The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-08-28

to hurry her for fear Of never hearing
of 1t at all
when my friends and relatives make
fun Of pelsarte exercises or the new
est form of athletics, my relentless
conscience always inpels me to try
these things personally, just so that
can discuss them intelligently and
without prejudice In consequence I'm
seldom without backache or a spraln-
ed muscle or something equally pleas
ant Let politician, a private indi-
vidnal, cause or anything else, for
that matter, become unpopular and
my tyrannical conscience compels me
to champion 1t or him or them AS a
result half the people l know are cont
tinually writing me down as a miser-
ably disputatious and disagreeable per
SON.
Which was putting the matter entire
~ too strong. But then that's Olivia's
way. It's point of conscience with
her to make the worst of herself for
fear she should be untruthfully com
plimentary
TITS always been So" she moaned
now, beginning to sob little, ''but
now it's worse than ever. Now
IF you don't come out with 1t now"
broke in, unable to restrain my impa-
thence much longer, Fl shall go stark,
staring, raging, raving mad and either
kill you or myself. Now
Now" said Olivia, breaking down
utterly and crying as though her heart
would break, nov Charley and Harry
have both proposed to me. They did it
month ago. put them both on pro
baton because liked them both, and
1t was point of conscience with me
to treat them both just alike and fairly,
although l can't help saying that /
really like Harry a little bit the better,
and now they both accuse me of fiirt-
Ing and neither of them will speak
to me at all And it's all because my
unfortunate conscience won't let me
alone.'
We'll, dearie, there's one recompense
anyhow" I volunteered consolingly
when had comforted her by promis-
| ing to set matters right with the one
she liked a little bit the best "Peo-
pie can't help respecting any one who's
SO intensely conscientious and so very
much In earnest about 1t as you are"
"Oh, don't know about that re-
| torted Olivia, relapsing into modified
condition of gloomineSs again. ''I
don't know about that at ALL Of
course, the men who like you say that
sort of thing to your face very often,
but they're a great deal likely to call
you silly little priggish idiot behind
your back. and the girls one knows
They simply say you're miserable,
contemplate little prig to try to be so
much better than other folks and that
you make everybody uncomfortable
about you and let 1t go at that. No;
there isn't much comfort in being more
conscientious than other people, and
sometimes wonder If the best people
in the world, as well as the happiest
aren't the people who have only just
enough conscience to keep them rea-
sonably honest and kind and not too
| big an allowance to live comfortably
with"
| And really, despite the fact that
firmly believe ironclad consciences to
be necessary, in great numbers, to the
proper conduct and salvation Of this
gay and sinful but altogether adorable
world, at least in this present day and
generation. 1t seemed to me that Olivia
had either proved her case or some
thing very Hike. l don't in the least
know how to reconcile the two aspects
of the subject, however. Perhaps
some of the rest of you can help me
Dut.-Chicago Evening Post.