The Worthington advance., 1901-03-15
Mrs. WAY-DOWN.
BLUES IDEAS
by r. d. CALLAWAY.

'0H. DEAR!" complained Mrs.
~ Way-down-blue, meeting her.
friend, Mrs. Cheery-up-heart, on the
way home. II do hate to go to my
house. 1t is 50 lonely!"
what has become of your ideas?"
questioned Mrs. Cheery-up-heart, in
surprise.
"They are every one gone," moaned
Mrs. Way-down-blue, and the tears
filled her eyes. mot a single one is
left to speak to me-"
"How very sad," returned Mrs.
Chcery-up-heart, somewhat perplexed.
ibid you feed them regularly"
Feeding ideas! Who ever heard
of such nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs.
Way-down-blue, drying her eyes in
astonishment.
Il would as soon starve myself -
starve my IDEAS" replied Mrs. CHEEKY
up-heart, thoughtfully. do you re-
member, neighbor, when we first set
up housekeeping we were fitted out
with the same number of ideas. I
had six and you had half dozen."
1T doesn't seem possible ever
had so many as half dozen ideas, all
at once," sighed Mrs. Way-down-blue;
"and now they are every one gone"
"You might recall them?"
II have shouted until am deaf and
dumb, but they won't come back, and
If they did, couldn't keep them over
night"
''Where is your memory?" asked
Mrs. Cheery-up-heart, kindly.
"Oh, have the poorest memory in
the world" returned Mrs. Way
down-blue, dolefully. Nothing ever
stays in it unless it be unpleasant
things 1 wish to get rid of and they
stick like burrs. The happy, pleas
ant ideas run out at one gate while I
am crowding them in at the other"
do you mean to say that you have
no control over your ideas?" asked
Mrs. Cheery-up-heart, very much as
tonished.
II never mean to work them too
hard, but just let them come and go
as they will. No one could have been
more indulgent to their ideas than
+ have been," and at this Mrs. Way
down-blue burst into tears.
''Perhaps can help you to recall
some of these happy ideas," said Mrs.
Cheery-up-hcart, brightly. do you
not recollect the roll of beautiful
stuffs, velvets and silks with. gold and
spangled tissues which our good
Mother Tongue left with us to clothe
our ideas?"
"Oh, bother Mother Tongue!" cried
Mrs. Way.down.blue. Il never had
the patience to open that great roll"
"Then you have never known what
fun it is fitting out ones ideas in neat
little jackets and gowns. You should
have seen one that came to me in q
friends letter this morning. It was
just sparkling."
'Oh. you may fuss if you like" re-
torted Mrs. Way-down-blue. Il shall
not take the time to make up things
when can borrow or my neighbors
or send round to the secondhand
shop. I always tack on something
blue so people will know they are my
ideas, and they run their errands just
as WE'LL"
"But, my DEAR" urged Mrs. CHEEKY
up-heart, 1T is useless to send abroad
ideas like keragamufiins, for they receive
so little consideration. Ideas are like
people; when they are we'll dressed
they feel so much happier and more
hoV $p~ov vo1 n
so much BETTER
do ideas travel; that is, outside
the village?" questioned Mrs. Way
down-blue, opening her eyes.
"Ideas are great travellers, and
when witty and clever enough they
often 20 round the world. Stop and
dine with me, Mrs. Way.down-blue,
and I will introduce you to some of
these clever ideas. You may like to
take q few of them home with you. -
Being sadly in need of entertain
ment, Mrs. Way-down-blue willingly
consented, and was presently amazed
at the number of gentle, well-behaved
ideas waiting upon Mrs. Cheery-up-
heart in her own home. So bright
and pleasant they were that Mrs;
Way-down-blue was even in danger of
b forgetting that her name was Blue
as one gracious company came after
another bearing lighted tapers and
4 roses to the guests, while others fol.
lowed with little pots of honey from
the we'll filled hives in memory's gar.
den.
Mrs. Cheery-up-heart also called
upon her guests to introduce any
ideas they might have brought with
them, and one, clapping his hands
brought . set newly arrived from dis
tant travel. These ideas unfolded be,
i fore the company's wondering gaze
fine webs cunningly wrought with
& [strange and curious scenes from for
leign lands, which furnished material
for much worthy conversation. The
!other guests furnished rich entertain
ment of songs and stories, while al
3lvere provided with jests and reparte<
that flashed back and forth so rapidly
Mrs. Way-down-blue was fairly daz
xled with their brilliance. .a..5
Strange to relate, Mrs. Way-down
blues own ideas now came Hooking
ii back to her, and she opened hc1
mouth once to speak, but perceivinf
a that hes ideas in ragged, ill-httina