Year: 1874

The averge woman hates flea with
an intensity almost diabolical in its ma
ture. She will pursue one of these
little innocents with the remorseless-
ness OF liend, and if you ever expect
to see a beautiful exemplification of
womanly traits mover look for it when
she knows that flea is about. And in
proportion as the woman hates, the flea
seems to love, and is never enjoying
ecstatic bliss unless favored with her
society. He likes to seek her couch in
the stilly hours Of tho night, WOO her
from slumber, and from sheltered
nook witness her feverish exertions to
escape his chresses; BIT perhaps he
does not reach the acme of enjoyment
until lie can slyly accompany her to
church and not make his presence
known until she has satisfactorily set
tied her furbclows and hounces on the
cushioned seat all ready to be admired
and make note Of how others look.
And then the flea begins his manipula-
tions, knowing'full well that he has his
victim at disadvantage. Here there
can be no hasty tlingiDg of skirts, no
assuming of unbecoming postures while
making frantic grabs at the mischievous
and inaccessible monster. If you note
the woman closely, you will see COM
preston OF the lip and look of hate
and pain creeping into the face which
she would fain conceal and not reveal,
for are not many eyes upon her? One
moment she settles herself little more
firmly on one side, rs though hoping to
crush the aggressor, but the next mo-
ment feels him scampering upward, when
she settles backward quickly to catch
him between her back and the rail, but
all in vain-his flag is still there. One
dainty gaiter may rub up against its
fellow as far as may be done without
disarranging drapery, and there may be
quiet, yet nevertheless vicious clutch
of a ieweled hand under the pretense
of arranging flowing drapery, but all in
vain. And the flea, how he does enjoy
it. He roams hither and thither at his
own sweet will, uncaring for the boiling
wrath which fairly makes the white
flesh upon which he plays shiver be-
meath his light tread And perhaps
the flea has his mt te, and then the an.
guish is doubled AT one moment they
are playing tag ; at another hide and
seek, and while the one is costly nestled
away, the other rushcs hither and
thither TO find it in way which ID
maddening and then they act the part
of explorers, and prospect every hill
and dale of the form divine. But one
thing they do not do, they do not
60 to sleep. And during this hour
of martyrdom how the wrath of
the woman gathers, and how only
thoughts of dire vengeance make
the brief agony endurable But at last
the service which has seemed so long Is
ended, and with as much majesty as
her writhing form will permit, she sails
home without lettering, you may be
sure. The house reached, with one
bound she is within tho privacy OF her
own chamber and there all restraint is
cast aside. With lightning haste OIL
come the barrcades behind which the
flea found intrenchment, and at last she
stands like n gladiator stripped for the
fight, and then the iate Of the invader
is sealed. He is pursued with remorse-
less fury, and the battle does not end
until the victor shakes aloft tho scalp
of the foe, and VOWS that so perish
always the flea who dares to invade the
sacred territory of her person.