Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-10

uNelN Se1Se Ol tlltt 1iloll WY
of seeing things and putting them, that has
distinguished so many men, Mrs. Darlington
was a man; so was the Widow Bedott. The
question is, then, Shall we regard Josiah
Allen s wife as typical or EXCEPTIONAL And II
so, what about Mrs. Wigs OF Cabbage Patch
fame, and Jennie Allen, and number of Others
whom the public has come to know and like!
This question, Are women witty came
up for discussion in a certain club a few
years back We all said yes, OF course; for
we felt there was hardly a chance for argu-
ment. And yet, when one OF us went to the
Boston Public Library and began a sys-
tenatc hunt for women's wit. through its
several hundred thousand volumes, there
was an appalling paucity of information on
the subject. There was several thousand
volumes on Woman with a capital w.
There was one book that treated of woman
under three heads,-her vices, her duties, her
perfections,- the first chapter filled up
most of the volume. There were plenty OF
books treating of the relation OF woman to
man. There was another entitled, A Prop
osition to Put Woman in Her Place, and
still another treating on "A Sketch OF the
History, Genius, Disposition, Accomplish
ments, Employments, Customs, Virtues,
and Vices of the Fair Sex; but none OF
them mentioned her wit. In short, there is
this interesting topic and that Is Kate San
born's "The Wit of Women.
Ofcourse, there were plenty OF references to
witty women; but so few items of evidence!
That evening she mentioned her researches
to a man. His reply was, "Women were shy
in history making times about putting them
selves on record as witty; for the woman
who demonstrated the presence OF wit in her
head generally lost it, meaning her head
MADAME DE STAEL was one of the
AvA wittiest women in all history; yet see
what happened to her! Was it not her witty,
not to say sharp, retorts that banished her
permanently from Napoleons COURT All
Frenchwomen of that time thought it safer
to keep their wit as much in check as posi-
ble It is recorded that the girl whom Sgd
new Smith accused of making an indecent
display of intellect was early persuaded by
her anxious mama that If she did not curb
her mental gyrations she would never get a
husband. And the result of that hunt
through the tones at the Boston Public Ii
brary was the definite conclusion that only
those women who hadn't shred of other
reputation left could afford, in those bvgone
centuries, to allow themselves one for wit;
| in short, that they could afford wit among
other immoralities, having nothing to lose.
And vet the witty sayings OF some good
women have come down to us. 1t was Lady
Montagu who said the only thing that
reconciled her to being a woman was that
| she would never have to marry one.
Lady Blessington, who had entertained
Louis Napoleon at her London house during
his exile, went later to Paris when he was
Emperor He took no notice of her what
ever, until one day, meeting her face to face
where he could not avoid speaking, he in
quired loftily, "Do you expect to remain in
Paris long?' Whereupon she retorted, coolly,
"And YOU'D"
lane Carlyle, Miss Milford, Fanny Bur
ney, Hannah More, and other Won en- of
that day had witty sayings accredited to
them.
Even Queen Victoria perpetrated a joke
nov and then, as when the little girl danced
to please her and the Queen asked, what
shall give you in returno'- THE head of
Gladstone replied the girl, quickly, while
the Lord Premier stood by and smiled
GLADLY" responded the Queen; only he
lost it sometime ago"
Frances Power Cobbe went to the Queens
drawing room one day when she was very
lame from Il sprained ankle. As she limped
in, the man at the door announced i'll a loud
tone, Miss Cobble." To which she prompt
" added, NO; Miss Hobble"
0F course one might say the sense of