in some one particular way. He is generally
a man with many brilliant theories brilliantly brought forth. He is
ready to entertain any proposition. He is ready to try any new field of
human action. He is sometimes sympathetic, more frequently antagonistic.
But my so-called _Pleasures_ may not be forced under any one head
which will accurately describe them as a class. Indeed, each one is a
class within himself; that is my reason for using so broad a term as
Pleasures: they are, in fact, Pleasures to me. They are really necessary
to my happiness--not individually, but as an entirety.

Most of these men have been at some one time my lovers--at least after
a fashion. Some of them are foolishly constant. They are not foolish on
account of their constancy--a most commendable trait--but because of
their inability to know just when to make a display of their devotion.
The general run of lovers--at least mine--are distressingly inopportune.
This a woman, in spite of herself, deeply resents; it is so unpardonably
stupid of a sensible man not to know just when to make known his tender
passion. Lovers seldom study the women they love. They labor hard and
plow straight on, in spite of any timid opposition from the other
quarter; they are heedless of the future; they are eager to gain the
prize, and often stride far beyond--overstep the mark, which sometimes
is but a mere shadow line.

Most women fail to understand why they are unable to retain their
rejected lovers. To me the explanation is plain. The average woman has
nothing to give her lover, when he asks the all-important question, but
a few tender, meaningless words to environ her _yes_ or _no_.
Of course, when the answer is yes, they both feed on the thought of
marriage until its consummation. But if she is forced to say no, it
leaves her barren of any thing to offer in lieu of the affection
demanded. She is at once destituted of resources. She has no mental
reservoir out of which she may feed the man's desire, and gently but
effectually turn it into an intellectual channel of her own making and
directing. Therefore the man is lost to her--be he Platitude or
Pleasure. She has made the fatal failure of neglecting to furnish--and
at once--a sufficient amount of intellectual excitement to fascinate the
man into lingering, and force him finally into a steadfast allegiance.
Women ought never insult their rejected lovers by _asking_ them for
their friendship. Those things come, if