The Columbus journal., 1893-06-14

presence that It viii be Q rest to the
audience Just to look at you after the
numerous people all ranging from
thin to scrawny who will take part
first" Mrs Grant, felt sure she only
said it out Of kindness, but her
heart softened and she consented TO
sing. and even ordered new dress
for the occasion. She had not worn
an evening dress for so long that her
bare arms and neck felt strange. but
still It gave her the feeling Of salts
faction which nothing but q hand
some outfit can produce in the heart
of q woman. and when her number
was announced she found to her joy
that music still gave her the power
to forget She had meant to 60
home early, but somehow she enjoyed
herself 80 much that It was IL o'clock
before her husband. whom to her great
surprise she had seen seated in front
of her when she sang, stood in the
hall waiting for her. II didn't know
you were coming tonight" she had
said with her old-time pretty man
ner. rs they went upstairs together.
IL thought you said you were going
to the play" $50 / was" he an
swered, "but you looked SO lovely
when you passed me on the way to
the carriage, that thought I would
rather see you after all. {" It was
easy to be courtly and gallant to q
wife who looked 50 charming as she
did just then. with that lovely girl
ish blush on her cheeks, and the de-
lighted. hslf-timid smile which his
compliment had brought forth play
ing around her mouth and making
the pretty dimples which had lain
concealed SO long. The happy smile
still fingered while she donned her
wraps, and draped the dainty white
lace scarf around her head and
throat Gt was many day since she
had arranged it SO carefully and
many of the other ladies' cast admir-
ing glances toward her. for, contrary
to the general idea, women do ad-
mire each other frequently. Present.
ly one of them ventured to tell her
how handsome she was looking. and
again she blushed like the maiden
she was at heart, and her eyes
filled with happy tears as she mur-
INJURED something about Icing $50
stout" "You stout!'' exclaimed the
other with a merry laugh. "why,
I'd give anything to he as plump as
you are." And as the common
fatty" as she had often bitterly
called herself. went down the stairs.
she thought of another woman who
had that evening told her she was
"only stout enough to be dignified,
and wondered If she. was really as bad
looking as she had supposed.
will you come again next week."
asked the little missionary as she
bade her friend good night, and even
she was surprised at the ready
answer of "Yes, indeed dear, as often
as you like"
That night the now happy woman
stood so long in front of her tall mir
ror that her husband laughingly in
quired ii she contemplated admiring
herself all night, and when he woke
the next morning she was there
again. With . mingled sigh and
smile he turned away. but presently
she called him, with q tone he had
not heard for SO long that it startled
him, and, razor in hand, he went to
her dressing-room door 'JOhn."
she said. timidly, coming up to him,
with shoe in one hand and but
ton-hook in the other, 1--we been
very cross this last year or two,
haven't II" "Well, you haven't been
like yourself, DEAR" he answered,
..why was it?'' well, do you know"
she murmured, blushing and hes
itating, Il thought was getting so
fat and ugly that-that-you wouldn't
love me-" she finished, with her
head on his shoulder. .'Pansy," he
said softly, using the love-name he
had given her during their courting
days, don't you know you never
were so pretty as you are now. Why,
only the other day Brown (the artist.
you know, was telling me he wished
he could have you for model And,
do you know, when saw you look
ing at yourself so long. was afraid
you'd got tired of having only one
man to admire you. and had con-
cluded to 60 on the stage" why,
you're a bigger goose than me-" she
laughed, giving him kiss and a lit
tie push, ..go finish your shaving"
Ten minutes later sne was ransack-
ing an old trunk in search of a morn
ing gown he had always liked, and in
half an hour she was running down
stairs, singing as she went "HOw
pretty you are, mamma" said all the
children at once, and her cup of hap
piness ran over. And to this day
she declares that the kindest act the
little missionary ever did was the
one which nobody but herself ever
knew anything about Maude
COlsOn, in the Inter Ocean.
A Question Of Etiquette.
The wife of a cabinet minister in
speaking recently of the laughable
experiences that have fallen to her
share said that in talking matters
over with an ex-cabinet minister's
wife she was told the following story:
When after the birth of q daughter
the cabinet receptions at this lady's
house were resumed, the hostess was
accosted by q determined looking
woman who fiercely inquired why in
stead of an acknowledgment in per-
for her visit The cabinet officers
wife started to explain that she had
not been making calls for some time.
=. l.A - L l.