The Indianapolis journal., 1899-07-23
CAUGHT In PASSING.


time ! saw him. one warm June evening,
when he sat on the porch OF the boarding
house and smoked a long pipe. You don't
object to the smoker" he asked recognizing
the presence OF a stranger by unusual po-
liteness NO" my friend answered severe
ly, but think it is a very bad habit" so
do 1, so do T." he said solemnly. putting the
pipe back in his mouth. Then he entertained
US with stories OF his exploits. delivered in
slow, oracular fashion. THE teaciler"-puff,
puff said"-puff, puff-"get out or"-puff.
puff-'Tll put you out-puff-and told him
to-puff. puff-come on etc. Since then /
have seen his father, a man with little keen
eyes and polished smile. who has given up
his practice as a physician to pc ddle patent
medicine he ''can make more money that
way" He and his wife parted years ago,
and father and son have tossed about from
city TO city and boarding house to boarding
house. The ugliness and deformity OF life.
which We learn of gradually, as strange
and far away, has been for this boy the
commonplace of his childish days. l have
changed my mind about him. / think he is
rather good. For he might be very much
worse. and how could he be any better?
-N:-
/ don't know your affairs my friend your
own particular. individual joys and hopes
and fears; but know you better than you
know yourself, because / see you as you
speak and move and are. because in some
fashion 1 label you and put you in your
own place as a member of the genus man.
Better than you know yourself? OF course.
for who does know himself? That mysteri-
Gus "I'' is the unknown quantity in the
| equation which makes strange things equal
to each other. We may look with clear
vision on the rest of the world, and human
| nature in general, but the perspective is all
wrong somehow when 1t comes to seeing
| ones self 1t isn't worth while, you say.
| No, of course not. But. then, do you re-
member BIuebeard's wife? Many fair cham
| bers and halls there were to range in, but
| the poor, mistaken young woman had a
hankering after the one that was not to be
| seen.
! --:N:-
The door was pushed open, slowly just
a little. but /. sitting there with a book,
never looked up from my reading. But pres
emily heard a meow at my side. and there
was Bluebell, the cat. She rubbed against
my dress and meowed again and again:
then. with the same troubled cry, settled
down on the floor. and saw what 1 had
A
cat fashion, one of her little blind kittens
1 looked down a her, and she looked up at
me, her providence, who scattered mamma
! for her. who made her wilderness to blos-
som. TO whom she brought this strangest
| of all strange things. My pity and the cats
dumb questioning wonder were alike help
less, for the kitten was dead.
| We were StudyinQ Rrowninp Nell w is
rather impetuous and always plunges ahead.
was spokesman for the party. She read:
Il wish that when you died last May,
| Charles there had died along with you"
We all gasped.
How dreadful. I didn't think Browning
was so bloodthirsty." said Nell. thought
fully.
Let me look at that book" This from her
sister. sternly. And she read: II wish thai
when you died last May, Charles, there had
died along with you three parts of spring:
delightful things" Evidently comma i.
not always to be despised.
| -:N:-
My nephew sat in the window seat his
mournful face bowed on his languid hands
which rested on his detected knees. / wa:
comforting him. He was in love and needed
comfort badly The lady of his choice had
just refused him. My nephew had faller
in half hour to deeper abysses than Luci
fer reached in summers day. Since I had
heard the news 1 could scarcely restrain
my admiration for the damsel. / had mo-
expected so much common sense. She wa:
milk-and-watery girl, pink-cheeked ant
slender, with an incipient but striking re
semblance to her mother. Her mother had z
slender waist, but was otherwise far from
slender. Her cheeks were considerably
pinker than her daughters, but rather deep
er in shade. Her gush was the gushiest, he
gossip the spiciest, her laugh the loudest
her bonnets the most gorgeous. According
ly, was more resigned than my nephew
Yet was not without pity for his very for
lorn condition. and wished to impart com
fort and at the same time wisdom.
Willie 1 said in my pleasantest fash
ion, shall tell you a story?" He locke,
at me at an executioner. No one bu
his faverite maiden aunt could have spokel
unchecked at such a juncture.
"Once a time"-I was trying to b
funny; Will looked at once tortured an,
bored-"when 1 was a littl girl on a visi
to the country, 1 had a delightful pet.
found 1t one day lost by the creek. 1t wa
the softest downiest mite of a creature tha
ever was seen-all gold and fluffy feathers
1t came up TO me and pecked my hand an
won my heart. My aunt seemed to thin
1t a joke but 1 kept 1t and petted it an
overfed it. Then 1 was gone for som
months. Back again, i hunted up my pc
at once 'Squawk, squawk'-there was moth
ing left but an ugly old goose"
l looked at my nephew. He was star
out of the window with might and main.
|, despair I walked to his side and look.
over his shoulder. The graceful Miss Beat
!! rice. his ladylove, was passing. BY her sid
waddled her gay mamma. $50 the goslin
grew into a goose" / said with meaning
But my nephew gazed longingly after tn
; fair Beatrice. ALICE WINSTON.
A SOUTHERN NOVELIST.