LADIES' COLUMN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13661, 1 August 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN.

HOW SOME WOMEN' ATTRACT

Isn't is curious how t>ome wonitn pine f»r love and never get it. and others have Bitch a superfluity of it that they are bjred to teat*.

There are certain women who never go to a dance without some man falling in love with them. When they enter a. theatre, all the opera-glass** are directed towards them. They go for a- walk quietly dretsed, and perfectly ladylike in thenbehaviour, and the men cross their paths to look at them again and again. Whence conies this* curious glamour that seenns to radiate from them. It i» not particular beauty, or grace of form, or regularity of feature; it, seems to be more in a stroug personal magnetism, of which the owner to ofteu curioiiDly unconscious.

And thi» power is. if anything, on the increase; »c tind it wherever 'we may turn-

I met it woman the other day. plain, sallow, to my mind, uninteresting, and untidily dressed, yet a man' who knew her told me that "she had been engaged live times to bis certain knowledge, and tbiat men were beginning to fear her subtle power, and give her a wide berth.' "Wherein does her fasinatic-n lie?" I asked curiously. "I don't know; the whole thing is a mystery to me," he "said. "But one _of my dearest chums was her latest victim. He met her at - a dance. I introduced him-to her. He growled at me for having done so, and for having let him in for a dance with such a 'prehistoric peep.' as he elegantly described it. I was most apologetic, but assured him men found her most fascinating. He laughed openly, and: said they must be very easily pleased. Yet. heforc tie end of the evening he. was engaged to her!" "Reallv?" I said. "How extraordinary r "But a more extraordinary thing is thii," he went on: "Three weeks afterwards she broke off the engagement, for no apparent reascn. Instead of being thankful for his Telease. he appears to be heartbroken!" My friend shrugged his shoulders. "The whole thing is a mystery to me." he said. "I simply cannot understand h. And I have just heard that she b» engaged again to someone else I" -.

And ehe was the dowdiest woman in tlte room I What is it that givtc, a woman this, extraordinary power? There is no doubt that there are two distinct classes of women in the world, tlw woman who attracts, and the woman who di>es nit.

The -latter will marry any man who a.*ks her. • Almcst before he h:>s spoken the'word, slie fal's into Ui» aruia. She knows he is po>bably the -only chance site will'get. and she accepts him at once, and spends, the rett of her life returning thanks for. his most kind inquiry. This is- the 6urt--of woman that gives some men the : id«a that all women spend their lives trying to attract the members of the opposite sex, and ensnare them into matrimonv.

The education of the latter is not complete, till they have suffered at the hands of one- of the other class, who behave quite differently. They possess tbe curious gift of strong personal magnetism, and the: curious glamour that brings all men- to their feet. . They never have to run after a «man. because no man -can harden his heart sufficiently in their case even to attempt tr> run away. They are accustomed to adoration all their lives, they cannot understand any women being without 'it. They take it as their right, and as a ccm-plety* matter of -course; and their absolute indifference to the incense offered, at their shrine maddens their admirers more, than any rtspouse would do.

THE INSTINCT OF COQUETRY. ■ ; An;, eminent- sociologist has been telling u< that" womau's only lawful' weapon in thj>-'. struggle for .'existence, is coquetry; that }t is the last passion in life to desert heri; that it is, :in fact,' her absolute '"niTsuh d'etre." -

''TieforV agreeing or ■disagreeing - with this, opinjonv one would like very, much to" k'now-rexactly what its meant by.. the wotd' "coquetry." Its author seem* to b- •-thinking »( ■ woman's power to attract —Uvittract the other sex, of course. ;To practise -coquetry, it is unnecessary to flirt-flit-says); "the great point is to attract—always to attract, to plea>e; This L>'j.'woman's "mettier." and if she-- ckserts it, or - beeomss -wholly indifferent-to lier personal*. appearance, or no longer susceptible to some form of flattery, one may- take it' that she has entirely- lost her reason.'' . Ay - Wel cannot, says a writer in the Lady, gp\wfthrthese ideas, or only a little way with'them. ..Coquetry is conscious attraction.- -• Coquettes lay traps and practise wjjes. - But many a woman attracts, though'absolutely guiltless of any special wish to do,so. She attracts by being her natural self. This kind of woman attracts most truly and deeply. She never disappoints. Coquetry is at best a shallow thing. - . Nor can we allow that coquetry is so much a part of woman's natural character that to be without it is a sign of an unbalanced mind, or of any mental deficiency cr weakness. On the contrary, the sanest feminine minds are often the-simplest and most direct in their dealings with men as well.is women. The question of sex. is not eternally influencing them. It comes to the top now and then, but is not frittered a-way by constant use and abuse.

This spoils it. , In fact, -man often niay be caught posing and parading to make himself admirable or desirable in woman's eye, just as much as woman in the *yes of man. He does it in a different way, but still he does it and quite right too. He puts his best foot forward, struts a little, boasts, pretends, weans his best Iks and smartest boots. . . He too. inherits ,tbe instinct, to please the opposite sex. Like the peacock, he knows when to flaunt his smartset feathers; like the cuckoo and the nightingale at seasons, we may hear him calling to his mate. All verv natural. • Making the best of oneself, being pretty and charming and pleasant and fascinating comes easier to woman than to man. fcq much we grant. Granted alto that women, as a rule, spend more time in dressing . and adornment, and are fonder of finerv and refinements and luxury than are-men. But there we stop. It »s no more a woman's primary instinct to coquet than it is a man's, if coquetry » to mean simple the desire to attract j and the more that men and women attract each' other, the better for the world and for eocietr at large. It is when men and women go off on different tacka away from each other, that society .begins to suffer. A little more, coquetry—m its beet sense—would not be amiss. KIND-HEARTED QUEE*.

The Italian papers are telling a story that aptly illustrate, the attitude of the Boval family toward the people. A few davs ago in Borne, a poor woman, a-, certain Mrs. Vivante brought her sick child to the dispensary in "Via Morosini to have the doctor prescribe for it. The child's condition was very serious, and at the doctor's diagnosis the poor mother thoroughly frightened, began to crv... "• . . , While the doctor was attending to. the •lifctie-one. a lady stepped into the 'dispensary.'' She'was very :plainly and simply : dSesedj yet' something in her "appearance ''caijsed* those • present' to step aside . and ipakeiroom" for her. She, silently listened /'to'-what /the' doctor was saying, and when "he, vhad"-. handed ': back ' the- child to the sweeping,'mother she approathed • her.. ;.v." Yqnr?child * has" need ' of 'very.. special .--• said to her; not /seiitsifcf to'the; hospital?" "" ',..*" *•

bear to part- with it. I feel that if 1 can keep it with m<-- and cure for it myself it will recover as quickly." The lady did not reply, but going up to the doctor she spoke to him in a low voice for a. few minutes. Then (he doctor came to the poor woman and, handing her a 50-franc bill, he said : " Thank Queen Elena : she bids me tell you in her name that your child shall want for nothing as long as it is ill." The poor woman was so overcome at, having unwittingly spoken with the Queen that she scarcelv knew what to say or do. Fmallv. taking" heart" of grace, she attempted to thank her in a few troubled words.

"But whv this trouble?" tha Queen asked her, smiling. "Am I not a woman just Tike vou? Your child has the same right to five that mine has, and it shall be cared for till it is perfectly well again." The poor woman could only express her thanks by kissing the Queen's hands. The Queen fe" keeping her word, and is gencrouslr providing for her-little portege.