow, when we rejoined them could see
that he already rather liked Blake. Men
are certainly queer: they are the enigrnatic,
the unfathomable, sex.
THERELL be more history to write to-
morrow; but this is surely enough for to-
night. There will be double wedding And
l am very happy. Jerry is thoroughly
manly man. He is not ambitious for himself.
He will be interested in me and my work, and
will for the most part be content with his
home life. am old fashioned, confess it.
believe men have some right to vote and
share in the Government. I've helped
Father and his sex. That's only fair. We
women have SO much, there is no reason why
we should take everything.
But | am not all dreams and nineteenth
century illusions. | see, broadly speaking,
that the world is womans; but SO are its
responsibilities. 1t is my duty to protect
Jerry from too rough an encounter with the
world, to keep him sheltered and happy
How else can | expect that he will give our
little children that home care which they
no, even to you, dear Diary, will say no
more. | am very happy tonight. Some
times when I've looked out at that quaint
tiny monument to Washington I've Won
dered if life were better back in those days
But now see that the greatest thing in the
world is to live in the mid twentieth century
and to be woman. Is it selfish to be glad
| am not man!