r lives is concerned, may
remain as far apart as the poles.

It is hard to imagine two women, similarly placed, behaving after the
same common-sense standards. Each insists upon making a confidante of
her partner. Their intimacy becomes a thing complicated with extraneous
issues, with jointly shared secrets, with disclosures as to personal
likes and dislikes, which should have no part in it if there is to be
continued harmony, free from heart-burnings or lacerated feelings, or
fancied slights or blighted affections. Sooner or later, too, the
personality of the stronger nature begins to overshadow the personality
of the weaker. Almost inevitably there is a falling-out.

I do not share the somewhat common opinion that in their friendships
women are less constant than men are. But the trouble with them is that
they put a heavier burden upon friendship than so delicate, so sensitive
a sentiment as real friendship is was ever meant to bear. Something has
to give way under the strain. And something does.

To be sure there is an underlying cause in extenuation for this
temperamental shortcoming which in justice to the ostensibly weaker sex
should be set forth here. Even though I am taking on the role of Devil's
Advocate in the struggle to keep woman from canonizing herself by main
force I want to be as fair as I can, always reserving the privilege
where things are about even, of giving my own side a shade the better of
it. The main tap-root reason why women confide over-much and too much in
other women is because leading more circumscribed lives than men
commonly lead they are driven back upon themselves and into themselves
and their sisters for interests and for conversational material.

Taking them by and large they have less with which to concern themselves
than their husbands and their brothers, their fathers and their sons
have. Therefore they concern themselves the more with what is available,
which, at the same time, oftener than not, means some other woman's
private affairs.

A woman, becoming thoroughly imbued with an idea, becomes, ninety-nine
times out of a hundred, a creature of one idea. Everything else on earth
is subordinated to the thing--cabal, reform, propaganda, crusade,
movement or what not--in which she is interested. Now the average man
may be very sincerely and very enthusiastically devoted to a cause; but
it does not necessarily follow that it will obsess him through every
waking hour. But the ladi