The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-01

IT. HERE are figures that the world
sees tripping along the uneven
= road of life in a fiiDpant. ire
sponsfble fashion, their twinkling feet
barely touching the ground. their buoy
ant spirits always in the blue ether
The rough places, when met, are
skinned over, and do not retard them
The brambIes that scratch and bruise
other pilgrims are lightly brushed aside
OF deity lodged. Their whole life
seems one gala day, But unless they
are cut down in the heyday of their
youth. there comes a time when pitfalls
are met too wide to be nimbIy leaped J;
when obstacles are encountered that
cannot be lightly surmounted; when
blows fall too heavy TO be escaped,
crushing them entirely or developing
character that had remained latent;
character whose existence by most
people was not suspected. and that as
tounds US by its strength and sweet
ness; character capable of seIf-denial
and even heroic seIf-sacrifce.
'Mamofselle" was such a butterfly
She fitted from flower to flower in her
own dainty fashion, absorbing what
sweetness and pleasure she could from
each. and casting the blossom aside
when she had deprived 1t Of what had
been the best it contained. She was a
butterfly that pleased the eye and or
naneuted the landscape. but one that
caused the passer by to shake his head
and ask what the end would be Could
she so on in that way forever? Would
life always yield her honey, unmized
with gall? Would she ever become
serious, less selfish. less ffppant?
Would she ever marry and settle
down? Or. If she did not, would she
grow old. IS other women did, or for
ever remain distractingly young AMI IT.
responsible as she was low?
Ma'moIseIIe was no longer a young
girl, people said. At twenty eight it
was time that woman should long
since have been at the head of a house,
the mother OF a growing brood. But
Ma'moiseue shook her head and said
that she really wouldn't care for it;
that she was just beginning to find
out how TO enjoy herself; that she
loved her freedom, her liberty, her good
health. her ability to relish the aavor
of all things. too much to exchange
them for any uncertainty
The unkind ones said that the real rea-
son was that she loved all men too much
10 marry one; that she was a disgrace
full little firt, and that they pitied the
man who really did win her. And they
could not forgive her the fact that, in
spite Of her frivoIity and general unde-
gstrableness in their eyes. there were a
number Of men who we're undoubtedly
willing, and even anxious, to accept the
position of husband to 3Ia'moiseIIe. and
be led by her the dance that they pre-
dieted.
It was Josiah DaIrymple who christeu-
ed her .Ma'moiseHe." She had some
French blood in her: and being rather
proud Of the fact she did her best to
accentuate 1t. It was hardly an anecta-
ton, for her tastes we're innately
French. She had developed the habit.
when child, of giving an expressive
and decidedly foreign little shrug Of her
shoulders. She could speak the Ian
guage, too, it being the one study to
which she had paid any serious atteD-
ton. and she loved to chatter it. DaIrvn-
pie said that she reminded him Of :
picture he had once seen in the Paris
Salon; figure in fancy dress. that
might have served as a model fol. Fol
y" but was simply cataIogued .ePor-
trait Of Young Lady" and ever after
ward he had called Elise Coudert
Ma 'moiseIIe-"
DalTymPle was about as little like 2
butterfly as she was like a grub II
had fallen TO his lot to be one of Tho