Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-30
A CHRISTMAS TOUCHST0NE
Rv Gertrude F LYNCH

Mrs. Br1sloe was young, pretty, witty
and a widow-a combination of attrac-
tons which is allotted to but few OF
earth's favorites. She had taken these
gifts as matter Of course, not even ex-
cepting her widowhood, which she ac-
cepted with becoming sorrow, chastened
after the years ending with suggestions
of neliotrope. To say that she had adj
mirers is to state a self-evident fact.
There was no moment of her life when
she was free from proposal. Like the
sword of Damocles, the fall of curl
might preclpitate one. and usually did.
By the time she had reached the Sec
ono year of her widowhood she had
definitely made up her mind as to the
uniitness OF several applicants, and sue
ceeded in convincing them of her conclu-
sions, though she could not change their
opinions as TO the fallibility of her judg-
ment. She, however, in nearly every
case, retained the friendship of the re-
fused-a difficult task, as any woman
VIII admit when co1nered.
Three of her refusals Mrs. Brisloe tenn
pered with so many apologies and sug
gestlons for future plans that it is no
wonder the makers felt themselves justi-
is capable of analysis.
Messrs. Brown, Jones and Robinson
(these are not their names) were the
favored ones, and in the contest for place
they ran neck to neck While Mr.
Browns personal attractions outweighed
those of Messrs. Jones and Robinson, Mr.
Jones could offer a secure social position,
and the bank account of Mr.. Robinson
IN, he IL, II,
Mrs. Erisloe's first marriage had been
contracted at leisure and repented in
haste, the leisure showing ner, in retro
spect, that what man appears to be is
not always what he really is. During
their courtsEip Mr.. Brisloe had been, so
to speak, on dress parade and it was not
until the walls of their apartment offered
the challenge of sincerity that his wife
learned how a cup of weak coffee is as
effective In turning on wrath as a soft
answer Is in adding fuel to it, her Scrip
tural training to the contrary. She
learned That the words of the marriage
ceremony are really a shibboleth which,
once pronounced, have the power of
changing the guinea's stamp and show
ing the base metal beneath. Fate, how
ever, obligingly removed Mr.. Brisloe be-
lore HeI line OF disgust became q Wrinkle.
She did not desire to find herself
chained a second time to man whose
disposition might prove to be as strange
as that of an East Indian potentate,
neither did she wish TO be yoked TO one
who had neither the self-c control nor di-
plomacy to meet the exigencies of mar.
rled life i'll a becoming manner. Her
three chosen admirers gave nc clue i'll
their conduct or phrases as to whether
the qualities they seemed to possess were
the genuine articles or clever counterfeits,
and ii remained for Mrs Brisloe to put
her wits to work to elucidate the prob
lem.
1t was during Christmas week that her
impulses in this direction became cry5
talized, and she determined that with the
end OF the year should end her indecision
Like the superstitious who determine &C
ton by the Toss of a penny, she hung her
future happiness on al event of not
much greater value.
A Christmas gift was the trifle select
ed, and it was in the manner of accept
ance that her admirers were to show
their mettle. A man who can receive
with SAVIOR fare and diplomacy some
thing which he not only does not want,
but which even arouses in him a feeling
of antagonism must, SO Mrs. Brisloe rea-
soned with feminine indirectness, possess