St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-07

HFT,ENS TEMPER

One of the choicest pleasures in life,
I take il. is 10 be shut up in a hanson
with the glass down. the outer world
in a mist OF rain, a cigar between my
teeth. and my thoughts on Helen s
temper.
To think of it! There was a time when
I liked Helen, yet had never seen her
face go on fire. had never heard the
stamp Of her little foot that seems to
me 10 rhyme with rain.
But those We're the days when our in
tercourse was slight and stiff, and I
could only say to her distantIy, = Won
der how YOU can be Sc nice to which
she would answer cOIdIy, DO you think
me especially nice?" to which my civil
reply would be. 20. HeIenn' and her
frigid response to that. II so glad
you like me"
Gradually the wall Of ice was broken
down. but still I had never seen Helen
in a rage.
BY this time we were. if not friends.
vet acquaintances who could be almost
cordial when we met and [ could tell
her. indifferently, that her eyes became
her. with a few commonplaces about
her gown; while she. still reserved,
would tap my shoulder and take me out
of the crowd where she could hold me
by the watch chain. and nowadays I
leave the tag OF my chain hanging
loose for Helen TO play with.
Nevertheless. there seemed no prob
ability of our somewhat distant rela-
lions becoming closer. until one day
when it suddenly struck me that I
seemed TO love Helen.
1t was thus: I was sitting on a couch
beside an elderly lady, and instead of
listening to her conversation l was
wondering, dreamiIy, why Helen had
always been so naughty to me and SO
freezing to her. and whether the fault
was hers or mine.
And thus cogitating about Helen.
forgot that it was an elderly lady.
whom 1 knew even less than 1 knew
Helen, and my arm
Thus love came 10 NE. and I length
ened the tag of my watch chain and
ceased to treat Helen with mere formal
politeness and was satisfied with her.
although I had never seen her clench
her teeth.
HeIen's temper was something she
had. kept from ne. lest I should love
her for it alone.
All OF Helen I love, but her temper I
love most; and this dispIeases her so
that she storms at me until I love her
more than ever, and she reads il in my
delighted face and hits me on the chest
which again TaVishes me, with the re-
suit that she sObs sufficiently to empty
her heart. and I ought TO promise never
to revel in making her angry any more.
But cannot. for I am an artist.
Had I never known Helen in a rage I
could have continued TO think her the
girl for me. There would still have
been to me the pensive Helen and the
Helen who smiled. and I should never
have thought it possible that With these
could be combined Helen with a tenn
per. tt is as il [ had grapes and cher
ries and bananas all growing on one
tree
But Helen in q rage. Then were it
unworthy of ones privileges TO remem-
Der Helen pensive or laughing Helen.
know well how TO do it now. I be-
gin mildly and craftily SO as not to
arouse her suspicious. and she answers,
Il am sure / don't care and then /
say little more, and she turns on me
with You are insuffera BILE and then
1 light another match and she cries,
I hate you. and there never was such
q l4tLLe Jury, dIIu al p1Stue ny sen
with delight.
Such coloring I never see elsewhere
such flashes of lightning. Was there
ever a maid ike Helen?
She says it is a shame, and think SC
too. Often I determine never to do il
again. and then when I see her a mad
ness comes over me, SO that I not only
/ do it but regret the lost opportunities
when I might have done il and did not
/ I am an artist.