The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-09-02
Belisious Mlistsllamp.
Too Sensitive.

Sumner. " If that's the way she is to
treat her husbands parishioners, she'll
make herself unpopular, and hurt DR..
Adams influence besides"
Which was Mrs. Adams" inquired
Mrs. Sumner, the lady in brown who
stood at the embroidery counter? /
noticed you looking at her several
times"
eyes, that was Mrs. Adams, and /
don't understand why in the world she
did not speak to me-" replied Mrs.
Clark, in most emphatic tone.
Don't be too harsh in your criti-
cisms," suggested Mrs. Sumner. Isn't
it possible she did not see your"
Didn't see mel" said Mrs. Clark,
sneeringly. "How could she help see
ing me? Why could she not see me as
readily as l saw her? / have not heard
that her eyesight was poor, have you?
But l will tell you what have heard.
Mrs. Bates told me that she came of a
/ very aristocratic family in Providence,
who think more of books and literary
society than of anything else, and she
was wondering what sort of minister's
wife she would make. But she will
find that it will never do for her to put
on such airs here in Boston-that is,
unless she does not care whether people
like her or not"
go, you don't mean all that" said
Mrs. Sumner, in quiet way. g fear
you are getting little excited and pre-
judging Mrs. Adams. How do you
know but she is an absent-minded per-
son, and was so absorbed in her pur-
chase and her own thoughts as to be
oblivious of all about her? Or, she
may be near-sighted, and know that
near-sighted people are less observing
than others, owing, probably, to the
fact that they do not expect to recog-
nize friends readily. Now l am near
sighted myself, and so l have great
sympathy for such persons. My son
told me once that he should think 1
would lose all my friends, for so often
fail to recognize them on the street.
And then, more than that, / forget
names, and am frequently mortified
when meeting friends to find l cannot
call their names"
{" You have plenty of excuses" re-
joined her friend, "but / don't believe
Mrs. Adams is either absent-minded or
near-sighted. l just think Mrs. Bates
is right, and she had made up her mind
to have few select friends and sort
of ignore the rest of us, and l will in
sist that it is not the thing for minis
ter's wife to do" and Mrs. Clark, with
out being aware of it, had raised her
voice so high that two young gentlemen,
passing them, as they walked down
Washington street, remarked:
"HellO there's trouble. Some poor
minister's wife is being hauled over
the Goals, and quite likely her husband
will have his resignation sent in to
him soon ~
"Likely enough!' responded his
companion. But then, they are al
ways criticised, ministers and their
wives, too. They are either too strict
or too liberal, too extravagant or too
economical, too well dressed or too
plainly dressed, too aristocratic or too
plebeian, too reserved or too free, and
so on and so on. / tell you it would
take more grace than | am possessed of
to 90 into that business!"
The ladies soon stepped into res
taurant for lunch and, while sitting at
table waiting for their orders, continued
their conversation on the same subject.
Mrs. Sumner said: 81 agree with
you, Mrs. Clark, that it is a part of a
minister's wife's duty to make herself
agreeable and affable to all, although /
know that some disclaim that they have
any duties in the church beyond those
of private members. But in all my eX-
perience pastors wife and children
can help or hinder the work and the in
huence of a pastor, by their conduct
UNNECESSARILY. Yet, while / allow all
the assertions you have made about
Mrs. Adams until you are better ac-
quainted with her. Let me ask you one
question. What reason could Mrs
Adams have for not wishing to recog-
nize you and speak with you ?''
"No good reason, | am sure" said
Mrs. Clark. 81 consider myself every
bit as good as Mrs. Adams. l don't
care how much of blue blood she Isl
"Now another question:" said Mrs
Sumner, with a smile upon her face
you have met Mrs. Adams but once
or twice, have your"
"Twice," replied Mrs. Clark, anC
l should think that was enough to bt
recognized. | met her once at the re
ception we gave them at the church
two weeks ago, and again at the church
on Sunday. She was not at home wher
we called. Now let me ask you a ques
ton. How many times do you eXpec
to meet persons before recognizing
them?"
"That depends" said Mrs. Sumner
Snow, really, do you think Mrs. AID
ans should be expected to remember
two or three hundred people whom she
has met but few times? l think il
would be remarkable if she remembered
one-tenth of them. According to my
thinking, you should not have waited
for her to speak to you, but have adj
vanced yourself and spoken your name
so that she might the more readily re
call YOU"
"Then, again." said Mrs. Sumner
with quizzical look, "you cannot
suppose that she has been able to Sc
lect that literary clique as yet, and how
do you know but she chose you for one
when she met you. Come, now, con
fess you have been little hasty anC
foolish, and reserve your judgment fol
a few weeks at least. What's that ole
adage, A wrong confessed is half re
dressed? Mrs. Adams has been in the
city less than a month, has she not?"
It's three weeks yesterday since
they came, )" replied Mrs. Clark. Well