The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-12
HER NAME WAS JUNE.
BY HARKLEY HARKER.


neither blue nor brown, bat that nameiess
gray which is not generally supposed to be
ideal; her forehead is too low, her facial
contour is rather broken than regular, and
her complaX0n-yes to be sure. that is as
clear as daylight at morning, and SO very
healthy"
Charles paused in his artistic, inQulslto-
rial summary, knocking the ashes from his
cigar and Quizzjcally gazing down the gar
den walk. as if he saw the real presence
which he was thus describing from memory;
but the walk was vacant, the two friends
were quite alone.
"Od friend" impatiently broke in the
first speaker, you are as blind as BaTl-
meus. You are stupid. pardon me, as MY
sisters and others In this summer-h0use-
and I thank heaven for II, Tor by that tie
girl ia left 10 me 10 discover the pearl and
try 10 possess IL. don't mind telling You
that I am going 10 ask her TO marry me.
And as q home Of my own would seem emp
" unless you came across us threshold let
me tell you what | Ike about the woman
whom [ hope viii be your future hostess
and my good wife"
Tie speaker broke cut into smiles Of sat
isfartiOn SIS he continued:
THAT g.Gl should have been named June.
Most girls should Ice named April There
< al $. =
laucuisuing September sort OF gIrls-senIal
enough at noon. bat frosty enough also
nights and mornings i have met any
quantity Of March girls. all gusts aud airs.
The br liant. cold JauuaTya are not uncom-
mon either in this intellectual circle OF
ours. Bat the maid in question IS q perpet-
nal june day. She IS OF an even temper.
You always fad her the same, and II IS
good same. toe She is thoroughly healthy,
ana keeps the babIts OF health with ScrUpU-
lOus care. I observe that she can always
eat a breakfast What could sour the
breakfast meats OF Woodworking husband
more than 20 see his wife iHnEuIdly turn
awav from the first meal of a day. p-oyid-
Ing? Size can eat beefstelk as We'll as ice
cream or bCn-bOns. She Ks; she rides
beautifully. She somehow manages to keep
good hours, even in the midst OF a gay
season.
'But itisn't all OF health, this even tenn
per If hers. She is naturally hopeful, and
uniformly looks on the bright side She al
ways excuses people's faults, II they uTe
capable Of any shadow OF excuse, loving TO
feed on virtues rather than on the carriOu
Of scandals. She respects herself with so
pure q self-COnScloUsneSS that she never
seems to imagine sights or nesiects; hence
she never suiks, never has dark days, the
blues, and all Tat sort OF useless personal
cnartels. She Is girl Of occupation, with
always some charming feminine eTrauqs that
occupy her using no the energy Wulch ia
idleTs bubbles over in ecstasles, mysteries
and fret She never has TO take back any
thing and SO be clludei IN peuance. Size IS
simply lovely as a daT in June, when the
sun shines long and there are no showers,
no clouds, no fTOStS Perhaps size would
not gusl alb ut fellows neck with T3ptlT-
Gus Tr0.es tatjons Of how much size loved
him. fiutteTDg down 20 the front gate alter
the manner Of tie novels; but i reckon,
Charley, that she would be ever Just within
the door to meet her good man, with her
honest and enduring smile There's our
friend B now. poor fellow! One day his
wife gTeets him Ike a butterfly, aud for the
res; of the week hes pretty sure TO find her
nursing some ITesl-uOTn ache, sllppeIeQ auu
Wrappeled with the dOldTumS. Bab!'
This historian IS able to record that the
speaker aforesaid did marry june; June
and February, as II seemed 20 Us. Why
should Mt a man be what be asks q woman
90 be? How tickle are the moods Of some
men! You meet them to-day, and vote
them charming fellows for their good mood
is on: YOU meet tie same fellows tO-WOT-
row. and you vote taem Doors. You make
your pretty little speeches all IN vain; in
VAN crack your best jokes indeed, better
article Of joke than the same auditors con-
Vu.Sed themselves over yesterday; but the
thermometer marks low, very low. 1t was
cool enough out of doors, but you prefer Go
60 out again rather than freeze Ia such
presence.
Next day the flag is up again, and sum-
mer has returned. The party who was
pleased 10 kick you last nlglL, this morn
ing comes across the street to kiss you.
You offer your cheek 10 the softer salu-
tatOn, stirring your honest old affeC-
lions to keep pace with this acrobat very
much as an elephant might try to dance
after a weasel; aud you, on the whole, con-
clude TO accuse yourself as being al fault
1~1r q
stomach Of a weasel is far more sensitive
thing than that Of an elephant, and prob
ably he had eaten something that distressed
him. How inc nsiderate In you not TO have
thought Of that. IL nj ght have b cen a but
ton of, or a broken shOe-stTing, or some
other disturbing cause, which your own
blunt and honest strength would have
counted light; but we must learn TO under
stand these delicate, poetic. artistic, har-
monte, ByTOnic, seTaphlc, angelic cOastitu-
tons that are too refined for the ordinary
laws of kindness and good breeding among
m9rtas. 1t Is an tnestimable boon when
one Of these creatures Is in a good vein.
Look! Look quickly! for the baby is
laughing" Yet even as you look TO catch
that heavenly smile you are fearful that it
was not the beaming Of q fond love- bat a
gTimace from an inward panR.
There are some Of US poor dOlts who are
obliged TO be uniformly kind to our parents
or lose them; courteous TO our customers,
geutlemanly TO our clients, Obligiug TO our
patroniZing public, or be left TO ourselves
ana beggaTy. Some Of US are forced to
know our friends invariably on tie street,
and to be willing and cheerful always about
the Office. or forfeit the position aud our
neighbours esteem. 1t must always be June
the year round in most business Offices
these days Of sharp competition. Really il
does US no harm. We are happier for it
ourselves; the store, shop and Office are de-
l-Tf. rlfo e.
habit Of even temper. We school ourselves
until a crOtchety nature gets decidedly
cleaT-graiued before we know it There is
q commercial gentlemanllness observable in
our times, especially in great cities, which is
very like moral self-mastery. 1t is a su-
perlOr article to the etiquette OF idlers
drawing-TOOms. 1t Tepresses disagreeabe
ebulEtiOns and makes one a delightful CON-
paniOn. The irOn-faced courtesy of a prae-
teal business man If the times is prefera-
bic to the April weather on the brow Of a
"milOTd."
But there are some people, whom you
and l know, who assume the right to be
pleasant when they please, and then only {;
10 cut his best friends on the street, to tread
on c0Tns, to say snapDish things, to nope,
20 take 0fense at tTihes, 10 Imagine Insults
never intended; and then TO bore US to
death, suddenly, for n reason but that it is
$3.50 o'clock by their time. Delightful peO-
ii
they are marbles
Making all allowance for broken health
and unstrung nerves, there ought 10 be
some Steadlness 90 a wOman's smiles and a
mans good cheer The globe is getting
crowded. we are too much IN each others
society, and our happiness too much de-
pends upon our neighbour to afford many
people the right to suddenly turn bandits
and stab US if they please. Our best
friends, after all, are steady friends. men
anu women capable Of June. There IS
much in the simple resolution Of a decent
purpose to be uniformly kind; much in that
true delIcacy Of heart which shrnks from
advertising all its own secret ills and aches
upon the face, to be seen of men; much in a
spirit Of honest good will toward others,
each Of whom, doubtless has his own trou-
bles to lear But there is most IN that
Christening the spirit which comes from
a study Of the religion and character of
Jesus Christ; in that peace which he gives,
which Is as a river. and not as this world
-. 4 l.