Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-08-08
A BURNED LETTER.

Ilere IL lies. a SIud1 Hcdp Va uSAASo
and few futtering, blackened leaves.
And this is all that remains of a once
crested sheet of gray letter paper, ex-
haling perfume of white violets.
wonder to what extent 1t really
represented the sentiments and
thoughts of the charming society girl
from whom it came. A fascinating
young woman whose eyes are as blue
as are the violets whose breath seems
always to cling to everything she
wears
What a pity women are not as hon
est as are flowers. A man could then
reach TO some satisfactory conclu-
sion about them and with them. a
flower may be beautiful but odorless,
like the camelia, in which it makes no
pretense at Asing more than your eye.
Or, il Is less perfect in shape and color,
but with so sweet a breath that one
never grows tired of having it around.
There is no sham in flower-but with
women I'm inclined to believe it's all
sham. Humbuggery and sham! The
prettiness and outside charm are ap-
parent enough. But when it comes to
the genuineness of the perfume ofsweet
thoughts and tender graces, and to the
splendid charity of sentiment, which,
if women only knew it, enwraps. them
around with an attractiveness far more
potent than the most subtle and PEN
etrating perfumes, man is all at sea-
He can't for the life of him tell the
honest, can't say whether they are
divinely constituted, or if it Is merely
the imitation article. He is charmed
one day by unexpected revelations OF
deep feeling and ar appreciation Of
the lofty and t { beautiful IN
life, or at least by what looks like
it, and he is repelled the next by
a clear and distinct exhibition OF
careless heartlessness which would
forever and a cay disgust him in
man, but which only serves to upset
him mentally by creating thousand
and one doubts as to which Of the two
phases of character is the preponder-
ating one in the complex feminine ma
ture he happens to have under consid-
Grafton. If she is fair of form and
face-as Alice undoubtedly is-he gen.
orally gives her the benefit of the
doubt and resolutely closes the eyes
and ears of his better judgment against
those ugly, villainously small traits
which are as great a Disagreement to
her mental and moral graees as would
be deep crack across some exquisite
Sevres porcelain vase, fatal blemish,
by which all the beauty and value are
ruined and destroyed.
That's where the constant and ever
lasting mistake of a mans life is com
mitted. He can never judge of wonr-
an by the same standard, the same
clear-sighted mental gauge, which he
applies SO easily to his fellow man. For
every one knows that to properly con-
duct any kind of business correct in
sight into character is essential. That
we manage to acquire easily enough in
school, college and practical every
day life, and for the reason that we
deal with each other. But l defy
man to be certain sure of anything on
earth or in Heaven when his calcula-
tions must rest on some feminine basis,
where instability is inevitable.
But perhaps other men are cleverer
than am. Cameron seems to get on
swimmingly with all his lady friends,
and to understand them, too, which Is
altogether another matter; even Alice
Dacres-that's more than l can do,
hence this small pile of burned letter
paper.
And now that I've destroyed the lit
tie girls pleasant words and sweet
scented missive, I'm fool enough to re-
gret it, and to half-believe she was gen.
uine in her wish that call some even
ing. Of course, when she says must
bring her "Trilby," it is only femi-
nine way of helping me to an excuse
for visit. Then again, when man
wants to have a friend around for
smoke and chat, he says: drop in, old
fellow, this evening at eight, Glad to
see YOU" and there's an end to. He
wants you, and you go or you don't, as
suits your convenience and fancy.
Little Alice being essentially and
charmingly feminine, writes sweet
tigamarole, very suggestive or mean
ing absolutely nothing. And yet, she
must know how gladly would call on
her this evening and tomorrow even
ing and every evening of every year if
| could. But she tells me to bring her
"Trilby," and winds up with a stiff
Yours sincerely" and the information
that she is 80 glad she leaves shortly
for Europe"
Does she or does she not want me
to call? Ii she does care to see a poor
devil whom she knows down in the
bottom of her heart is infatuated with
her, who is ass enough to dream of her
sweet blue eyes, and to stuff violets in
his coat pocket because they remind
him of her, why does she write she is
$50 glad she will leave shortly for
Europe?" If she does not care rap
(Which is clearly the case) whether
fellow eats his heart out in vain long
ings to be with her and to hear her
careless, sweet laughter, and to watch
all her dainty prettiness and probable
frivolities, then why does she cruelty
throw the temptation in his way to
call, just to force him to undergo the
heartbreak of telling her good-by and
bon voyage?
Cameron goes abroad this summer.
suppose he will take the steamship
she goes on, and they will firt out
rageously on the way across. They
are sure to meet in Paris and among
the Alps, and Isuppose will come home
in the fall, engaged to each other
Another foregone conclusion of a
failure in marriage. They will neither
of them tolerate the others failings
and frivolities after few years of en-
forced companion ship. There's vast
difference, little Alice, can tell you,
in summer Irritation on the deck of
an ocean steamship crossing to Havre
and lifelong companionship with a
nice, shallow fellow, accustomed to
have his way in everything, and to
consult his own convenience first and
| foremost. AS for that intense devo-
| tion which makes all sacrifice of
| oneself Sublime pleasure, you need
not expect any manifestations of the
kind from Charlie Cameron. He's a
/ nice fellow, but that sort of heroics i;
simply not in him.
But, after all, Miss Alice, what are
| you besides a sweet writer OF sweet
unmeaning notes, dear and charm
ing young woman, admirably gowned
who looks forward with delight tC
her trip to Europe, nor has a single
word of regret at parting with those
she ruthlessly leaves behind, although
she full well knows the bitter pain she
inficts.
So I've burned her dainty scented
letter, and I'll take trip up to the
| Tennessee mountains this summer