The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-10-02

! ROyQ| Mathews MQDnerS.


3 nUyul Mulll6n0 lnullll6lO. s
Royal Mathews was invited to dine at
the Lossings, strictly a family affair, and
was duly elated, for he knew it meant
the crucial moment of his life, when he
would be considered possible lover for
the clever Edith Tossing, to whom he
had lost els heart on first acquaintance.
The elmer was one of those dainty
aggregations of silver and cut glass and
decorative china which give bizarre eff
feet to our meals at the present time,
even when ones feelings must be tied
with blue ribbon or kept out of sight,
and when it IS social crime to eat any
thing with spoon. But Royal Mathews
was accustomed to modern luxury and
would have died before he would have
admitted that he did not know the whole
social shibboleth. That Edith Losing
would attempt to judge of mans NOR
ais by his manners never occurred to
him.
Before the dinner was we'll begun Ma
thess was aware that in some way he
had offended Miss Losing.
Edith Lossing's friends were much
afraid that she would end her days in
single blessedness, or else go through the
woods and pick up the figuratiye crooked
stick as last opportunity. So many eli
gible men had sought her hand and been
refused that it was currently reported
that she had been disappointed in love
and was determined to live and die an
old maid. Her friends had on several
occasions announced themselves satisfied
with the candidate, only to be told that
Miss Edith had refused him.
The trouble was that Edith was hyper
critical. 1t was so with other things be-
sides the affections. She took all the
sweetness out Of life by finding it's sugar
was adulterated with chalk. She left the
sky out of her landscapes and mutilated
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 dinner she went to
lunch with her best friend, who boarded
at stately hotel and was person of
common sense, the scarcest commodity
on earth. She was fond Of Edith, while
bewailing the positive virtues which
made her SO disagreeable.
II met Allen Holbrook in the lobby,
and he stood and talked with me without
removing his hat" she announced to her
best friend after they had lunched and
were seated in the parlor Of the hotel.
Then suppose you will disallow him
single good quality" remarked the
B. F.
"But it was such want of respect"
complained Edith.
"Put it on another basis. Perhaps,
new woman, he was treating you with
the freedom of good comradeship. Could
he pay you greater compliment"
''.The new woman will demand every
acknowledgment Of social FORM" answer
ed Edith. s'It was unbearable rude
ness.'
'.Let us think that he was so glad to
see you that he never once thought Of his
hat. It will be more charitable. But,
tell me, for am dying to know, is Royal
Mathews to be the happy MANI"
Royal Mathews is an insufferable
boor" retorted Edith with good deal of
asperity, showing that she was secretly
hurt.
'what did he do? You told me he was
to dine with you yesterday. Did he eat
with his knife ~
Worse, thousand times worse
"Did he do as Emerson did when Mar
garet Fuller was his guest-eat in his
shirt sleeves?'
mo, and he is not an Emerson"
81 insist upon you telling me the depth
and breadth of his transgression. If you
do not, / shall ask him myself when he
calls at 5, as he promised
Every we'll, will tell you, and the
consequences be on your own head. You
know that pride myself on my house,
keeping, and that all the glass and silver
is taken care of by myself. think can
claim spotless brilliancy for the table
ware, yet when that man sat down at the
table what do you think he did? But
you would never guess-no, not in life
time. The wretch picked up corner Of
the tablecloth and deliberately polished
first his glass, then the plate and finally
the silver at his plate. 1t was done in a
moment, but with no attempt at conceal
ment. was so thankful that no one else
saw him-the affair would have been
talked over in the Kitchen
Edith waited for burst of Indignation
from her B. F. and was surprised at a
peal of laughter. This was followed by a
grave thoughtfulness, and then the best
friend said:
MY dear, Royal Mathews was uncon-
sciously following habit acquired at the
hotels of our country, where food is
served in haste and often by incompe-
tent help. do not imagine the poor fell
low was for moment conscious Of what
he was really doing, and admit that
the habit is very careless one. But it
rates several degrees less than crime"
81 don't know about that" said Edith,
but with relieved look. 81 have always
looked upon mans manners as his Gre
dentials; they either uplift him or de-
grade him.
eyes, my Edith, but you must not for
get the awful soul that dwells in clay
You make much Of the accomplishments
of the clay, but there is the deeper life
that is its sanitation. And now may I
ask what is that object on which you
have been wreaking your will ever since
we came in from the table?"
Edith looked and was aghast.
'It is table Napkin" she said.
''Where did get it?"
"Carried it off with you unconsciously,
o woman of cruel judgment! Suppose I
were to accuse you of appropriation?
You see how easy it is to forget ourselves