Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1902-02-26
FRIVOLE AND
AMARYLLIS.


wears four-in-hand ties and big sleeves,
as Noah's family did when it came out
of the ark, and doesn't know this years
style of sailor hat from last years"
And so she hied herself off to the
Astor library.
Amaryllis was looking very sad when
Frivole arrived. She didn't have Fri
vole's rose and cream complexion or
Frivole's merry laugh. But Frivole
didn't appreciate her blessings that
morning. The first thing she did was
to begin to sob.
"Frivole, dear, what is it?"
ooh, nothing, only l wish-I wish I
could have little wrinkle in my fore
head like you, and then people would
say thought sometimes"
Amaryllis rang for tea.
"I'm so discouraged, Amaryllis." And
she rolled her handkerchief into ball
and dabbed each eye.
II want to be sensible and serious,
and | don't know how. | want to be
clever and improve my mind. | want
to be like your And such picture of
appealing misery the silver teapot had
scarcely reflected before.
Amaryllis looked Mortified.
'NIr. Van Schaik, the awfully clever
one, who writes books and is lawyer
and is going to congress and all that,
you know-well, he called once in
awhile, and he said l was a f-feather-
xx-1,o n 1unaHf,1I
"And you wish to please this gifted
creature?" said Amaryllis, dropping a
lump of sugar into Frivole's tea. Sup
rose you read some. Take up course
of history. Dolly Madison is fad just
now. Read up Dolly and the war Of
1872. War makes good small talk these
days, and If he is going to congress-
ut sounds very hard" faltered the
ambitious one, "but I'll try"
THAT'S right. dear. Now I'll confide
In you. Frivole, l want to be frivo-
lous'
"Oh, Amaryllisw
'T'm tired of being learned. I want
to know how to be attractive and
pleasant when people are tired as well
as when they are fresh and ready to
listen and argue. l want to be like
you. Now, tell me how. You never
weary people or task their intellects or
upset their nerves. You amuse them
and refresh them"
ooh, talk nonsense and wear pretty
dresses, and when the atmosphere is
sad just curl your hair all over! think
you are awfully foolish, though. +
don't know much about anything else,
but mamma always said firt was
born fiirt, and l think you would not
be half so nice il you were frivolous,
Amaryllis."
So they parted.
It was fragrant and softly gloomy in
the lamplighted music room, and Fri
vole, looking rather white and anxious,
sat bolt upright on the piano stool.
All day she had been studying liter
allure" and improving her mind"
Kings and queens We're to her as so
many puppets. Paganism and civillza-
ton were mere words to play with.
She was well up In literature. 1t was q
novel position for Frivole, and when
Mr.. Van Schaik was ushered in he was
surprised. She didn't run into the hall
to meet him with some absurd well
come which he heard, misunderstood
and analysed as charming. She didn't
laugh and shake her hand vigorously
and then sit down with cloud of frills
around her and chatter to him.
Alas, she did nothing of the kind! He
when he entered, and she raised two
brilliant eyes and a flushed face from
her book, advanced with intense suf-
fering depicted on every feature and,
wringing his hand, said:
"Oh, Mr.. Van Schaik, how glad am
to see you! Wasn't it perfectly dread
full about poor Mary, queen Of Scots?"
1t was very unkind of him, but Mr..
Van Schaik went away to the noun
tains next day. He declared that his
nerves were completely shaken up.
Amaryllis shook the silver tea bell an
grily, and Frivole allowed two mean
dering tears to caress her pink cheeks.
"Well, it's consolation anyhow,
Amaryllis, to know that you were not
q success"
'Thanks," said Amaryllis.
"What did they say when you tried
to be like me"
"Well, don't like to seem rude. Fri
vole, dear, but the family wouldn't
listen. They simply absconded. The
girls all said | had turned into Dodo
You remember Dodo In the book, who
talked about her baby as landed pro-
prietor and wished she could be a
Christian martyr. so that her fingers
would curl up like bacon when they
burned her at the stake!
'Then my laugh-you know you
laugh all the time. Frivole-well, my
laugh scared Bob so that he knocked
over a vase which father brought from
Egypt, and they all concluded that I
was hysterical and had better take
vacation
Poor Amaryllis! I'll 60 with you II
my gray frock comes home"
"And what did Mr.. Van Schaik say
after Won tried RI oman the convaras