The St. Louis Republic., 1901-02-10
IS 1T WORTH WHILE?
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A QUESTION THAT PERSISTENTLY ASSOCIATES
ITSELF WITH SMALL EVERYDAY MATTERS

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Is II worth while? This is question
daily asked and daily answered.
One seldom puts this. though. to anyone
else than oneself. and one always answers
It Just to suit oneself consequently there
Is no ono to blame but ones self II the
answer made Is not wise.
1t is, often. a bit tiresome. I Will grant
you. to regard all the little affairs Of
everyday life as worth while.
Many times II hardly seems worth while
to use the incest of paper. the best: of ink.
and to carefully think about what you are
saying In the letter you write. and yet all
this is indeed worth ones while: and It is a
truth that letter-writing has almost become
q lost art Once upon a time folks prided
themselves upon being good letter-writers
Many an old letter. stu carefully preserved.
contains the prettiest Of thoughts most
gracefully expressed. No doubt these old
letters gave great pleasure to the persons
who received them The senders. evidently
Of news and relate 1t pleasingly, or to ex-
press . tender little sentiment that hinted
at the depth OF love or friendship that was
in the heart of the one who wrote.
1t is worth while when you are going to
write a letter to some one you care. about
to wait until you have time to write It well.
The average woman dashes OF her letters.
as a rule. with an anything-will-do air.
Now, when a man writes a letter he does so
carefully. Business training has brought
this about. He has become accustomed to
measuring his words and saying just what
he means when he writes to John Brown &
Son, and the average mans letters are us
ually better written than are those sent out
by the average woman When a man sits
down to write letters he makes a business
OF It as It were. He has a proper sheet Of
paper, q good pen and a handy blotter.
The average woman consoles or excuses
herself with the thought. 20. any old
things viii do.'
This, of course, referring to the station
cry that she uses II her regular supply Of
bird's-egg blue paper has been exhausted
Sometimes these hurTiedly scrawled little
letters are very dear-that is, II the re-
cipient cares a very. very great deal for the
one who has posted the. letter. But even
love may sometimes be wounded by little
suggestion of Indifference. and letters are
such one-sided affairs that they often con-
vey an impression that 1t is not at all what
is meant. There Is no chance In a letter, as
there is in conversation. of explaining on
the spot why this thing or that is said
What is written stares out at one boldly
and biankly, and there It is. to be read over
and over again. and the author far away
with no chance to defend the poor little
misunderstood sentence.
1t is only little thing. but it is worth
while to give some sign of the true depth
of love and regard that one entertains for
those of ones family. or toward ones
friends 1t is great pity that the fear of
being misunderstood quite often compels
one TO take an extreme course and appear
Indifferent, when down In the bottom Of
ones heart there Is wish to be just the
opposite 1t is well worth while-worth a
woman's whiie-to take the trouble to be
kind and gracious to every one she meets
1t is worth while to give pleasure to others.
because the reward comes with the giving.
and unless you are very selfish person
you will be satisfied with it.
To be punctual in the keeping Of engage
ments may be a little trouble. but take It.
You viii save your own nerves, and other
folks. too. by this. and. besides create the
Impression that you are woman OF your
tword, one to be relied upon to do as you
hay you will
The housekeeper who does not think It
worth her while to attend to the minor
"details Of the domestic machinery presides
Iover home where confusion is often more
evident than order, It Is worth while to
darn the tiny rent In the lace curtain as
soon a. It II discovered. because II this
ID not done there will be the nine stitches,
and more. that the tr1te old adaSs an
Apunee6 Il VIII be necessary to take II the
12rovssbah scne n tims. 4 Hsglected.
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