The Prescott daily news., 1913-11-26


course, women MI I
have no sense of VIM
humor." he an ~ wy
nounced in due N\WN
course, letting off
t h inevitable
platitude.
Mrs. Airlie's eyes sparkled with sat-
isfaction as she leaned back in her
chair.
I've long wanted to talk upon that
subject" she remarked. ut was nice
Of you to lead up to it so soon"
80 soon?" echoed her companion
bankly.
yes. 1t was bound to come sooner
or later of course
'Why?" demanded the major, hope
lessly puzzled
Because it's stock masculine re-
mark.
Come now, I think it's generally
admitted" he returned with a tolerant
smile.
you mean it's generally asserted,
and that's a very different thing" re-
turned Mrs. Airlie, with spirit
Mrs. Airlie's expression as she CLAN
ced at him was inscrutable She was
a charming woman, even if she did
intend for her own satisfaction to con-
tinue the train of thought which his
guileless remark had started You
must let me talk about it," she urged,
with her prettiest smile, because
you've really interested me in the SUB.
iect now"
And the major succumbed patiently,
and assumed an attentive attitude.
Let me see, where was II" con-
tinued Mrs. Airlie. 'Oh, yes! Well,
now that sense of humor isn't con-
sidered unfeminine. women have gone
as usual to the other extreme, just as
they tear themselves to pieces over
hockey and football, and all the other
horrid games they play.
Surely sense of humor is less
dangerous than hockey?" inquired her
guest, whose views were conserva.
tive
"In moderation-yes But women
are never moderate They are taking
to humor madly, savagely, inhuman-
ly It's becoming with them a sort of
dry-rot, that's eating up their brains
and their hearts It's a fashion, a
craze, pose-and very bad one"
What a horrible state of things"
murmured the major.
NJ, A;,I;a Io,uboJ ssDlao Iat mo
exaggerate." she exclaimed. IF l
must be women, it's hard that
mayn't do a simple thing like that!
I'm not talking about the ordinary ev-
ery-day woman, of course. She has no
sense of humor, and never had. But
then, neither has the ordinary every
day man
You see, in scheme of serious
ness, men find place. They, too, are
taken seriously, and that from every
point OF view is so advisable. Men
don't like to be taken humorously. It
annoys them Their sense OF humor
very wisely stops short at them
selves
Major Burke looked at her suspi-
ciously. Il believe you've got it," he
exclaimed, abiding thus fearfully to
the new disease.
How can you be so unkind?" she
protested meekly. I'm speaking about
clever women"
Again he gave her an uneasy
glance, but before he could collect his
thoughts he discovered that she was
talking about Jane Austen.
Its the Jane Austen type OF mind
that's being cultivated by the clever
women nowadays" she said. "A dry,
witty, Unconditional way of looking at
life is the correct thing. Ideals are
childish, enthusiasms absurd, love a
folly at which to sneer. Why, it's Gre
ating a new type of face" she de-
clared. Look round; look at some
Of the women in this very room-the
women who have passed their first
youth. There's new sort of mouth
mocking, ironical mouth. There are
new eyes-hard. bright amused eyes.
The very way they walk, the very
way they carry their heads"
II know what you mean," inter-
posed the major intelligently, "and /
quite agree hate that kind of thing.
Give me- gentle. sympathetic woman