Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-10-26
AN OPTIMIST.
The Story Of Happy and Con-
tented Woman.


tented Woman.
She was an optimist. That is, she
herself and those who loved her called
1t optimism; other people, except that
there were no other people, for she
never permitted anyone not to love
her, might perhaps have called 1t tickle
ness. But, as she herself explained,
she was not tickle. because she never
desired a change till the change came,
and then she simply found it interest
ing.
So, when the times were hard, those
who knew her were not at all surprised
that she was glad they were living in
the city, even in the midst of the ankle
ties around them; it was SO nice to be
rich and able to help bit, and it
would be SO selfish to run away from
the sight and hearing of the general
suffering, to escape into merely happy
sights and sounds to save ones own
nerves. And the same people were
equally not surprised, when, a little
later, it turned out that they were not
to be rich any more, and she answered
calmly that really one would be
quite ashamed not to be poor with
the rest; and as the first economy
that suggested itself was the great
saving in country rent, it would
be SO delightful to escape all the
misery and anxiety of the city and be
where only happy sounds assaulted the
ear, and only lovely sights could tempt
serene thoughts. For they were going
to take the dearest, sweetest, most fas-
cinating little house-the chief recon-
mendation of which was it's diamond
paned windows = in a private park
owned by friend of theirs, in love-
ly village fifteen miles out of town.
Within these charmed gates they
would hear and see nothing but happy
children chasing squirrels or playing
tennis, and the carriages of friends
rolling luxuriously, sometimes with
themselves as guests in them, along
perfectly smoothed roads and under
exquisitely 'arching trees The optim-
list loved extremes she could be happy
either as Emerson's mountain or as
Emerson's squirrel; either as an ele-
chant or as mouse; it was being a
mere hill, or cat that she disliked.
III I'm not as big as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half SO spry."
Of houses, she preferred either q
palace or very, very small cottages
either the elegant or the picturesque.
The great .middle-class, bourgeois,
comfortable, square house she alb
horred. Their country house, it was
understood, was to be cottage, vine.
embowered-not colonial mansion.
She would like big colonial door, cut
In two in the middle, but everything
else must be on the tiniest scale pos
Bible to please the present state OF
mind of her majesty 1t was so nice
she explained, that one of the draperies
to her immense city windows would
curtain eight of her new diamond
PANIED ones; and she took no notice al
all of the friend who asked meekly i
that would not be inconvenient wher
ly, it was quite understood that they
never meant to move back. When
she thought of the September sun
shine, shining through the leaves o.
a big chestnut into the win
dows on the little landing of the
tiny stairs in her country cottage
the hall of which she had been Sc
proud In town seemed to her positively
murlSy. Then in the city they merel,
lived on a park; out of town they wer,
to be in one; and everybody know
how desirable 1t is to always be iii
it." They would now have real trees
not city trees. And, besides, the boy
were going to. be permanently AIT
preemine ntly happy with dog, whicl
was so much better for them than tn,
questionable amusements which occa
sionally distracted them in the city.
was suggested that dog might sc
riously interfere with the low table
covered with bric-a brac, which wer
her personal passion; to which she re
piled that she had been brought up il
very fine school where girls wer
trained to meet every emergency
even so great one as this would be
She knew quite well what she must d
II Fido ever upset her pet Sevres an
Meissen; she was to say, calmly: 'oh
Diamond, Diamond, thou little know
est the mischief thou hast done!" an
then pick up the pieces and replac
with royal Worcester. The boys want
ed dog, and, moreover, a good waite
dog was almost essential in the cour
try. Besides, she preferred roya
Worcester to Sevres,
al an perfectly sure you are goin
TO like it, Mrs, Murray" said symps
thizing friend. II should be quit
happy in the country myself, excer
that don't like sitting up with til
house nights
sitting up with the house nightsG
Yes Didn't / tell you my e,
perience in the tropics once, sitting u
all night with a garden? 1t SCENE
such an ideal spot for sleep, but I'll
very intensity of the silence, the e.
IRENE quietness of the flowers con
bined with their penetrating fral
rance. and the absolute awfulness {
so much very white moonlight, keI
my nerves ajar far more than the tinkl
of horse cars and rumbling OF mil
wagons over city pavement
II remember; but we are not goin