The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-01-26

flents. / wrote on the margin Of my
paper Hope you are better today.
gave ny address in full and deposited
the gift
Being a woman and not knowing
whether the recipient would be male
or female. I wrote the name % as 70
be ambiguous. ! am Frances Kimbali
and signed myself Frank KlmbaL
which would lead n not knowing me
to suppose I wa a man.
10 a few days I received a note
signed by Edward Bucklin. stating
that the paper had fallen into his
hands and that Il had afforded him q
couple Of hours entertainment Be
yond this there was something very
pleasant IN occupying his fancy in
wondering what sort Of fellow ! was.
He had pictured me as a middle aged
or old man-the young are naturally
selfish. be said-wifh a benevolent face
and undoubtedly interested IN char
liable work.
I wrote a reply. in which / RETAINED
from giving any information about
myself. though / asked him o 60 on
with his imaginative pictures Of me.
] wished to know how near the truth
he would come. This elected a further
reply. in which be deduced from my
one act Of tboughffulness many viz
fues-for instance. a thoughtful man
was sure TO be a wei poised man. and
since self control was the principal
qualification for bravery ] must be
brave. By such logical deductions he
endowed me With 50 many fne quail
hcations that ! was very proud OF my
self Besides. It was quite Interesting
to see how be worked II out on the
supposiuon that I vas a man.
One day / wrote asking him 70 sup
pose that a woman had sent him the
paper and deduce IRON this initial act
what kind Of person she would be.
His reply was that such an act was
far more within woman's realm than
mans: therefore II did not argue that
the woman who ~perpetrated 1t was s.
far superior to others Of her sex as a
man who did the same thing would be
above his But he continued Il
confess that I should. after all have
appreciated It more had Il come from
a woman than a man. and for this rea-
son: Nature has not given Us the pow
er TO respond TO a mans sacrifice for
us as for a woman's- Indeed. the man
who gives 10 another man Is limited in
his feelings for that man. The reason
! have deduced special qualifications
from your act is that it was a wo-
mans rather than a mans act. though
II By no means indicated other femi-
nine traits. Indeed. Il Is the one femi-
nine trait a man can possess that
marks him for the highest tFpe b.
man."
! received IN time a note stating
that my correspondent would be dis
charged from the hospital within a
few days. That be had an identity OF
his is manifest from these words:
Il would be glad to meet you. but Il
seems 70 me II would be FAR more
agreeable 10 the end for Us both not to
come together. My reason is as ! have
written you. There can be nothing
demonstrative between two men. We
should shake hands coidly. make q
few commonplace remarks 70 each
other and separate. Those finer feel
to which we have given expires
sion when separated would sound
tame II spoken. In other words. q
mans nature prevents Us from any
thing Ike expressed sentiment So I
viii say goodby to you. and God Be
with you
1 wrote him IN reply that I did not
agree with him: that history. song and
story were each and an full OF EXAM
Piles Of men whose hearts went out to
each other. What could be better proof
81 this than the ease Of Damon and
Pythiass I closed my note with a re
quest that he meet me at my house on
4 Sunday afternoon. Sunday being the
only day that ] was free.
His next note surprised me. He stin
to meet me. Give up spelling
this pleasant episode be said. by a
meeting. / confess I should not know
to say q you. Were you a wom-
m I could take you in my arms. kiss
lips aud pour out my heart to
rou-a heart which has been won By
he delightful traits you have dis
played By the nrst act and by the sub
seQuent correspondence"
Now. I leave it to the reader II this
was not an embarrassing position for
me. Nevertheless I insisted on a meet