ucy, a staid married woman of thirty-six, and you,
Elsie, a demure young girl of twenty, are suddenly about to enter the
ranks of the strong minded?'

'Why, dear aunt,' said Lucy D----, 'you would not have us weak minded,
would you? I think I heard you say no longer ago than yesterday that
half the domestic miseries in this world were due to the weak nerves and
feeble intellects of poorly educated women.'

'True; but the technical expression, 'strong minded,' does not mean
strong in mind--rather the contrary.'

'In other words, strong minded means weak minded, is that it, auntie?'
laughed Elsie.

'I see, Aunt Sarah,' said Lucy, 'we shall be forced to call upon you for
that most difficult of tasks, a definition. What is meant by the term,
'strong-minded woman'?'

'A monster,' replied Mrs. Sarah Grundy, 'who lectures, speaks in public,
wants women to vote, to wear men's garments; in a word, one who would
like to upset religion, social life, and the world in general.'

'Well,' dear auntie, 'we surely do not purpose committing any of these
enormities; our intentions simply embrace a short excursion of some
forty miles in search of fine scenery, health, and a little amusement.
We have no confidence in our power to influence the public, even if we
thought we had aught to say which they do not already know; we do not
see that voting has a very beneficial effect upon men, witness election
days; as for their garments, they are too hideously ungraceful for us to
covet; in faith, we are of the most orthodox; we confess, we do think
social life needs sundry reforms, more charity and forbearance, less
detraction and ostentation, etc., etc.; and as for the world in general,
we think it very beautiful, and only wish to overlook some few
additional miles of its lovely mountains, lakes, and streams.'

'Well, well, girls, young people always can talk faster than old ones;
but do you really think it safe for you to venture without escort? You
do not even know the name of the place which you wish to visit; you have
been informed that on the summit of yonder mountain is a lake, said to
be picturesque; but of its cognomen, and of the proper means to reach
it, you are utterly ignorant. You will have to ask questions of all
sorts of people.'

'Suppose we do--being women, we will certainly in America receive civil
answers.'

'But if some person unknown to you should speak to you?'

'Little danger, dear aunt, of dread unknowns, if we