Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-01-22

am not vain OF my personal ap
pearance, at any rate.''
How could you be?'' sfsss
She looked at me sharply, but my
face was without expression, and sh,
sighed She remembered that 1 had NJ
humor.
| Whatever my faults are, and they
are many, vanity is not ono Of them. I"
"When said you had bad temper
you made the same remark about it,
| Also when 49,
"That was last week, stupid! But, o1
course, if you think me ugly
81 did not say that. -
'sYes, you did. "
"But if you think nothing Of your
personal appearance, why blame me if
agree with you?'
She rose haughtily.
"Sit down. l."
eyes were flashing. She has all sorts Of
eyes.
eff you really want to know what ]
think of your personal appearance
81 DON'T
I resumed my pipe.
"Well?' she said.
"Well?''
"Oh, I thought you were going to say
something
"Only that your back pleased me in
certain other respects. - She let the
chair take her back into its embrace.
''Mary, dear !''
1t is fact that she was crying. After
had made remark or two:
'sI am SO glad you think me pretty" :"
she said frankly, "for though I don It
think SO myself, I like other people to
think it, and somehow I thought you
considered me plain. My nose is all
wrong, isn't itf"
"Let me see. :"
$50 you admit you were entirely mis-
taken in calling me vain?"
"You have proved that was.''
However, after she had drawn the
daggers out Of her head and put them
into the scarf (or whatever part of a la
dy's dress it is that is worked with dag
gers), and when the door had closed on
her, she opened It and hurriedly fred
these shots at me:
"Yes, am hol.i idly vain-I do my
hair every night before 90 to bed-I
was sure you admired me tie very first
time we met-I know have pretty
nOse-good afternoon.
HER sELFIsHNEss
She was making spills for me, be-
cause those Thomson made for me had
run down.
"Mary"
"Well?"
MARY, dear"
ST am listening"
"That is ALL - -
"You have such curious, wasteful
habit Of saying ones name as if it was
remark by itself"
"Yes, Thomson has noticed that also.
However, I think meant to add that it
is very good of you to make those spills.
wonder if you would do something
else for me?''
GAS friend?'
"Yes. want you to fill my pipe
and ram down the tobacco with your
little finger"
"You and Mr.. Thomson do that for
each other?"
"Often. -
Every well. Give it to me. This
way?"
''It smokes beautifully. You are
dear good girE''
She let the poker fall.
"Oh, I'm not,' she walled. 81 am
not really kind hearted. 1t is all selfish
nessv'
This came out with rush, but I am
used to her, and kept my pipe in.
"Even my charities are only hideous
kind of selfishness, she continued, with
clasped hands. "There is that poor man
who sells matchboxes at the corner of
this street, for instance. I sometimes
give him twopence. - (She carries an
enormous purse, but there is never more
than twopence in it,
''That is surely not selfish, :" said.
"It is,' said she, seizing the poker as
if intending to do for herself that in
slant. II never give him anything SIM
ply because see he needs it, but only
occasionally when I feel happier than
usual am only thinking of my own
happiness when I give it him. That is
the personifcation of selishness. T"
aMaryl''
ssWell, if that isn't, this is. I only
give him something when am passing
him, at any rate. I never dream OF
crossing the street, on purpose to 90 1t.
Oh, should need to be terrifcally hap
py before 1 would bother crossing to
give him anything. There! What 90
you think Of me now?"
"You gave him something on Mon
day when I was with you:"
-"Yes."
"Then you were happy at that timer?
sWhat has that got to do with it5"
"a great deal. T"
I rose.
"Mary, dear
"Nol Go and sit over there.
STAG aERERs.
The subjects we have discussed over
the poker For instance:
The rapidity with which we grow old.
What on earth Mr.. Meredith means
by saying that women will be the last
thing civilized by man.
Thomson.
What will it all matter a hundred
years hence?
How strangely unlike other people we
two arel
The incest name for woman. Mary
The mystery of being and not being.
Why does Mary exist?
Does Mary exist?
She had come in, looking very dole-
full, and the reasc was that, the more
she thought it ovor, the less could she
see why she existed. This came OF read
ing a work entitled "Why Do We Ex-
ist?''-a kind of book that ought not to
be published. for it only MAX es people
unhappy. Mary stared at the problem
with wide, fixed eyes until compelled
her 10 wink by1pHttipg .apothsH u -1Qas