ood in her veins. Then she argued: "He will be
less angry with me, a woman, and His vengeance will fall less heavily
on me than on the man to whom His command was given;" and lo! Reason
rose like a star on the waves of life, and shoulder to shoulder
womanly devotion and heroism that fears neither God nor death in
defense of its loved ones entered her soul, and she instructed Adam to
say: "The woman tempted me," and deception trembled on her lips when
she cried: "The serpent did tempt me," and the tears of regret and
remorse watered the seeds of deception and they grew so luxuriously
that women have always had that same way of getting out of scrapes
ever since.

Yet to Eve belongs the honor of never having obeyed any one--when it
interfered with progress, advancement and intelligence--neither God,
angels nor men.

The women of the nineteenth century make a profound salaam of
admiration and respect to Eve, in whom they recognize the first
courageous, undaunted pioneer woman of the world.

[Illustration: (The Serpent did tempt me.)]

THE ABRAHAM-HAGAR AFFAIR.

THE ABRAHAM-HAGAR AFFAIR.

"And there was a famine in the land; and Abraham went down to Egypt to
sojourn there."

You see Abraham was that charming kind of man--a man with his pockets
full of shekels, for "he was very rich in cattle, in silver and in
gold." So, as provisions grew short in Canaan, and as in those days
when men went on a pleasure trip they took their wives with them,
Sarah accompanied him to Egypt.

Up to this time husbands had only been obedient, but in this age they
began to be complimentary, and as Sarah and Abraham were about
entering Egypt, he said to her, "Behold now, I know that thou art a
fair woman to look upon," and even if it is the first compliment on
record, we must admit, even at this late day, that Abraham was far
advanced in the art of flattery.

Now Sarah was the pioneer, champion, incomparable coquette of the
ancient world, and as such deserves our earnest attention.

We gather from the following events that Abraham realized her
unequaled proclivities for getting in with kings, landlords and other
magnates of the countries through which she was pleasuring, and so he
told her to pass herself off as his sister; and because she believed
it would enhance her chances of having a good time, and as it was
easy, natural and agreeable, she did it, and not because she had any
idea of merely obeying her husband.

A