Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-08 | Page 23 | "Ladies' Tongues"

"LADIES' TONGUES." How They and Times Have Changed Since Irvings Day. "The apostle of tho Gentiles hns very ably discoursed of longuea In general, but I shall confine my remarks to ladles' tongues in "particular, and this branch of the subject Is alone, mcthlnks, a copious theme." t This sentence Is tho beginning of n skit by Washington Jrving that has never bo-fore bo-fore been printed. According to tho April Booklover, the manuscript io contained in an ordinary blank-book, and was written at the request of Mm. Harriet Kilo or some other member of Daniel S. Klle'o family, while Irving was slopping at tho inn on Main street, Warren (now Ilavcr-stiaw), Ilavcr-stiaw), X. Y. Jt Is signed "V. Irving." and on the marginti are several thumbnail thumb-nail slcetche;;, presumably made by him. The skit Is nhort about 70") words nnd In nowise remarkable. Yet it la of interest in-terest localise it comes from living's pen. Moreover, one wonders what hnd happened hap-pened to sour temporarily the author's genial cood nature and 3Ct him to railing against woman's tongue. For rail ho does. He says" 'Tn the 11 rat place, then, It dois a wonderful sight of gossiping. Indeed, It has such a wide rnugc nnd such full employment in riddling rid-dling nnd sifting and exposing Its neighbors' neigh-bors' affairs that 'tis marvolous how It ever finds time for anything else. For myself, I wonder the lltllo machine Is not ere now worn entirely out with this very business," He also says that a man's thoughts and perceptions cannot keep pace with "the little galloper," unless they can outrun a nteamboat and keep Up with a railroad engine. Then the genial Knickerbocker lakca up Its capacity for scolding, and here lio waxes eloquent. "Who won hi havo d earned," he exclaims, "that she had but to lift thosu rosy petals and such torronls ot execration would rush out but to unloose un-loose that little tongue anil shako the firmament with Its thunder?" As to shining qunlltles, he admits that this llttio member hns runny, but he Intimates Inti-mates that these very qunlltles aro principally prin-cipally used to brenk men's heurts. His conclusion Is that It Is n unsettled question ques-tion "whether It be an engine more powerful power-ful for good or for evil." At the pud Irvltip begins to realise whnt he hax snld, and declares thnt he mnw r.o offense to women only to their . . j tongues. And he concludes by saying: "And If for this the hitter arc not let loose upon me I shall make a most marvelous mar-velous cscano." Ono Imagines that It was lucky for Irving that this Jlttle skit remained hidden hid-den In the blank-book, Ordinarily It would not be oo lute even now for comments com-ments by the fair sex, slneo woman always al-ways gits the last word. But limes have changed nnd, of course, "Ladies' Tongues" have changed with thc-in. What was true in Irvlng's lime Is so obviously untrue now that no answer Is needed. Chicago Inter-Ocean.