Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-05-13

Awkward sitaatisns n
cit was an awkward situation. Il !
overheard one say to another; and ~ !;
expression raised in my mind : cenGi6-
GRAFTON Of how often in our lives ~ azo
in awkward situations not Of necessity
Of eur own causing, but from the mank
iold arrangements Of the conventional
tiles OF life, or from the concAtenSti0o
of events over which We have no co..
troll. Here. for instance, w go -
awkward situstion for the politicisn,
whose views, once 80 decided, hAvo
drifted into another line Of thought,
and yet he 10 held responsible for euun-
Citations Of prior train OF mind. On
the other hand. there 10 IN awkward
situation for the, literary Han. who be-
engaged to give 90 much psbulum q
stated times, and finds himself without
q single idea to start with, much less -
enlarge upon. It is an awkward situa.
ton for dog to get his head in aspaco
where his body cannot 60, and II il ten
times more awkward for man 10 b
pushed iuto place which 10 too email
for his Capacities. Perhaps, however,
the awkward situation with which i
shall meet the most sympathy in theee
pages is that OF the young bride, vhe
has left her own people to come among
perfect strangers. Her Young expee1-
.ence looks forward with dread to her
FIRST callers, and her new authority
makes her particular to scrupulosieys
lest all should not be right when hsr
visitors appear. She dresses early, and
places herself in attitudes in her draw I
ing room, but starts mp every two
minutes to rearrange some article abeut
the room, or to resdjust the little fvo
o'clock tea table placed in readiness Tor
her guests. Her sister.in-law meanwhile
tries to initiate her in the difArent
merits OF her circle Of scQ1aintsnc0, !
whose presence il to be expected, and
endesvors TO impress upon the bside
the necessity Of avoiding this or thaA
topic OF conversation. The bell rings
and the trying moments for the bride
are at hand. The first callers are =
gentleman and his wife, whom the
helpful sister-in-lsw has forgotten 10
mention in her list Of individual
proc!ivities; hence, though the bride
goes forward gracefully to meet Them
she is full of nervous tremor ~ to WHIST
she ought to say. The best method In
an awkward situation Of this kind is ~
expatiate on the lovely scenery in the
neighborhood Of her new residNfdN or
at least, il the lands apes generally. are
vapid, to pick ont any redssming
feature, however minute. and discuss Il.
There:is always safety IN scsnefy. =
said an old lady, when she rsproved :
scandal monger, whose excuse vass that
she had nothing to talk about; ana
though large town does mot alwAys-
permit Of scenery generally ~ . t0paa
for talk, yet there are always distin-
gushing marks Of locality which may
serve to make the trying moments Iese
irksome. We will suppose the oupe az
tea handed, and the brides first bAahr
fitness disappearing, whom the belE
rings second time, and two ladies' aro.
introduced. Now, in the return 81, her
anxiety TO receive in proper style. the
psrticularities Of the last conner slip tho
memory; and, as scenery will not DO =
second time till the ART quests hnVe
gone, the bride falls back npon church
music. Here ID : trying moment for ~
parties. because there d no aubiou4
which admits Of % much divorsitI "
opinion rs churches. There 40 ki6h
church. low church, and the Woxshipl6o
Of the one look with horror q -
scots innumerable; 90 that : bride Who
is . stranger should avoid church mtsnie-
The glum looks Of the protesting slstsT-
in-lsw cause the bride to shilt hon
music sacred TO music secular; 49, -
i . > - ! - =