The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-05

wearing a new diamond ring. She heard,
she smiled, she frowned, or her mobile
countenance wore an appropriate express
sion Of virtuous horror but her answer
to all queries was that the situation is
interesting, but l am sure that there is
great deal could be said on both sides.
Further than this she never committed
herself, and of all the tales that were
told to her not one ever was carried FUR
Their by the aid of her lips She may not
have liked the pancakes and the apple
pies, the coffee, the ways Of the second
story chambermaid, the manners of the
housekeeper nor the lack Of celebrity dis
played by the servants in the dining
room, but she never made her moan over
the acknowledgement of the establishment.
Now there is many an otherwise ex-
cellent boarder who follows the unwise.
undignifed course of fretting in an under
tone over the accommodations of the
house in which she lives. The boarder
without a grievance is as rare as pink
peacocks, and the bOarder with a grew
ance Is to the outside world nothing more
nor less than q wearisome, undignlfied
bore.
1t is not scientific research on my part
only that has led me to the conclusion
that the more you discuss your discom-
forts, real or fancied. the more magnifed
and unbearable they become, and that to
tell of the landlady's negligence or the
head walters impertinence to your friends
on the outside is not an interesting or
important topic of conversation. The
boarasr who confides to me complainingly
of her domestic trials Is as great bore
and as selfish an egotist in my eyes as
! the housekeeper who dwells upon the SER
want question and entertains me during
my call with the delinquences Of her
butcher.
A Christian Charity.
o,,do
have occasion to put up at hotel or
clearinghouse I can always tell in half
an hour whether my next room neigh
| bors are to the best manner born or not
1 know this by the way they step about
| close and open doors and carry on con-
versation. There is an unmistakable re-
! finement and a true Christian charity in
using a low tone Of voice and moving
softly when you live in the house with
strangers. The boarder who has a rich
appreciation of the rights of others does
not come into his hotel apartments late
at night with clatter of doors and an
| echo of loud conversation in the halls.
! The early riser is up and in the bathroom
and thru toilet with minimum Of dis
turbance. He may be a capital sleeper
| himself and the happy possessOr of the
soundest nerves, but he takes no chances
with the rest of his next-door neighbor.
Again, as gentleman and Christian,
ne taxes pains TO discover just what are
the rules of the house in which he abides,
and he never makes any effort to avoid
or alter their enforcement. If it Is the
| rule of the establishment that lights in
the halls are to be put out at certain
hours, If meals are called at stated inter-
walls, and served only between such and
| such hours, or the other residents are In
the habit Of making special toilet fo1
dinner, and if the landlord or landlady
objects to having nails driven in the
walls, fruit and milk set out on the win
dow sill, and light housekeeping done ir
the bedrooms, it is not the privilege Of
the boarder to grumble thereat, nor tt
. resist.
, A gentleman or a lady invariably sub
mits with charming grace to the discipline
. or regulations that prevail, else he o.
she seeks a retreat where more acceptable
laws have sway. BY this willingness tt
live and let live, to acknowledge authori
{ ties and take pains to ingratiate himsel
r with Others. the dweller among stranger!
/ is promptly accepted as well-bred ant
. an agreeable man. And, in common will
all those who are seekers after popu
larity, he invariably discovers that eve,
e ing boarding-hous well-evinced desir'
!. to please and be pleasing makes life easie
! in the living, and many of the otherwise
: rough ways Of existence both smooth AM
r straight Adelaide Gordon.