, 1889-01-30
SII0RTSIGTITEDNESS.


Hes a nice enough fellow when you
meet him at the club or at his own house
or at the Office, but if you meet him on
the street, by George, he'll look straight
through you and never say as much as
How de do don't like that sort of q
man."
"Nor l. I've noticed that about him
many n time."'
heard that snatch of conversation the
other day, and happened to know rather
intimately the man they were talking
about. He was ono of the most genial
men on earth, but the trouble with him
was that he was painfully shortsighted.
nose to save his life, and on the street
all humanity were alike to him until one
Of them spoke to him. Thus it is that
tho world makes no allowance for n
shortsighted man. He often gets the
reputation of being uppish when, in fact,
he is nothing of the sort.
But besides this physical infirmity
there Is a sort of mental s~hortsighted-
ness that is very embarrassing to the I'M
fortunate possessor. For instance, | find
it impossible to remember faces and
names. sometimes think that | have
met too many people in this world. |
have to be introduced to a person about
six times on the average before l can re-
member that | ever saw that person be-
fore n then it requires ever so many
meetings before | can venture on the
name. For the last two years / have
attended the baseball games with regu-
larity and industry, yet tothis day | can
not distinguish between Hardic Richard
son and Jack Rowe, except by their posi-
tons in the field; and these two players
don't look SO very much alike either.
Some folks who have not been SO indus
trious in their application to baseball
can tell at sight the name of any player,
not only in the Detroit club, but in the
whole league.
One day last summer | was driving
with the lady who has the legal right to
tell mo what she thinks of me, when she
said:
Why didn't you take off your hat to
that lady?'
"Bless me; l don't know her."
Yes, you do. That was Mrs. Brins-
meade"
WAS i2 Well, l did not recognize
her."
You might have recognized her if you
had taken the trouble to. You are awful
careless about such things. You are con-
t~inually bowling to people you don't
know and passing by others that you've
SCAl ILlNlONuJNu W Ildli Il DOZtu llLlCS-
"Well, you know tho trouble is
THE trouble is that you are mentally
lazy. The trouble is that you don't take
tho trouble. You are continually offend
ing people and l wish you would be more
careful. am sure Mrs. Brinsmeade felt
hurt."
"oh, l shall make it all right with her
next time fsee her."
"How?'
"weI, I'll say I did not recognize her
that day."
''Shem like that"
Then I'll tell her that 1 see so many
people that-no, that won't do either,
will itT"
81 don't think it will"
81 see nothing for it, then, but to be
extra genial the next time l meet her. l
don't quito see how she can resist that"
For the next day or two l bowed indis-
criminately to everybody, much to the
surprise of o of them, but, all the
same, | noticed that many of them
bowed back at me and said: "Hello, old
man" When coming to think of it /
knew that l didn't know them and they
didn't know me, so l imagine that there
arc lots more people in my fix.
A few days after l happened to pass
the Brinsmeade residence and / saw Mrs.
b. seated in n wicker rocking chair on
the veranda reading a magazine. 1
thought | would stop long enough to re-
move any impression she might have
that | was IN unmannerly sort of indi-
vidual, SO | said c~heerfully:
Lovely day we're having after the
long spell of wet weather"
She looked at me for n moment with
calm disapprovnl in her eyes, and l saw
at once that she was very much offended
with me. | thought [ could retrieve
lost ground, 50 l plunged on, feeling very
uncomfortable.
81 suppose you are reading Mr.. How
ellis story. You always We're very fond
Of Howells."
There was moro of surprise than dis
approval in her glance this time, After
u moments hesitation she said;
"Yes, l am very fond of Mr.. Howells'
writings, but this is The Century Maga-
zine. l believe he writes only for Har-
per's."
"oh, that's so. I had forgotten about
that. By tho way, KEENAN, is writing
some bright articles on Russia just now"
"Yes?'
YES. He made quite a strike on
those articles"
A solemn pause.
Curious That fashion we have of tax
ing off our hats after-well, to o lady,
you know, after she has-after she's gone
by, isn't it."