The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-02
LETTERS OF
TWO WOMEN
From Kate. Osway. Spinster, to May
Bond, Wife,
BY ZOE BECKLEY.


New York, July 16.
hasten to answer your letter,
Maizie, dear, first to avert another
scolding; second, because one loves TO
discuss ones self. I've never felt
quite SO interesting before Impend-
ing marriage makes any one interest
| ing.
Impending marriage, Yet, I don't
know. 1 am being swept along.
His wanting me to marry him was the
greatest surprise 1 ever had in my
life. 1 told you 1 had regarded the
affair as a sentimental filtration, en-
| tered as a diversion from my quarrels
with c. ]. 1 thought we would go
out a few times and that the acquain-
lance would then gradually lapse, as
SO many such acquaintances do. In
| stead he proposed marriage-and sent
my mind into chaos.
1 was frightened, May. You know
how 1 have regarded marriage
something highly desirable. for most
people but highly dangerous for me.
You know what horrible examples
| of marriage exist in my family and
| among my friends. 1 know but two
really happy marriages, and both
parties to them are stupid jog-trotI
tiers, who don't know enough to pe
unhappy.
1 have always wanted the compan-
! ionship of marriage and the prestige
i it gives a woman and the sense of be
| longing" But I knew my disposition.
| If had more conceit 1 suppose /
| should call it Temperament" Temper
| is an honester word.
1 am a difficult person to live with.
! hate restraint and dependence.
hate being perpetually close to some
| body. Also / doubt my ability to hold
a mans love interests. And to be a
| neglected wife, merely tolerated be-
| cause one has taken her on, like any
! other legal obligation, would destroy
me. 1 think 1 should swallow rat
| poison.
But there! I'm forgetting your
formidable list of questions.
| l. His name is Paul Danskoi. His
! age twenty-nine. His type, physically
tall, lean,, slightly careless in dress,
| with blue-black hair and brows, Hight
eyes which contrast unexpectedly with
| the rest of him, clear-cut, handsome
1 nose large and characterize; thin,
/ vell-shaped mouth, crooked white
teeth, a good chin without dimple or
dent; intelligent hands.
| Spiritually, he is of the suppressed
emotional type-fiery when reused,
but not easily reused; kind and con-
| Siderate but not overStocked with
polish; impatient of sham and hy-
pocrisy; devoted to art and literature
! (which scares the life out of me),
| and not a man that everybody likes.
1 think this is chiefly because he
/
| him.
His income 1 judge to be nothing
He writes our advertising copy and
makes the illustrations His ma
| tionality, Russian, his mothers fam
| lily being Jews Therei It's out.
| You will have an immediate fit of
| the horrors. of course. Just as I did.
| Few of us are without prejudice, few
| of us see below the surface and form
opinions for ourselves.
| However, May darling, I shall
leave this part of it for the time be-
| ing. I am very wobbly myself, very
prejudiced, very skeptical, very
frightened. I've lot of thinking to
| do yet.
Question 2. Do 1 love him? How
know? How did you know you
loved Curtis Bond? And what is
love after all. Your question, dear,
requires a shelf of books TO answer
it. All I know is that l am tremen-
dousIy attracted to Paul Danskoi
mentally, morally, physically. What
more can any one say? That is all
a girl who marries ever knows 1t
/ is more than most of them know,
] for l venture to say not more than
| one girl in ten analyses further than
/ mere physical attraction. We may
not be aware of it, but the personal
| allure always comes first.
! Question 3. I know care for
/ Paul because not only rlnd MIN
| personally agreea BILE, but I respect
| his mind and what l know of his
! heart. AS / write this / see
| him coming up the street. I'm going
/ to be like the continued-in-our-ne
/ periodicals and leave you right at
/ the most exciting part He has come
| for mis- definite ansWerI I'll write
you more tomorrow-whatever it is.
Distractedly but lovingly,
KATE