The Washington times., 1904-01-13
FREE-HAND COMMENT
ON MEN AND MANNERS
with Vlolets 81 Bunch, Sincerity of
Ones Best Girl May Be
Determined.

Sweet violets. sweeter than all the rosesi
DAINTY and fragrant. laden with dew.
from the millionaire florist just round
the corner,
bought them today and brought them
Sweet violets. sweeter than all the
roses.
Two dollars 1 paid for two little
punches.
And If I'm to keep you in violets. dear
fear l must live on ten-cent lunches.
Now is the time to test the sincerity
OF your best girl and to determine once
Tor all whether or not she's the right
sort. OF course. If you are really in love
with her. nothing will convince you that
she is mercenary or vain, and you Will
not listen TO the advice even OF your
best friend. But-this is the time when
violets are a dollar a bunch, and none
save fools and millionaires sons buy
them. The miIlioraires themselves
have too much gray matter for such fol-
~. If the dear creature who makes you
cut yourself when you happen to think
OF her while shaving insists upon
steady floral diet of violets, IL she
doesn't protest and tell you she prefers
carnations. looking at you with solemn
eyes as she says really" make up
your mind that she hasn't your best in
terests at stake and isn't planning for
you that economy which is conducive to
early matrimony. There is no hard
ship, you know, in bringing her carna-
tons at so cents the Dozen instead of
frost-bitten violets at a dollar the wisp.
1t is an American trait, unfortunately,
shared by many Of our women. TO prize
things fer what they cost rather than
for what they are; and it is a bad and
silly trait.
The pink or carnation. which was the
favorste flower of the late William Nc
kinley. is such a tribute of beauty and
tIopic fragrance as no man need be
ashamed to bring TO a woman, however,
queenly. The flower is not to blame
that Its price brings it within reach Of
people OF slender means. Rather we
should say that this is a regal and gra-
cious attribute. for the truly noble are
ever ready to bestow their bounty upon
the humble of the earth. In the Orient,
where flowers grow in such profusion
that there Is little discrimination in the
matter of price. the carnation enters
largely into the language or love; the
white pink meaning, Il love you purely.
the red Il love you warmly" the yellow
81 do not wish to see you again." and
the notified. DO you listen TO my aVow-
alsy And what charming flower il is.
with a soul and distinctive character. If
ever flowers possessed soul and char
acter. It's resistance TO decay. its spicy
aroma, reminding one of the winds that
ness of its coloring at all seasons-are
not these qualities 10 win our admira-
ton and love? The violet is shy and
sensitive blossom. belonging to the
woods and the early springtime. 1t is
exquisite. retiring. and was meant to
be hunted for and picked by lovers. not
bought for a display of wealth. that too
often. alas. does not exist.
The heavy fall of snow has brought
out a number of cutters. though not so
many as fiji the roads in a climate
where a protracted season of sleighing
Is looked for as matter of course ey-
cry winter. Those who have no cutters
and yet love the sport Of ride over
the snow. may follow the directions for
Sleighing at Home" formulated by
Ernest McGaffey. private secretary Of
the mayor of Chicago. and author Of the
exquisite "Sonnets to a Wife" The.
rules are in substance as follows: Let
the fire go out. Open all the doors and
windows. and sit in a draft with your
feet in a pail of ice water XVraD a
buffalo skin about your knees and Jingle
sleigh bells. To make the illusion more
complete. one sheald occupy rocking
which
very well for sleigh runners"
The formal opening of the new school
building at Brookland was a notable oc-
casiOn for that community Indeed. II
is impossible to Overestimate the i'm
portance attaching to the dedication and
opening for business OF any new school
building-another of the real universities
Of America, where the raw material of
democracy is taken and nodded into in
telEgeut citizenship. That new school
viii be remembered fer generations to
come by many of those who will be fill
ing our places when we are gone. as the
institute where they gained their real
equipment OF character and knowledge
for the stern battle of life. When IL is
ar old school, old men and women will
look upon II with affection and graft
tude- The corps of teachers who set its
benevolent machinery going, who are to
start 1T or right or wrong. cannot regard
they have assumed, nor can they enter
too earnestly upon their task.
While they were attempting to serve
the summons upon me-" explains the
Hon. Perry Heath. Il was in she South
attending to my business. 1t would be
good thing If some other people would
attend to their business" This is in
general a sound position. but the Hon
Mr.. 5teath should not forget that some
times businesses overlap and intermin-
gle, causing people who are attending
earnestly to their business TO interfere
with and discommode the business of
others. Business is business.
Mrs Morrison, of this city. who was
recently unmarried" from Mr.. Morri-
son, explains that she contracted a dual
marriage while under influence that
made her unconscious of the act This
IS an interesting explanation psycholog-
icaiiy, and, il founded upon fact. exon
crates the lady. Ii is hardly competent
however, from Mr. Morrison's point OF
view; The chief thing which interests
MN Is that he was conscious OF the sit
uatiOn.
The game" spirit in which the en-
ployes of the Government have accept
ed the added working time commends
them TO general sympathy and consid-
Grafton. All the world loves the cheer
tul person. as IL does the lover, and the
man or woman who accepts his fate
without grumbling has the right sort
OF stun In him There are many in the
community who will not be sorry to
learn that the clerks have found a
champion in Senator Stewart. who is
Trying 10 have the law amended in such
a way as to put on a legal basis the