New-York tribune., 1900-08-17
GATHERED HERE AND THERE.
GUDEN

Independence is a strong quality remarked
well dressed woman, thoughtfuy. Il should like
to know what you would think of a woman who
wore two shirt waists. alternately. all summer
long, with skirt, morning and evening, week
days and Sundays? I don't a woman who
was very poor, and couldn't help II. She
simply a busy who didn't care. and she
was scrupulously neat. wearing always what ap-
peared to be the little white tie with her
linen collars. When It was cold. she put or a
blue Jacket match her skirt, and she a
plain hat TO church on Sundays. 1 met her at a
summer resort; 1t not a fashionable place, TO
be sure, but we dressed appropriately, or thought
would have rdiculed her everlasting sameneSs
one met her on the piazza one sunday even
had on her pink striped shirt waist, and l had
silk waist, with lace yoke, pretty trimmed.
one Of US do you think was ashamed of her
clothes? II was I! can't account for it, but in
small and generally worthless. got away as
with my ridiculous frippery. Such is the efTect Of
courage and independence on the average mind.
Why can't we all have it?'
Can any one say why It IS so much annoying
10 lose stamp than to lose two cents? We may
value dimes. but cherish five stamps
II they were 1--WE dollars, and II they are lost
quite inconsolable for a brief space Of time A
woman once remarked that she had never forgot
ten the loss of 50 worth Of stamps. which vanished
the way from the postofhce. directly after she
a r half o mue sf If a she i a Gq9a 6s n05 e r
on6 3 IstG5s s9g 10 ne m sSo G be
long, but the loss Of the stamps was an abiding
philosophy Of the thing and understand exactly
why two cents seem 10 double their value when
even more common expsriehce to And Your STAMP
box empty than your pocketbook
It is generally conceded that while the Paris Ex-
position is q complete collection Of the worlds
products than the Columbian Fair at Chicago, IT is
not so beautiful whole. The buildings
ornate and more elaborate in detail. but they
are lacking in that pure and noble grandeur which
made the White City abiding memory. To
those who recall its almost unearthly charm II
seems a natural thing that attempt to excel or
woman who had seen all the Old World cities said
nothing IKE this since the world began = can
be nothing ike it e again this s9e of the
SO we are glad that that supreme vision remains
undisturbed and unapproached in deathless
membrance.
we hear a great deal of the unconscious hurnor
Of the Irish" said observing woman, but my
experience is that African friends furnish
with choice specimens Of that commodity
we could desire I have never lived in the South
but have made collection Of the sayings of colored
people whom we have employed as servants, and
read it over when I want laugh. Here is the
Dit that comes first my mind:
II was in the kitchen cold winter morning
was a fine day. Fine for polar bears I
plied with a shiver. The cook waited until the
rnilkman had departed and then turned
with an air of confidential inquiry Now, Miss
Jane said she what is dem kline o bears? I has
often heard parlor bears. but amt neber seen
one
MY first thought was to tell her that 1 had
seen great many parlor bears but I restrained
the impulse bring her mind into further condi-
ton of bewilderment, and gravey delivered instead
a brief lesson in natural history. But the subject
appeared 10 a pregnant and worthy of
analysis.
The above suggests the parlor bear as the text
of a discourse social experiences. He is an
animal Of infinite variety Of species and Of end
less resources We have all encountered him, in
equal terms without becoming of the species
yourself. The cOmmonest kind, perhaps, Is the one
that can be simply described as hearlshrIne mo mo-
rose, impossible sort, who suIks In a corner ana
answers you in monoSyllables He does not count,
however after you have met the worst knds-the
plain unvarnished rude kind. The questioning
parlor bear will run your private affairs to
cover, and drive you into corner with heT VINO
what and why? until you almost mad. This
kind of is invariably feminine You always
answer her questions or try TO. and never reflect
until afterward that to snub her would have been
a pleasure and duty, and you have lost the
chance forever. The contradictory bear may be OF
either sex. and cannot be snubbed. 1t is not safe
to remark that II is a hot day, even When the
thermometer is executing war dance among the
he prefers summer to winter. anyway He never
agrees WIN you even py accaent' ana Ig hepS S'a
spade a spade he will say that you ought to have
called II a spud. He is firmly convinced that what
grandfather's ghost, if II appeared to him, so Wig
orously that the old gentleman would never again
-As to the pdrlor bear who is just plain rude, he
Is common that you cannot classify him. There
must either endure them silence adopt bear
methods and claw back