The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-07-21

Days Are Stiff and Unenjoyable-The
Cousins Have an Enthusiastic Encounter
and Agree at the End.
The woman who is a firm believer in 80
ciety" and who solemnly declares that it is
the duty of those of her sex to meet friends
at certain intervals, to be mice" to them
and to try to surround them with halo
of enjoyment and happiness, whatever the
cost to their own convenience and feelings,
is struggling with various perpleXing prob
lens in these I'm de steele" days.
Another broadside was fired by her the
Dther day, and it was startling enough to
her cousin and to her sympathetic friend
Where" she asked abruptly, just when
Ter cousin Jack was telling about a new
brand of cigars which he had discovered,
ARE those lovely, unpretentious evening
parties that we used to have9'
what lovely evening parties2" asked her
cousin, cynically drawing over the lovely"
why, those charming evenings that we
used to have" she declared, as if some one
had stopped her carriage in Fifth avenue
and committed social highway robbery.
Guess it was before / was born" said
her cousin satirically.
L guess IL WISH G06 Social re-
former, putting her hands behind her back
and nodding him "You-don't -know-what-
-are-talking-about-sir" at wasn't SO
very long ago, Jack; you know it wasn't.
didn't have to beg you to go anywhere then.
didn't have to listen to your sarcastic re
marks about our gilt edged society then.
You used to like them well enough, sir
Well, where are those evening parties now,
1 say? Where are they~
you certainly have q fine memory
Bess," said the soothing cousin, IF you can
recall anything like that in society. Ever
since / can ember"-and he laid fine
stress on the 'P'-"yes, my dear, ever since
can remember it's been all plate and gold
and flowers and stiffness and formality and
stupidity and pose and vanity and rivalry
and jealousy and bore-all bore, an infer
nal BORE" he groaned. IT wish we were all
Indians playing with wampum or scalpina
the other set 1t would be 10000 times
more interesting"-
And not half so dangerous" suggested
the sympathetic friend.
And more civilized" grumbled Jack, "a
da-excuse me, Bess, but this is case that
calls for sulphurous language"
Jack" said his cousin, don't you re-
member thcm?' and she injected enough
pathos into the don't" to supply five act
melodrama.
mo, DON'T" he declared stubbornly.
at has been a bore ever since can remem-
Der, and Pm not so very young either" he
added testify.
Jack" said his cousin, standingup very
straight and looking him squarely in the
eye, -to-tell-me-me-
| your-own-cousin that has lived in the
same house with you since you were II
years old-do you mean to tell me-" she
said, her words coming out like flash now
that you don't remember when we used
to go out and spend really delightful
evening-when we used to play cards may
be, hear little music maybe, dance little
maybe, talk with everybody, really talk
laugh, sing maybe, and come away feeling
happy" She stopped and drew long
breath and then got back into her solemnly
slow speech, saying, "Do-you-mean-tc
-tell-me-thatw
"By George, Bess," said her cousin en-
Enthusiastically, your cheeks are flaming ur
beautifully, just as they used to put out
their red rose signals in those good days"
"Oh, then you do remember it?" she said
with a fine scorn.
Remember it. OF course l remember
it," he said, getting up and pushing away
q chair impatiently, "but don't get excited
Mrs. Society it isn't good form to get ex
cited or interested nowadays. What's the
use of talking about it2 What's the use Of
thinking about it? Don't you know what
has done it? You've done it. It's your so
ciety that has done it. You all had to dc
what somebody else did. Somebody got SC
much money that when he wanted you tc
come to his house he had to have field Of
the cloth of gold for you and everything tt
go with it. Then when you wanted to give
dinner, didn't you go and do the SAINT
thing?
"And then where were the unpretentiou'
evening parties that you talk aboutp They
went out Of sight like flash. And nov
nobody gives them. And that's why II
rather stay home now and~moke pipe Of
play cards with the children or drink
whisky and water" he said with deep voiced
depravity.
Jack, )" said his cousin, "you don't NEAR
all thatp
"Oh, yes, | do" he almost howled. ="
mean it all. Maybe don't remember wheI
people used to come here and have goot
Theoretically have a good time" he de
clared with clearly cut words. And afte
nearly all of 'em had gone a half dozen O.
so would stay to have rabbit with us anC
some beer And you made the rabbit
yourself with your own hands in your owl
chatting dish, How long since you hav
made rabbit? Bet you've forgotten how
to make one, and they were the best eve
ate" he said sorrowfully.
twill you be home tonight, Jack" saic
his cousin, smiling at him, handsome ant
still young looking, though there is gray il
her hair and her boy is in college.
"Oh, have an engagement at the club,
he answered hastily. "Er-if you reall.
want me-er-who's going to be here ant
what are you going to have?"
Nobody is going to be here" she said
except us and the rest of the family, ant
we'll have a rabbit"
"Put me down for three rabbits-three o
your kind, Bess," he said, with jaunty air
"How about the engagement, old MANI
asked the sympathetic friend.
''Never had one" answered Jack un
blushingly.-New York Tribune.