Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-12-14
Mans Darkest Moments.

Ara Won Q MANI II % yen have prob.
shly had the pleasure or waiting Tor .
-omsn 70 got rsady"to 20 somewhere.
Getting ready 10 . mighty operation Tor
.voman to perform. II hes always
hem 90: but in these days OF compli.
cs,eL costumes, and innumersble sp.
uanIsses Of the toilet, il 10 stupendous
entertaining. You are infatuated with
Miss b. You invite her 10 ride behind
ronr span OF gnys. You arc wise
en- ush to know that al women. or most
NJ them, like hne turnout. and would
much sooner b made love to by man
who owns nice team than by one Who
AXE, his airings in horse cars or 0mni-
buses.
You ret the time at $50 p. ID. She
ask. sweetly il you could not Just -
vel come 1t 1. OF course she would
Ike to 20 earlier, but she doubts il she
can get ready, and Of course. - yor are
not married to her. you are only too
bappr to do just - she wants you to.
After marriage, o. the French say, I'VE
change all that" and when monsieur
bids. her madame must 10 really or be
left behind.
At precisely 1 the next day you drive
to Miss BIS gate with grand flourish.
1t looks old fogyish to he walking with
your horses up to hitching post. and
YOU have been showing your animals
the whip few blocks back. They are
stirred up by it, and toss their heads,
and paw up papa BIS concrete, and
snap at the shrubbery in vicious way,
and assure you equinely that they had
ok- 81 q A.
ready.
, You think at first you won't hitch
them, for surely she is ready, but re.
ymembering former experiences with
those of her sex, you change your mind
and give small boy ten cents to have
an eye on them. You ring the bell and
arc admitted. and the small boy en-.
cages in marble playing with another
small boy, and trusts the horses to
Providence.
us Miss B. ready," you blankly ask
the maid servant.
She doesn't know, she'll inquire.
You stand first on one foot and then on
the other, and stare at the hat-tree, and
pull up your new style collar, which
ought to stand up, but which has devel.
oped an obstinate tendency TO lop down,
and you wonder whore on earth that
servant has gone to inquire, and you
run ont to see your horses, and admin
lister some sharp words to your small
delinquent groom, and lie thumbs his
nose at you the minute your back is
turned.
BY the time you get into the house
again Mrs. B. is coming down the stairs
in toilet made in evident haste. She
is cordial, and invites you into the par
lor, and says Marie will be down in q
moment, and she is so sorry to have
kept you waiting.
From above stairs you can hear the
sound Of the notes of preparation.
Much treading back and forth, opening
of closet doors, shutting of drawers,
scolding of the maid, in suppressed
tones. and iveliness generally.
If you could look into Marie's cham
Der you would be in despair. Her
( "crimps" are not taken down, her boots
2 unbuttoned, her pullback's elastic cords
are ont of gear, and the maid is fixing
them; she can't find her bracelets; one
cuff pin is missing; she has put arnica
on her handkerchief by mistake, think
ing it Jockey Club; there is button
off her basque from hurried buttoning,
aud oh, dear! dear! where are her lemon
kids, and her parasol, and her lace
scarf, and that coral neck chain, and
shawl and white lace veil, and dozen
other necessary articles?
She has hurried 80 that her face is all
in blaze and she is sure she looks like
washer-woman, and she seizes her
powder-putf. dabs little chalk on her
forehead, and hol es it won't be seen, a.
she is going out to ride with o gentle
man and not with woman.
All unconscious of the trials which
beset your charming Marie, you are
striving to do the agree ,ble to Mrs. B.
with the sound of your horses paving
up that sidewalk in your ears, and you
know the old man is particular about
his grounds; and directly you hear
something snap and rush out to find
that one of your spirited nags has bitten
off fence.picket and is trying his best
on another, by way Of dessert.
Will she ever get ready?
You go back to tell Mrs B. that your
horses are 80 FESTIVE you must stand by
them, and you retire to the sidewalk,
painfully conscious that across tue
otEcct, Al tuht UA6 tououcut uOub0 uhIl
dozen children and young people, and
as mahy more idle loafers, are Watching
you and laughing at your predicament,
and telling each other that that is the
chap "that is trying to court Marie B.,
and she's had nine fellers already and
every one of EN- went back on her.
You consult your watch, 8 o'clockl
You feel inclined to swear a little, but
early piety forbids, and You try to pos
sess your soul in patience.
The door opens. She comes radiant
and smiling, in the loveliest of new Co.'S
tunes. pinned back 10 tight that she
creeps toward you like snail, and you
mentally wonder how abe is ever going
to step high enough to get into the car
riage; and her hat is 90 becoming, and
her black lace scarf increases the white
ness of her neck so much, and she tells
You so sweetly that you feel infinitely
obliged to her for doing it, and feel for
the moment as If the highest and most
supreme delight of existence could be
found Only in waiting for her to "ret