The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-26

How many recollections! And none
on which I care to dwell. And in
future, before me. a long road and no
end. So have no wish to walk
on
"'You are disenchanted?' asked
No. answered Madame Odintsof.
but I am not satisfied. 1t seems to
me that if I could attach myself to
"'You would like to love- Bazarof
answered, and you cannot. That is
all your misfortune. Besides.
y0u egs perhaps too d nafSinx that IS
what 1 wish. A complete exchange of
feelings; if I give, it is to receive, and
that without regret and without re-
turn. Otherwise, rather nothing.
But how help yaluing oneself little
dear? If one were not worth some
thing, what would be the good OF
giving oneself away?'"
The third woman is Arina Vlassievna,
mother of Eugene the hero. "Arina
was a true type of the lesser Russian
nobility of the old regime: she ought
to have come into the world two hun
dred years earlier. very I'M
pressible and of great piety, she be-
lieyed in every possible omen, in divi-
nations, in witchcraft and in dreams;
she believed in familiar spirits, in wood
spirits, in evil conjunctions. in the evil
of salt placed on the altar on Holy
Thursday, in the approaching end of
the world; she believed that If the
tapers of the midnight mass at Easter
were not extinguished, the buckwheat
harvest would be good, and that mush-.
rooms will not grow after a human eye
has looked upon them; she believed
that the devil likes places where there
is water, and that all Jews have a
blood stain upon their breasts; she was
afraid Of mice, of adders. of frogs, OF
sparrows leeches, thunder, Of cold wa
ter, draughts Of air, horses. gnats' red
She liked to eat and tasted rigorous
ly. The only book which she
had read was one entitled Alexis: or
the Cottage in the Forest; she wrote at
and was admirably skilled in sweet
meats and preserves. although she did
not put her hand to anything and did
not usually like to stir from her
place. She was however, very
good and not wanting in a certain COM
mon sense. She knew that there exist
ed in the world masters to command
and men of the people to obey, and that
was why she found no fault with the
obsequiousness of interiors. and with
their groveiling salutations; but she
treated them with great gentleness,
never let beggar pass without giving
him aims and criticised nobody al
though she was not an enemy to gos-
sip. In her youth she had an agree
able face, played on the harpsichord
and spoke French little. But during
the long journeys with her husband,
whom she had married against her will,
she had grown fat and forgotten the
music and French While she adored
her son, she was very much afraid of
him. 1t was her husband who man
aged her estate and in that respect she
left him full liberty. She was distrust-
full, continually on the watch for some
great misfortune, and began to weep
\
anything sad. Women of this sort are
beginning to become rare; God knows
whether we ought to rejoice at it!'
"How did Mrs. AS bridge party go
off last night?" repeated her brother
in answer to her inquiry at the break
fast table. "Oh. it was that funny,
conversational, feminine bridge, that
that men detest. I can stand sheer
stupidity better than that. Why" he
exclaimed, with uncomplimentary
frankness, ct would rather play bum
BILE puppy bridge with you than to sit
at a table with Mrs. A. or Mrs. B.. al
though they are both good players, for
they will talk about all sorts of things
during the interval of play, distracting
the attention of the rest, although they
themselves are not in the least affected
by it. They keep it up straight
the game, and 1t gets on my
nerves, although the women who play
do not seem to mind it. Why, there
is Afilly B. Mrs. A will call ont. 'Milly,
dear, there is something 1 must tell
you' and she will jump up. saying,
Call me when the cards are dealt
Then, coming back, she will continue
to talk about something 'Milly' has
told her, while arranging her cards.
For a minute after she will be silent
and play very good bridge, but as soon
as the hand is finished she will begin
anew: Did you hear that Bobby
Whites engagement to Miss r. is on
again? I heard that he has taken the
Kelley cure and that she has forgiven
women Joining in and keeping it up
until their partners insist upon their
paying attention to the game. 1 went
home resolving, as I have resolved
before. never again to attend a mixed
card party.
At house party recently where the
tables had been arranged for bridge
after dinner, and the men were anx-
ious to begin, the women began to
argue whether certain piece Of gos-
sip was true or not. The discussion
ran high, and the card players waited
Finally the host appear
ed on the scene. knowing that there |
would be no intelligent bridge played |
until this important matter was set |
tied" he announced, sarcastically, 81
went to the telephone and called up |
Mrs. x. (the heroine of the story and
explained to her the situation. asking |
her IL she would not settle the ques- |
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