The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-01
Howe About:
Marie Antoinette
Cats VS.. Dogs
Ninon de Lenclos
e. 1ess Bell Syndicate WHIT Servica
By ED HOWE
G. 1888. Bell Syndicate. Service

s4AS fAChNh iNcfOlutlOu, Wlutly ICt-
aided as an uprising of the people
against despotic kings. Finally have
read so much about 1t doubt this
uprising was against Louis XVI ard
believe it was actually against his
queen, Marie Antoinette.
The French Revolution was founded
on gossip rather than on the political
wrongs Of the people. You may be-
lieve you have heard vivid gossip in
your time, but you do not know how ter
rible gossip may become unless you
have read the story of Louis XVTs
queen. One story was so brutal, i'm
probable, that when told in court dur
ing the reign of terror, it shocked the
most british audience ever gathered,
and the prosecutor realized he had
made mistake in introducing it; the
mistake almost saved the queens life.
Marie Antoinette was a German, and
French hatred of Germans was as
great then as it Is now. OF all the
toinette ranks near the top. Her his
tory reminds one Of country girl
determined to go to the devil in spite
of the warnings and prayers Of wise
and good mother. In this case the
mother was old Maria Theresa, en-
press of Austria. Women should read
Maria Theresa's letters to her needless
daughter; stronger preaching for NOR
atty and common sense cannot be
found. The old empress was a sound
German, and over and over predicted
her daughters downfall because of
follies even our modern f1appers have
not eQualed. Fortunately old Maria
was dead when her foolish daughter
assembled the steps of the guillotine in
Paris and left it with her head carried
in one basket and her body In another.
1 am coming to doubt the people will
ever rebel against their political
wrongs, or have ever engaged in such
rebellion in the past Besides every
honest citizen walks politician to con-
troll him; the politicians at the cap
itals are few in number compared
with the students of politics in small |
towns and cities posing as honest cit
liens.
Some one wrote land somehow 1t at |
tracted my attention) that a dog is a
YES" animal and cat a mo" ami
NAL. Nearly everything suits a dog;
almost nothing suits a cat 1 have
been fond of many dogs, but have
never known an agreeable or intelli- |
gent cat. do not like mo" ami
mails; they are always cold, indiffer- |
ent, clammy; like the enthusiasm of |
a yes" animal. If the owner of a
dog is i'll, the dog is distressed and |
its mo" disposition, is Indifferent.
Books tell of the death of a notable |
woman in a specially horrible way. |
The house cat was asleep at the /
foot of the bed through all the ter
rible scene. 1t has been my |
to know many mo" men
and women.
1 am an old man, but there is so
much to read shall never get around |
to half of it. / never heard of Ninon
de Lenclos, famous French woman, |
until lately. Ninon early believed that |
there can be only one sexual law for
men and women, and her father said |
to her: "Since you believe that wom-
en- have right to the same liberties
as men, recognize equally with men all
the obligations of loyalty, sincerity,
and honor" She had many men |
friends, but was fair with all of |
them. When young and most charm
ing, If an admirer was disposed to
spend too much on her. she gently re-
strained him. If he too much neglect
ed his wife because of her, she
warned him against that fault also.
She disliked drunkards, gamblers,
idlers, rude people generally, and her
biographer goes so far as to say she
helped rather than harmed her men
friends.
When fifty years old she retired to
a country place, and the most promi-
nent people of France of three hum
dred years ago were her devoted |
friends. Tottering old men, former
intimate friends, respected her in age
and sincerely liked her. One old
man said to her: "Ninon, a woman
who has the qualities of an honest |
man is the most unusual character
in the world"
Ninon de Lenclos was neither poet
ess, actress, reformer, nor mystic, but
she had the natural charm of woman.
She combined this with simple fair.
ness, and behold, a book has been
made about her! She exists in litera.
ture with women who bankrupted
kings!
AS a rule I have found it easier to
obey my women folks than to fight
them, and be a free man only in pri-
vate.
Some years after the Civil war an
claimed to have discov
cred thousands of old soldiers who did
nothing except play in G. A. r. drum
corps. fire salutes over the graves OF |
former comrades, take part in patri-
otto parades, work for more liberal pen
sion laws, or run for Office on patriotic
issues.
There is much more of this now
than from 1865 on. but people have
been so thoroughly drilled in devotion
to patriotism that nothing has been
done about it.
In spite of the widespread love of
children. occasionally a child is cor
rected for its own good, and for the
good of the race in general, but ad-
miration for old soldiers is so great |
we cannot bear to offend them.