New-York tribune., 1903-01-12
THE FIVE O'CLOCK TEA CLUB.
It Deplores Some of the Difficulties OF Social
Intercourse.

81 wish said Miss Merivale that in discus
sion of matters in general we could devise SOME
method of punishment for what my coioreo cooh
calls 'paror bears She means nothing worse thah
.nolar bears but I mean the kind Of human AMI
NAL that makes social intercourse difhcult ny coi
hitting offences against the ordinary amenlues oA
life believe in the ,'retort courteous, put can
always think it up in time. L am considering the
nronrietv of publishing a manual the subject,
containing retorts for all acknowledgements 10
intrusive questions, for example. or to impertinent
comments and on
'.I don't believe in the retort,' observed Mrs
Weldon. 'It is one thing to endure a 'parlor pear
and another thing to be one"
But how do you keep patience?
That's the difficulty" said Mrs. Quitting. Il
have learned to keep my temper in public. For
instance when motorrnen and conductors pass me
by with a naughty. unseeing stare, ana re1use 10
stop for anything insignificant as mere pas
senger or when the people in shops treat my re-
quirements if they were so many personal IN
Suits be repelled with indifference or with just
Indignation, 1 am hardened to those things; put
when people who ought to know better attack me
"And Interrupted Miss Merivale make earnest
INQUIRIES as to the condition Of your income your
wardrobe or your immortal ia w s0 as nvf6g about
YOU take the trouble to lombard yon with ques-
''Or wearing arguments,
.1Or fearful remonstrances'--
"Or unqualified and undisguised rudeness -
what are you to do?"
mo one has ever answered that question" said
Mrs Lee Iaughing ''You know there is place
where you can justihably resent such things You
nent's nor in public places: SO there seems to be
no alternative but-pardon ne-to grin and bear it,:
'1 will bear it, said Mrs Quitting but Will
%And l." said Miss MerivaIe will neither grin
nor bear 1t, unless taken by surprise and, as
my proposed Manual Of Social Retorts "-o no
inclined to High Church views in the days when
When We were in England. I remember that she
was shocked at something she regarded as irrev-
erent, and one Of our party asked her II she were
SHARPLY she's poor imitation of one!'
What did she say?'
Nothing for she regarded IT as religious perse-
in silence. She was very much shocked when
suggested that she might have retorted, And
consider you a poor imitation of Dssenter. but
hitherto 1 have been too courteous to say so.
AS matter of fact, the retort would have been at
least fair, however ohjectionatle le."
''It would said Miss Merivale, because the Of
mon rudeness, which called for a quick rebuke of
What tries me most" remarked Mrs. Wright.
'is the habit you spoke of-asking intrusive ques-
tons 1t would never occur to me even to say
Where are YOU going?' unless my friend volun-
teered the information
Some one asked me-" said Miss Merivale
whether it was, really necessary for me to earn
amusing myself. -
Well said Mrs. Lee with sigh. Il wish I
quick witted. AS it is. am simply walked
Congratulate yourself then" said Mrs. Weldon
with smile. that you are walked upon, rather
than that you walk upon others
The holier office of a slave quoted Miss
attain neekness? Would it ruin society or re-
TT depends on your definition of meekness and
your application said Mrs Weldon. But that's