Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-01-09

affectations as other girls are. I have
often wished | had a brother. but Mat
does very well. He keeps me supplied
ticularly in the matter of frank crit
icsm.
Nell and thought it all over for
several days. We thought hard. 1t
takes hard thinking. have discovered,
TO find really successful way of no:
minding your own business. In the end,
| am sure We would have given it up
il Nell had not had an idea in Latin.
She is always having ideas in Latin.
She had this one while we were read
ing In the hammock one afternoon. and
she gave little bounce that made the
hammock flop and throw us out on the
ground. Our hammock has the flop
piest disposition. anyhow.
Then, while We sat there on the
ground, weak from laughing. she ex-
planned that she had the loveliest idea
| said IL seemed to have quite upset
her. but she utterly snubbed my poor
pun.
Il just found it in this book" she
wen: on. ''Similia similibus curantur.
| wonder We didn't think of it before"
Translate it," l said. l never have
ideas in Latin myself
And you expect to enter college this
fall" Nell said. significantly. Like
cures like of course. my dear. r-e
heard il somewhere before" she added,
honestly.
You mean" | began.
Exactly" Nellie assured me. Well
just try being affected ourselves, and
let Mabel see how silly 1t is"
i had my doubts. l said that Mabel
would be mere likely To see that we
were just rude. and perhaps we would
only offend her instead of reforming
her. Mother agreed with me. too. She
advised us. If W. really felt called on
to mend Mabel's ways. to tell her
frankly what We thought, instead OF
using a method that was so likely to
be misunderstood
But Nell and | agreed that we did
not have the courage to do that, and
besides. this other way would be more
fun. Mother smiled and did not say
any more. She never nags, and she
She just let's me find out good many
things for myself
So Nell and I spent several days n
learning how to do ii. We studied
Mabel pretty closely. and | confess
had a kind of sneaking feeling. for
she is one of the sweetest. frankest,
most generous girls | ever KNOW.
But at last we considered our edu-
cation completed. and one afternoon we
started out, with trailing skirts-bor-
rowed-and sbsurdly pepompadoured
heads, TO make formal call on Mabel.
We fiattered ourselves that we had ac-
quircd the correct accent. and our man
ner YVES affected to a point several de-
grees above Mabels. We tried it on
Mat before we started and he nearly
had fit.
At Mabel's house we usually walk
right in and announce ourselves. but
this afternoon We rang the bell and
brought Maggie with her tray. know
she was surprised. but she was game, i"
as Mat would have said.
AS We gravely presented our cards
and asked for Miss Wogehrs and Miss
Mabelle." her face was as expression
less as If we were perfect strangers.
She quietly showed us into the parlor
and went to tell the ladies'" She came
back in a minute to say that Miss
Rogers was out, but Miss Mabelle
would be down in a minute.
Nell and wondered afterward If she
gave Mabel hint. We have never
found out.
Perhaps our sending in cards warned
Mabel. At any rate. when she came in
TO the parlor nothing in her manner
suggested that there was anything IN
usual about us. She had played tennis
with us all the morning too
She said. 'Aunty will be so sorry to
miss your call. How do you do. Mary
and Helen?'
Then she shook hands with us both.
explaining how glad she was to see us.
and how long it was since we had met.
She was simply delicious, and for
a moment Nell and I were staggered.
We thought We were ready for any,
thing. but this perfect composure near
ly routed us.
| Then Nell rallied and went into
action" Nell Bronson Is nothing If
not thoroughgoing. and she is born
actress. 1t was the funniest thing I
ever saw-those two girls matching
their imitation city manners against
each other. stayed out. for the most
part. | had all I could do to keep
from laughing and spelling 1t all: and
besides. Nell did not need any help
They talked about the weather; about
Edith's party. which Mabel pronounc-
ed charming bit of local color. bur
so country. you know" Then she de-
scribed a party she had attended in
| New York.
Nell said. fcelingly. that T. must be
terribly stupid TO live In & country
town when one was used to the city.
Mabel said it was-oh, unspeakably
stupid! (She had been in New York
just five weeksD There was no society
in Harwich. or course there were nioS
people. but no society. Nobody knew
how to entertain, except. perhaps, Mrs.
Meriweather. and she really was n
New Yorker.
So those girls went on, and l think
they would have kept II up indefinitely
only rose to go, fairly bursting with