The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-02-12

4sAA" AsAesStA0" oAO1oOA was rCOECGIuSO.
Then Mabel told him not to act like a
small boy, and he came away. &
Nell and l screamed. To be called a
small boy is so irritating-when one
is! And Mat is undeniably understood.
But he did not see the cause of our
| mirth. He said, severely:
Its all very well to laugh, but
think it's your duty to make her drop
it, if you can. You think it over"
So Nell and l thought it over To
tell the truth, we felt fiattered by Mats
confidence in our power to do some
thing, and we agreed with him in
! thinking that something ought to be
done.
Mabel Rogers used to be considered
the prettiest, brightest, most popular
girl in town before she. went to visit
her New York cousins; but that visit
nearly spoiled her. When she came
back her aim in life was to look and
act and talk like the city girls she had
met, and of course she Overdid it. No
city girl ever would have recognized
herself as the original of Mabels ex-
aggerated imitation.
She wore her pompadour about three
sizes too big; her manner was all
"gush," and her affected way of talk
ing made it a standing joke in town
that mabel Rogers went to New York
on the cars; Mabelle Wogehrs came
back fwom New Yawk on the cabs"
What Mabel needed most, I think,
was brother. have noticed that the
girls who have brothers are not so apt
to get silly little airs and affectations
as other girls are. I have often wished
I had brother, but Mat does very
we'll. He keeps me supplied with many
of the comforts of one, particularly in
the matter of frank criticism.
Nell and thought it all over for sew
eral days. We thought hard. 1t takes
hard thinking, I have discovered, to
find really successful way of not
minding your own business. In the
end, am sure We would have given it
up if Nell had not had an idea in
Latin. She is always having ideas in
Latin.
She had this one while we were
reading in the hammock one after
noon, and she gave a little bounce that
made the hammock flop and throw us
out on the ground. Our hammock has
the foppiest disposition, anyhow.
Then, while we sat there on the
ground, weak from laughing, she ex-
planned that she had the loveliest idea
said it seemed to have quite upset
her, but she utterly snubbed my poor
pun.
Il Just found in this book" she went
on, "Similia similibus curantur. /
wonder we didn't think of it before"
Translate it," said. I never have
ideas in Latin myself.
'And you expect to enter college
this fall" Nell said, significantly.
" Like cures like of course, my dear.
I've heard it somewhere BEFORE" she
added, honestly.
"YOu mean" began
Exactly" Nellie assured me. ''Well
just try being affected ourselves, and
let Mabel see how silly it isl
I had my doubts. I said that Mabel
would be more likely to see that we
We're just rude, and perhaps we would
only offend her instead of reforming
her. Mother agreed with me, too. She
advised us, if we really felt called on
to mend Mabel's ways, to tell her
frankly what we thought, instead Of
using 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
never says, II told you so, my dear!"
She just let's me find out a good many
things for myself
So Nell and I spent several days in
learning how to do it. , We studied
Mabel pretty closely, and I confess I
had kind of sneaking feeling, for she
is one Of the sweetest, frankest, most
generous girls ever knew.
But at last we considered our educa-
ton completed, and one afternoon we
started out, with trailing skirts-bor-
rowed-and absurdly bepompadoured
heads, to make formal call on Mabel.
We flattered ourselves that we had &C.
CURED the correct accent, and our
manner was affected to point several
degrees above Mabel's. 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
his afternoon We rang the bell and
rought Maggie with her tray. I
KNOW she was surprised, but she was
game" as Mat would have said.
AS we gravely presented our cards
end 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 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 a hint. We have never
fo1rnd 0,,t