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A WORD WITH THE WOMEN

(By Elia W Peattie)

The Natchez is one of the "floating mansions' of the Mississippi and is unusual in several ways, but principally in having two captains. One of these is Captain Bowling S Leathers. The other is his wife, Captain Blanche Leathers. Both are well born, well educated, handsome and capable. For fourteen years Mrs Leathers has been associated with her husband on the river, until she knows the stream as well as any pilot. Her education had been of a nature to make the surmounting of technical difficulties easy to her and, as her husband has frequently to be absent from the boat, she determined to secure a license which would give her the right to command in his absence. She passed her examination brilliantly, and the great luxurious steamer, with its large capacity for cargo and passengers, is frequently under her sole control. Captain Blanche Leathers is said to be exceedingly attractive, of elegant manners and stylish garments, and with an air suggestive of a drawing room rather than a deck. Though, upon reflection, one will look through many drawing rooms without finding a gentleman equal in manner to some of the captains of the Atlantic liners. There is no reason, of course, why a woman captain should not also have grace and charm.

When the senior member of this partnership is present the duties of Captain Blanche are to look after the linen of the ship, do the buying, oversee the mending and direct the work of the domestic servants. When in sole command she delegates this to an assistant, and attends to all the duties which ordinarily fall upon a captain. She declares that her life is a very happy one, and that the river travel has become a second nature with her. Her apartments and those of her husband are on the main deck, and are spacious, airy and beautiful. A piano, pictures, delicate fabrics, comforts and luxuries of many sorts, tell of the refined taste of these two married partners. Though Mrs Leathers was raised in an isolated home on a Louisiana plantation, educated by private tutors, and brought up to the old-fashioned southern exclusiveness, she says she could never be content to adopt an idle life--at least no while health and youth last. She is very proud of her opportunity to be one of the worlds producers and the river life has a fascination for her which would make it impossible for her to be contented on land.

At the recent primary election in various cities of Ohio, in nearly every case where there was competition between a man and a woman for membership on the school board, the woman won.

One of the habits of the Century club of Chicago, which was founded in 1884, is conversation. This conversation is not permitted to become desultory, but must confine itself to some chosen subject and while it is spontaneous, it also aims to be elegant. The Omaha Woman's club has need of more spontaneity. At present there is too great a tendency to prepare beforehand everything that is said. This was, perhaps, a necessity at first, with women not used to debate or extemporaneous speaking. But two winters of practice in these lines ought to have equipped them with more confidence.

In a private letter from Detroit, a beautiful young woman writes spoke here Washington's birthday on the subject of 'Lafayette?' He is a great orator--but that is nothing. Plenty of men are orators. But Mr Estabrook is charming. We want you to tell us something about him. He is a bachelor, of course--you can tell that by his looks. We have been talking of him ever since." The letter has not been answered yet. Perhaps Mr. Estabrook might like to be consuited as to the nature of the reply.