The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-05-02
miscellaneous.
Idle Words.


the sociabe All the people were perfectly
delightful, and the music was charming, and
the decorations just too lovely for anything |!
The room was frightfully hot, thought was
fairly melted"
ayes, the room was rather warm" remark
ed Lucy
"And l got tired to death before it was
over, things dragged so dreadfully. thought
that glee club would surely go on singing all
night. And what an awful shril voice Janet
CRANKY has lit really deafened me. Don't
you think that dress of hers is horrid-with
f1ounces piled on by the dozen"
II thought it had only seven"
"The salt must have got into the ice cream,
saucer full / ate to freeze whole freezer full
Wasn't that a splendid bouquet they threw
to Susy Merton? So big that it almost COW
cred her up"
"Indeedw quietly exclaimed grandfather,
who was sitting near. 81 should like to have
seen 1t. have heard of the wonderful things
florists construct nowadays with cut flowers,
but | had no idea that they made them so
large as that"
''As what, grandfather" asked Mabel
pausing before launching into another stream
of talk, she having, as was usual with her,
forgotten her trif1ing words as soon as utter
cd
at must have been-well, you did not give
the dimensions, my dear, but | should guess
it could not have been less than four or five
feet i'm diameter?"
"What diameter, grandfather"
"Why, the diameter of the bouquet"
what bouquet" Mabel looked bewil-
dered.
"The one you have been telling about"
II never told of bouquet of four or five
feet in diameter, grandfather You must be
dreaming sir, never saw such thing in
my life"
"What diameter, grandfather
THE lady whose bouquet almost covered
her up"
ooh h.hr Mabel burst into hearty
laugh why, grandfather, that's just my
that she had bouquet as large as that"
"Then why did you say so, Mabel?"
"Oh well-mamma does scold me most
outrageously for it. She says l exaggerate
things horribly, but what harm does it do ?"
~ am sorry TO hear that of your mother"
said the old gentleman gravely. 81 had al
ways supposed that her behavior was far
| within the limits of decency and propriety."
my mother Grandfather you are very
queer to-day. What do you mean |"
Look in the dictionary for the definition
| of things done in an outrageous manner,
dear. am only taking you at your word.
But, am afraid, Mabel, that your health will
suffer from the effects of eating so much
salt"
81 haven't been eating salt, grandfather"
81 understood you to say your ice cream
contained enough salt to freeze whole freez-
er full"
"oh, now, grandfather, you are most
fearful critic"
II shall try not to be alarming. How did
you manage to reduce yourself to q solid con-
dition so soon after being melted?"
"Oh, only meant that the room was roast.
ing hot"
at must have been quite a dangerous
| place--you were attacked with deafness, too
you say ?you seem to be recovering from
| it,"
But you know didn't mean any such
thing"
"Then why did you say it, dear ?" Was il
true?
"Why-it wasn't so, of course"
"If it was not true, what was it?"
Mabel looked as if this was soberer view
of the matter than she wished to take.
did you really think the glee club would
sing all night?"
mo, sir"
"Then, when you said you thought so, die
you tell the truth? If not, what did vol
tell?" The tears came into Mabel's eyes,
Grandfather, doyou think would tell al
untruth2"
mo, dear, not Intentionally, but, Mabel'-
he laid his hand tenderly on her head"
want you to think how many things 20,
have said in the last fifteen minutes, which
are simply not true. want 10 caution 20,
earnestly about indulging in this habit o
loose, thoughtless speech, am sorry to hea
SO many young people giving away to it. /
is vulgar, it is foolish-and if not wicked, 1t
direct tendency is to wickedness for remem
Der, what is not true is false. And even whel
careless expression does not involve disre
gard of the truth, it may be well to refec
that it is heard by the Lord, who has assur
ed us that as man shall speak, he shall Civ
an account in the day of judgment"