Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-13
Little Talks by
Beatrice Fairfax
Nv BEATRICE FAIRFAX

n
DEAR MISS FAIRFAX:
am a working woman in the
early thirties. 1 have travelled con-
siderably and have had my full share
ly broad knowledge of the world.
During the past half dozen years /
have become interested in an exceed
ingly attractive young man. who is
My feeling for him could easily
become a devoted love If were
given any encouragement, but he is
young person. He likes everybody.
enjoys fun and a good time, and 1
am sure will never marry anyone
unless the woman does the court
It is useless for you to say that
his youth explains his indifference,
because my observation of young
too ardent and too reckless. l can
not bring myself to make all the
advances, so that there is constant
battle gong oSId on rsfsa within the me as ecc to
sional opportunities l have to meet
him and so drop his companionship
altogether and forever, thus gradu.
ally banishing the heartaches that
come in between, or else whether l
should overcome my old-fashioned
prejudices and go in to try to win
him Gas know some woman will be
bold enough to do eventually).
He is not now interested in any
woman, and l am sure if he were
fond of me we should be able to get
life. 1t is hard. for me to give him
up (what little there is to give
up), for 1 am lonely. But 1 cannot
be satisfied with half measures, and
to make myself contented with some
less congenial man who is more
anxious for my love.
/ realize this is a problem which
oil hn nf
have not solved. and it is subject
worthy of the contemplation of a
Balzac. but another opinion than
ones own is always interesting, so
the columns of the Harrisburg Tele-
graph. J. j. T.
My correspondent has written me
an Interesting letter, dealing with
an entirely modern situation\
The remarkable feature of her
case is that she is taking it so hon
not complicate the fact with emo
tion or self-deception.
And though the situation is typi-
cal Of the modern business world
and the relationship of older wom-
en- to younger men. the clear think
ing she has brought to bear on her
case is unusual.
seen this affair in the terms of grand
opera. The boy would probably
have been held responsible for some
thing. and they might readily have
concluded the account with a wall
of self-pity.
Such honesty is certainly deserv-
ing of happiness. 1t is a good key
stone upon which to build the foun-
dations of home.
There would appear to be two
questions to this case. Is a woman
free to choose the man she wants
for. her husband? And granting
that she has this right is it fair
younger than herself?
Traditionally, the man has always
had the privilege of selection. But
of the Of modern
among them Darwin and Bernard
Shaw. it would seem that he has
had very little to do with the mat
ter.
He has invariably been selected
when the lady really wanted him.
There have been, of course, many
exceptions to the rule, but as the
instruments of childish torture. have
way Of asserting. it is the excep-
tion that proves the rule.
II there is any. survivor Of the
early Victorian days now living,
that the highly intelligent woman
who has written to me should re-,
gard the young man with down
cast eyes and ayerted shoulder"
rOI SuCH was the prescription OF
feminine fascination, according to
novelists of the period.
But after reading some of the mem
cirs of that date, one is inclined
to think that despite the formula
of the downcast eyes, etc, our
great grandmothers might not have
been entirely guiltless of helping
our great grandfathers to come
to the pint"
May Show Her Preference
Without loss of dignity or self
respect. woman may show her
preference for the man of her choice
in dozens of little ways.
In fact, she has been doing this
for countless ages, though there has
always been sort of decorous con-
spiracy on the part of the powers
that be to make the man believe he
is managing the entire affair.
At the present time we are frank
er than we were in those early Vic
torian time; we admit more than
we did There may be fewer down
cast eyes" but there are also a cor
responding number OF frank truth
full ones.
I am sufficiently old-fashioned to
object to a woman's taking such
SHAKE INTO YOUR SHOES