Smyrna times., 1892-02-17
APPLES OF DISCORD.
BY MRS. NJ. L. RAYEE.


selves into trouble by talking when
they should keep still, or of saying a
little too much or not quite enough.
They are like the Frenchman who did
! not understand our idoms, and who
said something malaprOpos at social
gathering. Seeing that he had broken
a conventional rule, he attempted an
apology. His American friend laugh
ingly said
when we let the cat out Of the bag,
we never try to crowd it in again"
The FTenchman at once became
angry.
81 zee no cat and no bag what you
mean, ha ?" he asked.
Here is another case A lady who
has only one child, a beautiful little
girl, remarked to a lady, an acquain-
tance, that she was going to the pho
tographer's to have the child's picture
taken as birthday present for the
father. A few days later, this ac-
quaintance met the couple in a dry
goods store
"Oh," she said thoughtlessly, did
you get good picture Of Mabel p
Plumb went the apple of discord in
their midst.
II did not want her papa to know :;
it is certainly too bad" said the
mother.
The father only whisted and looked
unconscious. A man is seldom surpris-
ed.
But tie young wife could not hide
her annoyance and regret.
Il had been months planning to give
him that picture-and now-it is TOO
bad F"
To the apologies of her friend, she
only replied
"YOu have done your worst. You
might have known l didn't want it
spoken o."
The relations between them have
never been harmonious since. The
fruit did its mission Of mischief only too
we'll
The apple of d4cord is social
bomb. 1t is usually thrown by
woman, as befitting, and is not one of
the regular weapons of war. Women
are notorious for their lack Of skill in
throwing missiles, but this effort never
fails. 1t is the unexpected which
always happens.
There Is an afternoon tea, and when
there is lull in the conversation,
some too vigorous thinker, suggest the
possibility OF some interesting criminal
who Is undergoing trial, being hang
ed. Instantly there is an awful silence
the apple of discord has fallen. All
remember that a remote ancestor Of
the hostess was banged some hundred
years ago, for political crime. The
smartest jingle of the tea things will
not cover up the awful mischief that
has been done. The guests have not
reached what Thackery calls "cab
wit, and will have no soothing re-
sponse ready until tomorrow, when it
will be too late
An antidote to the poison would have
been very simple. To have quoted
the speech of a past distinguished man
DR.. johnson, was it not?-whO, when
he asked his wife in marriage, was
told by that lady that one of her an
cestOrs had been hanged.
To which the Doctor gallantly and
sensibly replied that although noRe of
his ancestors had been hanged, he was
sure that plenty of them had deserved
hanging
IL saw your husband at the theatre
Tuesday night" a giddy girl remarks
to young wife on whom she is call
ing.
"Oh, no, that is impossible. re-
member perfectly he was at the office
all the evening, because | wanted to
20 to the theatre that night myself"
answered the young wife in startlingly
distinct tones.
Now it is no part of the modern Eros
who throws the apple, to help undo
the mischief it has caused, and she too
Rsseverates:
my dear, he bowed to me could
not be mistaken"
Do you suppose she is ever forgiven
for telling the truth? Not a bit of it.
The husband too, may tell the truth
on his side, that he ran to see the last
act after his business was finished at
the office, and forgot to mention it to
his wife. No harm wonld ever have
come of it but for the apple of discord
thrown, perhaps, with malevolent
intent
Come to think of it, the apple is
responsible for a great deal of mischief
in the world. Before the golden apple
was thrown to the most beautiful lady.
and by creating envy won its name of
the apple of discord, it was a source of
trouble. The most beautiful woman in
the wOrld-as she was the only one
got up scene in the Garden of Eden
by indulging her appetite for the tree
of knowledge. Generous, as most
women are where men are concerned,
she gave Adam bite and the mean
fellow told of it and laid the blame on
the woman that Thou gavest," and
she has been blamed ever since.
Whenever we go into the presence
of our fellow men and women, let us
search our pockets beforehand, find
that miserable apple and throw it
away. Or we can eat it ourselves if
we like that kind of fruit. But it
would be a good idea to follow the
example of the small hoy who was
asked by a chum for a bite Of the apple
he was eating. He shook his head.
Then gimme the core"
But there amt goin' to be any
core to this apple, answered the small