New-York tribune., 1885-07-05
GIRL DIPLOMACY.
nv ANNIE LAKE TowNsEyp.


ssst INV friend Agnes Brand was the unique FER
snc' nc Her prayer. If she had been capable OF 2
SSmrlesque PRAYER. would have been variation 1i
ins nt # am married, NAV nevor have any chill,
SSren but IL have children. may they DO boys.
Sha married Tom Hatt0n, and became the mother
or ~ s,rer daughters Her admiration of the dark
20 osr was co-ex,stent with the most conteinptuous
onuion of them as individnais-nay. as class.-lor
. wonlI eiaculate Men !" in o bittci undertone
ss"icnated TO make mad tho guilty and appaii the
SSrae In the back of her head know she believed
any un"IS ,iMI ADMIT that very well-brcd and we'll
traiped man would not pier small sums Oh money
but that would be the utmost of heI CONCESSIONS
She certainly never believed word man SAID
her increlnlify was simply confoundng when any
chance aIluson disclosed It's extent; bat as nature
has decreed that woman shall find the strongtboi OF
man admIrabo-as men look for softness In women
Agnes made up for her terrible verdict on mons
conduct and code by an almost abnoinla aplIec,a5
ton Of and fierce euvious JOY in, their power ana
nrowcss independence and liberty. l had named
her daughters in North American Indian fashion,
score OF their gender. yhe eldest 4" En- attendant
,nienx the second, Better luck next time and
the third Fates last word" 10 G, s'"''u "o'iu
Agnes aud had always been eAceIient irl1nus, iu,
because was willing to accept her rs the coides'
woman in the world. and yet intellectually re-
eeniive and comr anionabe. l do not say that she
was incapable of affection. but she was lncapaDie
of feeling comprehendng affection INA. was hos
Iy some large-accruing benefits; love Tor loves
sake she refused TO admit within the scope l Oh q
had been living in British Columbia just before
accepted Mr. and Mrs. HattOns invitation 10 yist
them. And upon my fret return W civliiAa.S%n' %
everything in their home seemed OF sach % Ge-
licious daintness that details were i9St IN tne
pleasurable completeness of the whole. Anon.
mellow radiance of domestcity, and to no aware
of q peculiar moral atnosDhere perneaIne 'Ii9
mnaEc ard OF ace certain ta sialn ns it IN fc to GSne
Tom Hatton was large handso,he, c,uret 'r'i, ~
devoted to business. reasonably domestic IN ms
DISAPPOINTMENT than that his children were al
sirls-wheh, by the way. he felt more acuteiv thin m
most men, He would run them all over win M us
cye as one might search box OF candy Ier onoco loco
lates and push away the box saying y very gooa sa
candy Int not the kind want" Naturally ;ss tneSe
lo,ks sbaTpened tho dart of Agness kindred d,sap-
nointment but for that very reason 1t might have
served AS q bond Of sympathy petweeh tnenl ~
least 1t could not sniee TO explain re me and iI more
often caused me serious regret tua' 49, 10, th;r t
earnest and honest natures could not aus. tntii
differences permanently, aud wlteh gaping woitu
with the spectacle OF united anu anoc''o"''''
household. ,t,s .,os oro
of eood-natured rdcule which she did not Ill the
least understand or know how to parry OF ronaer
harmless While in reality his neaIty vpp %ppcsrvd and
healthy interest in what vent on afouhu nlih,
proysd on the surface that he was man ehtlrey
conented with his hone and tne way !. .e5 wS Vii;
the manager. the method he had adopted i1r en- a
1iyening the routine of daily life was potehtiy DO
dicntnS S TO her that she was what would be called
in a servant unsatisfactory: She put great ueai
of pride TO the doing of all she undertooR' ana
conId Ii'e see that She resented Hat,on's would he
funny disparagement with all her eoid' 1 slleh'
might Besides, she adhered TO the Qid-iasnloheu' mo.
mistaken plan of doing good by stealth. and yet ex
necteJ TO Gnd il fame She would exhaust herself
with a personal rehabilitation of Hattons bureaus.
warerohes and desks. aud then sit oil the evening
freezing from anticipatve watchfulness 10 dumoiy
iinpencfrabe resentfnlness. while Hatton wonld h'
sit reading aware that be was In disarace. put
eious
press gratitude for a service he did pot Know ha9
been rendered and finding solace IN ms doom doom anu anu
the reflection that are strange creatures VINO
do and s Y and are things without motive and man
must DO content 10 wait unti the ciouus ron ny,
and enjoy the fine weather when 1t comes Inc
sad resnlt of Agnes secretive and brooding temper
was that when Hattons own soft II ood 9i anect'on
and generosity was upon him, she wouIa seean ao ~
saw : This is my time for vengeance lot tle "h,hce
Of ofday-before yesterday" and nhict upon her nus
bands heart. pride. or feelings one OF those DIT
terly cruel blows that only be given oy tbs
hand of nm intimate-the one from whom we cannot
conceal the weak places i'll onr armor: -,
"You don't look vindictive. Agnes said / Sadly
as Tons went away one morning, hurt ana quiet
She was standing. small and pale and frowning,
slowly wiping the dust from polished table. ana
etort the cruel speech had cost her. aud with the
quick reactionarv re,norse that most women Oh
heart feel without acknow led ;ing. sh., so;a
"Y0u don't know all l have to endure, she saiu'
ii only know what see" said ]. but see yon
make Tom unhappy sometimes wnch IL seehlS un-
sWh1f does he make mei Oh. wish were
dead |" she said, fercely and. throwing down the
soft dustcr she was holding. she xhirled from the
room in tempest OF tears; S0ber Il'.Ie jte,to'
little Better luck next time. who was Teading IN
the corner came forward and picked up TIC nnstcr
and completed the general Frightening 80 dear 10
Agness heart and so repugnnnt TO Toms; ,
/ had constantly to remind myself tnat tlls IN,
terestinr pair mad been married fourteen years and
that the reconciliatioDs that followed BY IN
creased affection had been thoroughly exploited
and worn thrcadbarc, and now each signiDcd
comprehension of the necessity for partners 10 1--we
together in civilized peace, by very e9od lnita-
tion of complete forgetfunoss that tho cal u surface
of the domestic sea had been ruicd was not
satisfied that had fourd the cause OF the frictiop
though Agnes's words uttered IN passion, ald noI
had discovered oven in British Columbia thht thc
language OF lady who is annoyed is sometimes IN
temperate in inverse ratio with the oDJect oi her
i had a warm regard for Agnes, and l believed
that something was troubling her, anu IRON
anxious to discover what it was One day. Just
before dinner-Oh that vllanous half nr before
dinner what wretchcd quarrcls what misundel- mi
standings what covert stabs has not that evil
misb, gotten time engendcred, discussions that u
saved for dinner itself would have been peaceiui
aud instructive, begun before are born In bitterness
and inatured in conyuls!on: Let no one dream
that he is an exception and good-natured before
dinner He is not Let no unwise housewife ava
institute the odious custom OF ra!ying her honsc-
hold IN the stting-room Just before dinner Madam
Those will growl then who never growied before.
aud those who always snap will snap the more.
This unholy practice fourshed In Agncss home,
marked while Tom sat idly shaking an anticpac
tive toe aud the children usually charming toward
each othcr--were quarrelling in undcrtoncs Agnes
came in fresh and happy from the outer air; with
bright eyes and breezy manner She planted her.
self before Tom, drew her shoulders coqnettishly
forward, aud revolycd slowly on her heels. like
wigmakcF's image. saying. triumphantly: How
do yon kc nv wrapf It's the very latest"
II like them. Antoinette has one; saw hers
yesierdavp said Tom. calmly.
The change that came into AgneSs manner was
tho suDtcst over saw, but the yericst clod-boppsr
wnud have felt IL Her faco did not alter at all.