'To make women hard-hearted.' 'Hard-hearted?
I think I understand.' 'Do you ?' 'You mean that you like to see them live unmarried.' Rhoda laughed merrily.
'You say that almost with resentment.' 'No--indeed--I didn't intend it.' Monica reddened a little.
'Nothing more natural if you have done.

At your age, I should have resented it.' 'But--' the girl hesitated--'don't you approve of any one marrying ?' 'Oh, I'm not so severe! But do you know that there are half a million more women than men in this happy country of ours ?' 'Half a million!' Her naive alarm again excited Rhoda to laughter.
'Something like that, they say.

So many _odd_ women--no making a pair with them.

The pessimists call them useless, lost, futile lives.

I, naturally--being one of them myself--take another view.