Life — September 7, 1905 — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

et tears in his eyes, that he actually aldn’t remember when he had had a ‘ow, he says that the wedding f trouble is with our girls.” “Our girls “Yes. You see they know too much —they are too independent.” Well, I never thought of it in that light before, but there may be some s call in Miss Chesney thing in it. L and ask her. Miss Chesney was the Mayor's stenographer. She entered at_ once. ws face was not relieved ry—albe Hier calm, se by any suggestion of coqu she was a handsome girl “Miss Chesney, tell us fairly and truly—what is the trouble with Be sum © The trouble—I do not understand Surely there is no better place.” “But no marriages are taking place— there is no love-making going on. Ii this keeps up, where shall we land? All of us have the good of the town at heart. We must find the sol: at throw and apply the remedy. Can y any light on the subje Miss “Yes, [think 1 can throw some esney smiled light,” she replied. “You sce, sir, there is no more enlightened community than Besum. We have taken advantage of all the modern improvements, withe the corresponding corruption, All the xirls of Besum, for a generation now, ted to the most ad- have been subje need ought ke myself for ex- ample. Long ago I discovered that I could support myself and be far more independent than as a wife. Just look, in the business life of our town, what an important clement are the women They keep the books, sell many of the goods, in many instances become pro- ors of stores, and thus are al prict too busy and too much oceupied with their fairs to care to make an alliance own 3 with an inferior- pardon—with a doubtful partner “But, my dear Miss Chesney, there are other girls than the workin! “Cert on the other hand, are all college-bred. Do you not remember, not so | class inly. The wealthy. But they, the wave of culture that swept over us? And how all rls who had time were studying the higher philosophy Well, this is the resul Those who are not self-supporting are engaged in all gp UL Se) Pc nds of active intellectual movements. They ‘have no time for matrimony, which now seems so. trivial.” “But our future is threatened. Sure- ly “Yes, sir, but you sce the feminin altruism does not extend that far. Tt confines itself to the present. Our pur- pose is serious. It devolves upon our- selves to look out for our immediate selves. This, I believe, is the more ad- ism.” “Advanced spirit of fiddlesticks !" ex- aimed his Honor. “Here I we were vanced spirit of soc hought secure. Here I flattered my self that we were immune from all the tainted intiuences of the present ipal life > purifying power. When age. The women in our muni have been th lo! we are confronted by the worst evil yet. What can be done pallin: tis ap d for the President of the Borough,” said the Town Clerk. “He is a young man, and indeed 1 think inirly susceptible himself, He has traveled much, and is fertile in re- sources. Perl “Let's sei aps he can suggest some- thing.” “A good th him immediatel ght. TP will summon Ina few moments that gentleman ar rived. He presented a marked contrast to his two companions. He was much younger and more sprightly. He was dressed in the latest tyle. ere was a certain suggestion of him. uuntiness about with Town In a few words, their faces emotion, the Mayor and Clerk had presented the case to him. He listened intently There was no hes Wy diately, “ison aney in his reply hat we need.” he asserted imme ore frivolity—more aban We siust have it. We must im- listeners raised their hands in protest "Ye Remem- What!” exclaimed his Honor. don’t mean that Frivolity! ber, Paul, we must be carefs “I understand perf ve our future controlled by ut we can't lot of c women. Gentlemen, serious, ped: ove on. T've felt the Il this myself. My nature de- we must need of eta certain amount of love reciprocity, That's why [ travel girls of may ours are utterly impossible at (Continued on second page jollowing.) present. They're too loity. Now, I have just been spending a few delight- ful days at a charming little summer resort, right down the coast. I'll give you my word, gentlemen, there wasn't another man in the place. I took the precaution, of course, of being there only from Monday to Friday. Noth- ing but girls, And frivolity! Well, well, you never saw so much of it in your life. All of them charming—out for a good time. Nice girls, you un- derstand. Just. the kind—no_ purpose in life. T know them all. Why, gen- tlemen, I've been loved personally by the majority of them “Well, well,” said the Mayo: ping his brow, this mop. how in world is going to benefit us That's what I'm coming at. We must bring them here to live. They are all out for a lark, You make the arrangements, and I'll undertake to ar All we have > sow a crop of range the importat to do, gentlemen, is flirtations. And I'll wager that in a year the ma wrria be working ove The Mayor and the Town Clerk looked at cach other wonderingly. It of was a cr al moment, but he them realized that something must be done “Agreed.” they chorused In three days a special train rolled into the town of Besum, The M with a delegation of leading citizens, was on hand to meet it, Ina moment nded by girls yor, these gentlemen were surrot girls—short girls and tall girls, and thin girls—girls in red, white, blue, pink, lavender and all the fashionable colors of the rainbow, girls in fluffy shirt waists and. sailor hats—feeey girls, demure girls,dashi lox category t ng girls,quaint- whole girl no impor- girls—in fa ct, int re seemed to fh tant specimen missing. They were headed by two charming widows, who came as chaperc The occasion had been made a mu- nicipal holiday, and it is needless to say th ng man who could was on hand. Suitable at every Yo propel himse arrangements had been made to nish the fair visitors with accommoda- tions, The native fe ne clement was quite conspicuous by its absence. This, nin comicbooks.com