The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-02-25
SheWanted
A Master
To Do Her Thinking and
Decide For Her
By F. A. Mitchell

Julld uuu duOIu6E SulIOI, II Iduh DlS-
by, and l fancied he was her first
choice.
To tell the truth, l was at a disad-
vantage about that time, having, on
being graduated from college, gone
into business, for which l was by no
means fitted. had made a failure of
it and was casting about for some
thing more to my taste. My poverty
was the principal reason why l did not
propose to Julia.
The only talent | had ever shown
was for sketching, and in that as
boy l showed considerable ability.
When it was plain that l would ac-
complish nothing as a business man
/ made some sketches. which / show
ed to publishers and secured orders
for illustrations to go with their pub
lications. But | knew it would re-
quire some time to get this new hold.
and while doing so l kept my own
counsel from my friends and acquain-
tances. Julia tried to find out some
thing about what / had in view but l
gave her no satisfaction. If I should
fail in entering a new field I would
be in a worse position than before. /
put her off by pretending to be in
doubt as to what l would do-said l
would not hurry in making up my
mind. and all that.
The result was what might have
been expected. She accepted Frank
Digby. Soon after / heard of her en-
gagement / had a talk with her bosom
friend, Edith Martin, about her, who
said:
"Julia has been brought up with
some one to do her thinking and make
her decisions for her. Frank Digby
has strong will, and she can rely on
him for guidance. He will take the
lead in everything. There is nothing
weak. nothing vacillating about him.
/ think it will be a very good match"
"Quite likely" l replied, wincing un-
der what was probably not intended
but what was lecture to me- holding
up my shortcomings in contrast with
Digby's strong points. | made the best
of my disappointment, but l confess to
having been mean enough to hope that
he would rule Julia with a rod of iron
since that seemed to be what she
wanted.
Miss Martin, besides being a bosom
friend of Julia's. was a gabbler. 1t
wasn't difficult to set her talking, and
since she was sort of confessor for
Julia, received a good deal of infor-
nation simply by propounding leading
questions. For instance, one day
said to her:
'The more l think of it the more |
believe that our mutual friend, Julia
Adams, has fine prospect before her
with Frank Digby. Opposites should
mate. If the woman is easy going the
man should be decided, and vice versa
l wouldn't mind getting strong mind
ed wife myself. I'd rather like to be
ruled by woman"
"Would you? replied Edith, swal-
lowing the bait and the hook together
"Why don't you marry a window
smashing, theater burning suffragette?"
"Just what I'd like. I'm glad Julia
got the kind of man she wanted.
When are they going to be married?"
81 don't know. Not at present any
way. l wouldn't have you repeat it,
but sometimes l think Frank is just a
teeny weeny bit too decided for Julia
You see, there are certain things we
girls like to have decided for us and
certain things we like to decide for
ourselves"
"For instanceY
well, last week Julia bought hat
TInfn H. tNTr
didn't you buy a muff for your head
and have done with itY You wouldn't
wish me to be out of fashion. would
youY retorted Julia. Fashion" said
Frank sneeringly. DO you know what
fashion is? It's lot of men who sell
you women things, giving you new de-
signs that are as different as possible
from what you've been wearing so that
you can't wear or make over what
you've got 1t wouldn't have matter,
ed if he'd stopped here, for we all know
that, but he had to go ON and say, 1
have always hoped that when / got a
wife she'd have more independence
than to submit to such nonsense But
the fashion, persisted Julia. we can't
ignore the fashion, Fashion be hang
, edP Frank answered. Il wouldn't want
my wife to wear a hat like a grena-
dier or put pot or a kettle on her
head At this Julia swept out of the
room without deigning to notice him"
"H'm!' l said
"That was on Wednesday. On Sun
day morning Frank called to take Julia
to church She came down with n lit
tie prayer book and hymnal she had re-
ceived at Christmas. You won't need
those said Frank why notP said
Julia. I'm a member of the Presby-
terian church, said Frank. And Pm
an Episcopalian,' retorted Julia. All
form and no fervor,' said Frank. That
made Julia mad. and she said, You can
~disapprove of my hats, but you shan't
run down my church,"
y-NIG