The weekly examiner., 1901-08-10

|
 Dxsl "Horrtble2' Aunt Royal spoke as if she 1 had not understood her nephe1U. ing party or affair."" which had been l was sitting with them in the drawing room. There was a beautiful open fire in the grate. The mantel and tiling were handsome pieces of imported mar ] ble. The lights had not been turned on l yet. It was not quite ' o'clock. 'What have you decided to decora te 1 with?' asked Louise. She had great respect for Aunt Royal as an authority in all matters of society or entertain ment and deferred to her opinion with out debate or dispute
 ''I think we had better have Nyphetia roses in the front room and small ferns l with pearl roses in the Gining room. | Smilax and carnations will be the prop CT trimming for the library and lilies of | the valley for the music room. The | last reception I attended in New York the Dupreys decorated the entire house with lilies of the valley. The effect was lovely"
 J Stuart. rousing himself to take part in part of what Aunt Royal had said. | She looked over at her nephew in sur prise.
 T didn't say. I heard that 1t cost about $1,000. That is a small item for flowers in the Duprey receptions" "It must have been lovely" said Lou ise, clasping her hands so that her dia- mond rings were the most conspicuous part of her in-the light of the fire. | 'I think it must have been horrible" |" said Stuart quietly.
 "Horrible?' Aunt Royal spoke as if she had not understood her nephew.
 .Yes; not the flowers, but the use of that much money to decorate for pleas ure any mans private residence for the enjoyment of people who could see lilies of the valley any time they want ed to-"
 "Wel, well" Aunt Royal could not get any further. Louise broke in with a laugh.
 "Oh, Stuart's been converted lately to some of the communistic socialistic ideas. Didn't you know that, aunt? | The next we know he will begin to ob- ject to our using roses for decoration next week here in the house."
 Stuart did not say anything. He was thinking of Fries speech that after i, noon, and his heart beat heavily as he thought of all the wasted music and flowers of the earth. Who was getting the best of these two great and beau tiful gifts of God?
 Was it not the very people who were able to pay the highest prices for them? Where was the right in squan dering thousand dollars of Gods own money to enjoy the beauty of flowers when people were dying of hunger and misery in the nearest tene- ment? If 1t was Gods money and if men were only trustees of the funds, would God probably consider that a right use of the money? It was only one phase of the doctrine of steward ship which Stuart had lately begun to believe in.
 But Aunt Royal was not the person to remain silent after Stuart's use of the word horrible in connection with her decorative ideas as they were con- nected with social functions. She ask ed, sharply Tor her:
 Do you mean to say, Stuart, that you think we have no right to use flowers in giving pleasure to our in vited guests?"
 "No; did not say that" replied Stu art dryly.
 "What do you mean thenY"
 "I can't make you or Louise under stand me-" said Stuart after pause.
 "No; Stuart talks in riddles of late. He thinks we are too aristocratic and un-Christian," said Louise. There was keenly.
 Why do you say that, Louise? You know I am thinking of the poor fami- lies who are beginning to suffer at this time. Surely we ought to do as much for them as for ourselves. If we spend a hundred dollars to decorate the rooms with flowers for a party, we ought to give twice as much to help feed the hungry. The better way would be to take the money spent on the flowers and spend it on fooq.''
 'Whatp' cried Louise angrily. "On the people who have brought their con- dition on themselves by their own fool ishness! Who is to blame for their being hungry and cold if not them seIvesT
 ''The women and babies are not to blame, and they are the ones to feel the suffering most" said Stuart quiet ly.
 "Well. you can use your money that