I should be taken even by beauty, in a man,
and should expect conforming beauty of heart and soul. Do you know, I
sometimes half feel that I would like to be a man?"
"You, Julia! with your wealth, beauty and friends, who may, where you
will, look and choose?"
"Yes, I, as much as you flatter me. I can feel the ambition of a
young man; and were I one, how gladly would I put the world and its
emptiness from me, and nurse and feed my soul and brain with the
thoughts and souls of other men, till I was strong and great; and
then, from my obscurity, I would come forth and take my place in the
lead;" and her great eyes flashed.
"If you are ambitious, you have but to wait until the leading spirit
comes. What a help you would be to him!"
"He might never come, or I might not know him when--"
"Or you would not love him, if you did know him."
"He might not love me; or, if he did, I might drive him away. But that
is not what was in my mind, although a woman must be ambitious through
another. To be one of these young men, to know their minds, to feel
their hopes and ambitions, and struggle with and against them, for the
places, the honors and leaderships!"
"And would you never love and wed, woo and marry?"
"Yes; and I would like to see the woman who would scorn me. I would
take her as mine, and she should not choose but love me!"
"Why, Julia! who would think that you, sweet and deep as you are,
could say such things! Would you like to be wooed in that way?"
"I never came to that.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147