South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-07
By JANE OSBORNE.


A man who has any Imagination
regarding feminine psy chology must
always look with something like
concern toward the first meeting of
his mother and his wife-or the wo-
man whom he intends 20 make his
wife So when Blackstone Loomiss
mother wrote 10 her son that she
was coming 10 New York from her
home In "A middle western metro
polls for a short stay at a hotel OF
nationwide fame. he vas not alto
gether sanguine in his anticipation
or the meeting OF these two women
so important iu his life
How would the houSewifely and
arrnbred mother regard this city
and Office-b bred fiancee? At heart
Blackstone knew them 70 be much
the same sort OF women. He con-
soled himself in thinking that had
his mothers experiences and train
ing been Identical with those Of
Margaret she, too, would have want
ed the ballot He also believed sin
cerely that had Margaret been mar
ried from a farm as had his moth
or at the age Of IS. Margaret too.
would have been as keen about the
hOusewifely tasks as was his moth
er.
Would the elder woman be shock
ed at the youngster? Would be the
younger woman be amused by the
elder? Had he been too lavish in
his praises of these women 20 each
other2 He had not. perhaps.
thought, that they would meet so
soon. He had never dreamed that
his mother would have the oppor-
tunity or the means TO take the
eastern trip so soon, or he might
perhaps not have written so glow
inglv Of the girl TO whom he was 10
be married lie might have some
how prepared his mother for the
fact that Margaret was sometimes a
little too advanced and progressive
in her views. 1t was several years
since ne had seen this mother OF
his and he had not had an oppor-
tunity TO chat with her about Mar
garet and letters had perhaps given
q too one-sided view OF her.
Whatever else happens" he told
the girl on the eve OF his mothers
expected arrival. don't let the
mother know that you are a femin-
list"
Blackstone had planned 10 make
his request at the outset Of his call
on Margaret in her little uptown
apartment. where she kept her
quarters with two other young wo-
men who were employed in down
town offices. But it hadn't been so
easy as he had expected. and the
quick flash that came from Mar
garet's eyes made him realize that
his misgivings had not been i'll
founded.
Margaret was outspoken and she
did not mince matters at all now.
ConceaI from his mother that she
was a suffragist. a feminist" as
he calls it-why, he was asking her
to be traitor. And what good
would it do? Wouldn't the truth
come out sometime? Did he want
her 10 act a lie?
Then came the masculine appeal
for nationality. Don't be silly,
Margaret" he said. mo one has
asked YOU to act a lie. You don't
have to say that you are an anti.
or anything like that: but you just
needn't say anything about il at
all"
But doesn't your mother know
that YOU are a suffra gist?" queried
Margaret
Il can't say that have ever told
her no" Blackstone had 10 go
cautiously here, for he was well
aware OF the fact that his convef'-
sion TO 1.-The cause" had been one
of the prerequisites of their engage
ment At first Margaret stormed
and sputtered a good deal over the
request. but finally she acquiesced
and gave him 10 understand that
unless the subject were brought up
by his mother, she would not volun-
teer any information concerning her
own convictions.
The next morning early. when
blackstone went 20 meet his mother
their first connected words were di-
rected TO the subject OF Margaret
whom the mother was to meet that
evening AT dinner in Margaret's lit
tie apartment. The other girls had
a greed to go out for the evening so
AS 10 leave her sole hostess for this
little family party.
Blackstone WINGED a little when
one Of the first questions the moth
or asked was this: II don't suppose
your Margaret is a suffra gist.'
What makes you think she could
be ." he evaded in a way not al
together worthy OF one who claimed
10 be a convert. Just because she