Gloucester County Democrat., 1891-09-03

ly He was fluent and fiowery of speech
and he had seen almost everything under
the sun in every corner Of the world
bnt for that very reason be was fatiguing
One could speak Of nothing without
eliciting such a food Of information
that one was nearly drowned in it, and
seized upon any straw to reach land
again, only to be submerged afresh be-
fore one had done gasping after the first
deluge. And this was what l said to
my friend and hostess when she unwise-
" insisted upon an opinion. OF course
she didn't like it; we never do like to
have our friends refuse to look out Of
our eyes, although we are constantly de-
clining to look out Of theirs.
We'll, what kind of man do you
cal an agreeable man if lie Is not." de-
manded she, rather pettishly
what kind Of mani" repeated |, mus
ing over the question "Why, man
who pleases me is to me au agreeable
man.
That is to say, retorted she, laugh
ing, IF you like that kind of man that
is just the kind Of man that would
please you?"
The entrance Of visitor broke off the
conversations but, as is my habit when
social question has been raised i'll So
ciety, ! unconsciously carry ii home, and
sometimes ponder it in the weary hours
Of sleepless nights.
What is an agreeable man. and where
have most frequently found him? de-
manded of myself that afternoon as /
drove around the park and exchanged
salutations with hundred or SO of my
acquaintance. Is it this horseman? Is
it this pedestrian? Is it either Of these
two with the tandem team, or Is it that
dear old man in the barouche3 But still
the voice within said Nor The horse
man is silly and fatuous; the pedestrian
is buried in abstruse studies, and is at
this moment walking off surfeit Of
Semitic roots before undertaking a light
collation. of Dead sea fruits The two
boys with the tandem team will
bring it with them to whatever re-
ception they attend tonight, and
tell everybody just what time Xerxes
and ArtaxerxeA made last week on the
trotting course, and how they are capa-
ble Of beating Cyrus end Darius .4into
fits at any moment
As for the Old gentleman, he Is very
dear and very sweet, and make a point
Of talking to him for three minutes
whenever we meet, but after three min
utes he has told me all about his health,
and where his wife is, and how warm
and crowded the room is, and that is the
end of our subjects Of mutual interest,
for he is too deaf to hear any remarks I
might offer, and too self engrossed to
care to listen il he could hear.
~ collating the egotistical traveller,
and the vain exquisite, and the book
worm, and the horsev pair, and the self
absorbed old gentleman, one sees that
they have one faultin common, and that
IS selishness, and it becomes evident
that the agreeable man must not be sell
fish, or at least that he must, by educa-
tion and good breeding, have learned so
to disguise that Original sin" common
to every child Of Adam, that it shall not
offend other people. As for eliminating
it, do not suppose that is ever done,
and perhaps it would not be well if it
conld be, for if self preservation is the
first law Of nature certain amount Of
sellishness is as. necessary to the protec-
ton Of every man as claws are to cat;
the thing is to keep those same claws
sheathed in velvet paw.