Hutchinson gazette., 1900-10-11
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! LESSON IN HUMAN NATURE, !

life, when he would Dc colsldefeu u
possible lover for the clever Edith
Losing, 10 whom he had lost his
heart on first acquaintance,
The dinner was one of those dainty
,aggregnlOus Of Elher and cut glDss
aud decorative china which give n
bizarre effect TO our meals nt the pres
tnt tIme,evpn when ones feelings must
be tied up with blue ribbon or kept
out OF sight, aud when II IL u social
crime 10 cnt anything with u spoon,
But Royal Mathews was accustomed
10 modern luNury and would have died
before he would have admitted That he
did not know the whole social shlbbo-
lcth. That Edith l.osslng would At
tempt 10 Judge Of u mans morals
by his manners never occurred TO him,
before the dinner was well begun
Mathews wns aware that In some way
he had Offended Miss Losing,
Edith Lossng's friends were much
afraid that she woEl end her days
In single hlessedness, or else go
through the woods and pick up the
fg,Irntlye crooked stick MS u last OPP
portunity. So many eligible men had
sought her hand and been refused
That II wns currently repowcd that she
had been disappointed IN love !
was determined TO live and die IN Old
maid. Her friends had oncseveral 0c'
cusons announced themselves sntis'
fled with the candidate, only 10 be
told Miss Edith had refused him,
The trouble was that Edith wOs hy'
percriiirnl. II was 40 with other
things besides the affections. SO
took all the sweetness out OF life Ivy
finding its sugar was adulicratcd w h
chalk. She left the sky out Of her
landscapes and mutDatcd her friends
by petty criticism, She had heard or
read somewhere that manners were
the shadows Of morals, and by this
half inch rule she measured men,
The day after The dinner she went
TO lunch with her best friend. who
boarded nt u stately hotel and was
person OF common sense, the scarccst
commodity on earth, She was fond OF
Edith, while bewnllng the positive
virtues which made her so disagree
able.
81 met Allen Holbrook in the lobby,
and he stood and talked with me with.
out removing his hat" she announced
TO her best friend after they had
lunched and were. seated in the p0rlor
Of the hotel,
"Then 7 suppose you will dsallow
him a single goo" .ualjiy," r ,'cd
the n. +.
"But H. was such want OF re
spect," complained Edith.
"Put II on another basis. Perhaps
new woman, he wNs treating You viii.
The freedom Of good cnmrndcship
Could he pay you a grcatcr compli.
ment? ?"
"lhe now woman will demand every
acknowledgment of social form" an
swercd Edith, ut was unbearOblc
rudcness."
"Let us think that he was glad to
see You that he never once thought OF
his hat II Wlll be more. charitable,
But, tell me, is i yal Mathews io he
the happy m0n9"
"Roynl Mathews Is an insutIcrNble
boor!" retortcd Edith with good
deal OF asperity, showing that she
was secretly hurt,
"Whnt did he do? You told me he
was TO dine with you yesterday. Did
he eat with his knire?'
Worse, a thousand times worse"
did he do as Emerson did when
Marglret Fuller was his guest--eat
in his shirt Sleeves" 81,
mo. and he Is uot an Emerson"
~ insist upon you telling me the
depth and breadth of his transgres.
sion. II you do ,Not, I shall ask him
myself when he cnlls at 3, as he prom.
ised."
Every well, | will tell you. and the
consequences be on your own head
You know that pride myself on my
housekeeping, and that all the glass
and silver Is taken. care, ,of. .by.mNSesr.
,lthInk | can 3cidtm stRnles4'brf41lEls$ =
for the tableware yptyWhrn. tlGt,
sat down at tie; NtblG, W6Hi d2st,el!!sSS, IS,
think he did? tldt YOU iydMiiLAJyf5gS
guess.-no. not In a lifetime. ThE
wretch picked up corner ofthe table,
cloth and deliberately polished first
his glass. then the plate and tina'v
the silver at his plate. II WAS. d u
a moment, but with no attempt Mt
concealment. I was 50 thankful thrt
no one else saw hlm--thc affair would
have been talked over in the Kitchen"
Edith waited for burst of iadig-
milton from her Il. +, and was sur
prised at peal Of laughter. This was
followed by II gr've thoughtfuness,
and then the best friend sad
"My dear Royal Mathews was un.
consciously following habit acquired
at the hotels Of our country, where
food Is served in haste and often by
incompetent help | do not imagine
the poor fellow was for a moment con-
scious of what hn was really = =
and | admit that the habit is very
careless one. BUT it rates several de-
grees less than a crime"
"T don't know about that" SAID
Edith. but with q relieved look II
have always looked upon n man'smau.
ners q, his credentials; they either
upFft hir or degrade him"
"Yes. my Edith, but you must not
forget, the awful soul that dwrlls in
clay You make much of the ac-
mpllshmcHts Of the clay, but there
te thp dapnpr lifp thnI IL its sanitation |