Woman's Inhumanity to Woman.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 187, 12 August 1904, Page 4

Woman's Inhumanity to Woman.

AX IXCIIIK.Vr ITiOU LIFE. She was daintily dressed and totally unconscious of the fact that behind at her waist two long strings were dangling down. As she wended her way through tin- crowd in Ihe fashionable in'omcmulc of the city, however, she. was about the only person on that thoroughfare, man or woman, who was not uwarc of the lapse- in her wardrobe. To the other women the dangling .strings were a never-ending source of amusement. They saw them, nudged each other and giggled, or sjiot triumphant glances at tho unfortunate woman, as much ns to say, "You think you're pretty tine, don't you ? Well, you're not,, if you could only see the hack of your dress !" And the little lady went along, looking in at shop windows, entering and coming out from the shops, the sneering stock of the entire feminine contingent. It was vastly different with the men. Some there were, of course. who Miiggmd, at tho sight of the strings, but the majority looked at tho woman rather pityingly, and seemed anxious to tell her of hor predicament, but were ' deterred through bashfulness or a doubt as to how she would accept their information.

Finally, however, along came the man who dared. was with his wife, which may account for liis bravery in the case. As he saw the woman with her skirt unfastened ho nudged his wife and said, "(Jo and tell that woman her dress is open. It's a shomo tho way she's being 'laughed at. Hurry up,; If you don't, I will." So his wife, though reluctantly, obeyed him, and was rewarded by a hearty "Thank you" from the blushing woman, as she hastened Into a shop to repair tlie damage to her skirt. Then tho man addressed a few remarks to his wife, "If that isn't the femittlnn Irait [all through," he exclaimed. "T BupI pose that woman's been goira'j all around tho town with her dress undone, and hundreds of women have seen her and refused to tell her of it. They'd rather gloat over her misfortune, for it makes them feel I triumphant over her. Sho Is bettor dressed than most women, which is | another reason they wouldn't go to her aid. Cats, and nothing else--Uiat's what the sex is towards other women. "Do you suppose a man would l.c allowed to trot around town w&h his necktie up ovor his coil.ir, or a string sticking out undor his vest, wuhoul another man hurrying to tell him of It t I should say not, most emphatically. Why, I'vq started from my oii'ce with my hat dented In and b«en told s.imultaneously by half a dozen before I got ton feet away from my door. That's just the tlifforonce bwtwctn men and women."