The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-05
TWO STREET CAR INCIDENTS.
A Mans III-COnceaIed Grief and a
Woman,s Stratagem.

A Mans IIl-COnceaIed Grief and a
Woman's Stratagem.
The whole world is ashamed of its tears
It wants every body TO know when it rejoices
and see its smiles; but it hides its wounds and
weeps alone.
Tears are useful as emotional Jewels in
literature, but in real life they are not re-
spected
On street car one day saw two examples
of the bitterness of tears which could not ba
concealed from the public's unsympathetie
gaze.
A good looking young German, OF ths
comfortable middle class, got aboard. The
conductor collected his fare and the car
jolted on, the business of perforating each
other with their eyes being continued by the
silent passengers, with the customary in
flexible impudence and insistence.
The young German was uncomfortable. He
was suffering mental anguish, and was max.
ing heroic efforts to conceal it from the
piercing rows of eyes opposite him. The
muscles Of his smoothly shaven facs
twitched nervously: he moved uneasily in his
seat and vainly tried to find way to look
which would give some relief. OF course
everybody saw his embarrassment and
looked at him with special interest. Ordi-
nary humanity is not overcharged with
delicacy, even when it is most sympa
thetic.
The young man furtively wiped his eyes,
which were gushing with tears, while affect.
ing to merely rub off his forehead. He
turned around and looked out of the win
dow behind him, and held his face steadily
toward the sky to keep the tears from escap
ing in trickling etream down his face.
More staring; more curious interest in his
ill-concealed fortunes.
In his desperation he forgot that he had
paid his fare, and, fishing in his pocket,
brought to light another nickel which he
handed toward the conductor. That func-
tionary saw but did not accept the coin. He
simply helped the passengers to look at nin.
'Did pay my fare7" asked the poor man,
trying to control the sobs in his voice.
'I guess So" answered the conductor
Then the Germans self control gave way,
his nervous tension snapped, and as the
copious tears gushed forth, he walled: ooh,
my little girl is dead, and don't know what
I'm doing"
The passengers were touched, but they
did not take their eyes from him, and il was
no time TO put their sympathy in words
Unable to endure their gaze in his broken
condition, the young man suddenly left the
car. His honest grief could not be carried
In the sight of other human beings, all of
whom had suffered and wept, like himself
He had scarcely disappeared when a
young girl and an elderly woman entered
together. The girls eyes were swimming in
tears which soon refused to stay within the
prescribed limit, yet the thought of letting
ali these strangers see her weep was even bit
terer than the sorrow that had started her to
weeping. The elder woman looked troubled,
but she had stronger nerves. She whis-
pered to her companion: 'fHold your hand
kerchiefsto one.eye all the time, then every
body will think that your eye, not your
heart, has been hurt"
The young girl acted on the suggestion
without replying. She held the handker-
chief in wad over right eye, as though it
could not bear the light, and continued to
weep without attracting attention. The
other passengers saw nothing but woman
with a disabled eye, and after glance or
two ceased to look at her. was struck
with the wisdom of the sad little stratagem.
A wound in the eye was not thing to be
ashamed of. 1t excited no morbid curiosity
or humiliating pity; but wound on the
soul must be hidden.
ALICE LEE WATSON.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. %. Il