Under the gaze of a group of men whom she knows that her brilliancy dazzles, a woman, like the snow-clad hearth, sparkles: Under the gaze of a man by whom she knows she is pa.s.sionately desired, like the same earth under the lordly sun, she melts.
All women think they can cozen men: few women think they can cozen women.
The women who perturb men most are those who combine too effectively adorableness with desirableness.
As in nature, so in humanity, flight on the part of the lady is not always symbol of unwillingness of pursuit. On the other hand
Feminine audacity by no means betokens feminine immodesty.
Feminine obduracy is invincible by man. Luckily, it is rare.
Men call women variable: did she not vary, men would tire. This, women instinctively know.
Women rightly dislike and disgust variability in men. For
Women like best to be liked: to lead gives them but paltry and temporary pleasure. (Though this they do not always instinctively know; or, if they do, they conceal their knowledge.) And
Variability is incompatible with leadership.
How delicately a loving woman reproves! How defiantly an unloving!
How many lonely women--married and unmarried--the world contains, only these lonely women know.
The feminine metier par excellence is: to allure. And
The subtle and elaborate means by which women will devise to intensify the lure, pa.s.ses the comprehension o f men. Yet
In all ages, to make herself attractive was as right and proper for the woman as to make himself feared was for the man. Besides,
With women the art of attracting has long since become second nature.
Women are quick to recognize a rake. For
A rake always rouses curiosity, never aversion.
A worsted woman always, either silently or volubly, calls down a curse upon her successful rival.--And "t is a curse that too often fails.
Many women handicap other women; and they handicap them in multifarious ways. Probably the one most frequently used is lavishness of favors.
The woman who is lavish of favors is hated of her stricter sisters. But, before these, what an air of bravado she wears!
As a rule, women are far better readers of character than are men. A woman will often startle a man by her penetrating insight into character.
And
Many a man has been put on his guard by female inst.i.tution.
The fragilest woman will be ill content with suppressed embraces. And
The ablest-bodied woman loves being petted. Even
A prude is a shy coquette.
The man who judges of a woman by her letters is a fool.--Her gesture will contain more matter than her journal. Besides,
The woman who could punctuate could reason.
The debut of a younger sister evokes mixed emotions.
The prayer--uttered or unexpressed--of many an undowered young woman is, May a moneyed man fall in love with me ! And she is not always over-careful to add, And may I fall in love with that moneyed man!
If the "New Woman" (3) turns out to be a fitter companion for men than the old, no man will complain of her novelty. Yet
Men regard the advent of the New Woman rather askance. Why? Because
To judge from certain feminine utterances, the New Woman seems more inclined to aim at rivalry than at companionship with man.
--However, there need be no fears as to the result, since
Such is the mysterious potency of womanhood, that, whether new or old, woman will always lead man captive. Besides