Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-10-30
nted
A Master
To Do Her Thinking and
Decide For Her
by F. A. Mitchell

rCuSOnuDly sure OIL du dCCepLduCe. -but
Julia had another sutton, Frank Dig.
by. and fancied he was her first
choice
To tell the truth. l was at disau.
vantage about that time, having. on
being graduated from college. gone
into business. for which ] was by no
means fitted. l had made :. failure OF
1t and was casting about. for some
thing more to my taste. Ny poverty
was ~ principal reason why did not
propose to Julia.
The only talent ! had ever shown.
was for sketching, and in that as u
boy showed considerable ability.
When it was plain that would ac-
complish nothing as business man
I made some sketches, which l. show
ed to publishers and secured orders
for illustrations to so with their pub
LEGATIONS. 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
gave her no satisfaction. If / should
fail In entering new field ] would
he in a worse position than before
put her off by pretending to be in
doubt as to what I 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 franz
Digby. Soon after ] heard of her en-
gagement / had talk with her bosom
friend. Edith Martin. about her. who
said:
Julia has been brought up with
some one TIC, do her thinking and make
her decisions for her. Frank Digby
has a strong will, and she can rely on
him for guidance. He will take the
lead in everything. There is nothing
weak. nothing vacil1ating about him.
think it will be very good match"
"Quite likely" replied, wincing I'M
der what was probably not intended,
but what was lecture to me. holding
up my shortcomings in contrast with
Digby's strong points. 1 made the best
of my disappointment, but confess to
having been mean enough to hope that
he would rule Julia with rod of iron
since that seemed to be what she
wanted.
Miss Martin, besides being 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, I received good deal of infor-
nation simply by propounding leading
questions. For instance, one day
said to her:
The more 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
wouldn't mind getting a 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 window
smashing, theater burning suffragette?"
Just what I'd like. Pm glad Julia
got the kind Of man she wanted.
When are they going to be married?"
II don't know. Not at present any
way. l wouldn't have you repeat it,
but sometimes think Frank is Just a
teeIiy 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, instance? ~,
We'll, last week Julia bought hat,
When Frank say it he said. why
didn't you buy muff for your head
> and have done with it?' You wouldn't
wish me to be out Of fashion. would
you?' 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 oSGr what
you've got 1t wouldn't have matter
ed If he'd stopped here. for we all knIw
that but he had to go on and say, I
nave always hoped that when l got a
wife she'd have more Independence
thanto submit tc such nonsense But
the fashion 2, persisted Julia. we can't
ignore the fashion Fashion be hang
edv! Frank answered. I wouldn't want
my wife to wear a hat like a grena
dier or put pot or kettle on her
( head AT this Julia. swept GU. ot the
room without deigpiny to notice him."
"H'm!" said.
THAT was on Wednesday. On Sun
i, day morning Frank called to take Julia
to church She came down with lit
tie prayer book and hymnal she had re-
ceived at Christmas You won't need
those said Frank Why not?' said
Julia. I'm member Of the Presby-
terrain church, said Frank. And I'm
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 shun't
run down my church,