Western Kansas world., 1890-12-27
MRS. PAULDING COGITATES.

conduct to me I would follow it.
1 had never much of fancy for Ger
arda Abbey. Her lips and cheeks al
ways seemed to be too bright-colored,
and her dark hair curled and few about
so. And then her eyes danced and
shone in totally undignifed manner.
"Tom," I used to say at least once a
week, Il wonder you don't admire Mar
gle Hoffheimer. She has such dignity,
such repose of manner"
$50 has an iceberg and an
oyster" Tom would retort.
well! the young men of the present
day have strange taste. She is just my
ideal of a woman. She never covers
her forehead with foolish bangs and
frizzes."
"Pity she doesn'tl" said Tom. at
has such a lumpy look"
Tom is my only child. I love him
dearlJ but he has always been a great
weight on my mind. For instance, in
spite Of all my entreaties he would go
to Fairview to settle, though every one
said there was fine opening at home,
in Paschal, when old DR.. Johns died.
What dear, good old man he was-but
somehow he never came to see me pro-
fessionally that he did not make me
sicker than ever.
1 told him so once, and he did not
take it in good part at all.
Strange how few people can bear to
hear the truth.
Well, as 1 was saying, Tom would ad-
mire Gerarda and wouldn' tsadmire Mar
gle. Now, am not mercenary, but 1
do think it is better for a young pro-
fessional man to marry a girl with a
nice little fortune of her own than one
with widowed mother and five younger
sisters and brothers and just enough to
get along on.
You'll never succeed. Tom," cried
in pet, IF you marry girl with a
pack of mothers and sisters clinging to
her skirts"
STRICTLY speaking" said Tom, in his
provoking way, Mrs. Abbey can't be
called pack of mothers"
"Oh, you know perfectly well what I
mean; but have your own way, as
usual"
OF course I had to call on the girl,
since she and Tom were engaged. . The
little house where they lived was always
as neat as pin, l must say, and Ger
arda was the mainstay of the family.
I was polite, but not at all cordial. I
am too truthful to assume anything I
don't feel. I told her I thought she
would look better with her hair brushed
back from her forehead. She colored.
but answered very pleasantly that "Tom
liked it best so"
This happened during one of Toms
visits home. He never staid long, and
I used to tell him it looked as il. .1did not
make him comfortable. Well, I did
not see much of Gerarda that fall,
though we used to pay each other
duty calls now and then; and when
winter set in heard of a queer freak
of hers.
She had opened dancing school.
Now there seems to be something
very bold and unfeminiue about teach
ing school One always thinks a
women ought to support herself by
teaching music or embroidery or paint
ing plaques. To be sure Gerarda did
not know how to play or paint, never
having much time for accomplishments,
I fancy.
/ couldn't understand it at all, for
the AbbeY's had always got along so
far, and it was particularly odd when
Morton, the eldest boy, had been
given a place in commission house In
Cincinnati by an uncle or cousin or
of the sort. I began to
think she must have done it out of
sheer ightheadedness and frivolity.
I wrote to Tom, hoping he might re-
monstrate with her. am always
moderate in the expression of my
opinion, SO 1 simply said:
"Gerarda is looking very badly. All
this dancing and rscketing around is
not good for her. But the young peo-
pie of the present day have no discre-
ton. ModestY seems to have gone out
of date along with veneration for their
elders"
That was all I said.
But it seemed to have no effect, for
Gerarda still went on teaching. She
began to look worse and worse. ALI
the color left her face; even her lips
were pale, and her mouth got
pinched look. Then she got hacking
cough, and used to hear her going
along the street from her
dancing school. She had not been to
see me for the longest time-treating
me with marked disrespect. But at last
I could not bear to hear her, 50 I just
ran out to the gate and gave har box
of lozengers.
She thanked me; then she gave me
wistful sort of look and hesitated. as if
she wanted to say something; but she
evidently changed her mind, for she
passed on.
One day I was walking along the
beach. Winter was beginning to break
up, and there were bright patches of
green to be seen here aud there. The
sky was blue and white, with flying
clouds, and the water around the piers
we're shining In the sun. Everything
looked SO peaceful and happy that ]
couldn't help wondering why people
can't be peaceful and happy too and
follow the golden rule.
1hAd had very trying morning.