The San Francisco call., 1905-04-23

ferrous lassie that has come 10
light for many a weary day.
Not that she intends TO be. and
probably she would be. the very
last one on earth 10 realize il. but she
hasn't enough energy in her entire
makeup to be anything else
You all know her and know what
an atrocious bore she can be. for none
Of US are quite fortunate enough TO
escape having one, at least, in our
list Of acquaintance.
When you call at her home as call
you must every seventh blue moon.
she untWists herself from q great arm
chair and advances quite two inches to
meet you with one hand laZily extend
ed and the other holding the latest
magazine or novel OF the day. She
smiles a sort Of half-hearted smile that
pulls the corners Of her mouth a trife
and that is intended TO convey the idea
that she is pleased 10 see you Maybe
she even goes so far as TO say SO, but
her ordinary form Of greeting is How
are yOui I'm nearly dead"
And she certainly conveys as much
by her every movement She sinks
into a miserable little huddle in the
most comfortable chair the room af-
tcrds and then promptly carefully
holsters up her head TO keep it from
falling OF her shoulders. Her hands
are folded listlessly in her Lap. and
with the exception OF an aimless move
now and then, she sits like an animated
lump Of lead just as long as you in
fict yourself by remaining in her pres
ence.
Now and then her duties as a hostess
seem TO rouse. her a bit and she talks
in a low, monOtOnous voice that sounds
Tor the world and all as though she
had Just returned from wake and was
TOO hopelessly sleepy to know any
thing. Occasionally she even attempts
to brew you a cup of tea, but you re
scared out Of your seven senses when
she comes within two feet Of YOU for
fear she Will fall over some trife in
her abstraction and land cup. tea and
all into the lap Of your very best call
ing frock
oh, she's such a pleasure. is this list
less girl She agrees with you when
you say black is black, and she agrees
with you quite as readily when you say
black is white And why not? pray tell
lsn't Il q great deal simpler TO acouiesce
than IL is 10 run the chances of having
a lively discussion2 For when all was
said and done was the whole thing
worth losing her beloved calm for. any,
way2
She isn't worth a hill of beans so
cerned, is this listless lady for she
really doesn't care enough about conse-
& Quences to take life very seriously. To
be sure II is quite true that a good
shock VIII occasionally rouse her from
her trance and make her point Of view
vastly different. but as a rule she sits
! hopelessly down and waits dreamily
. and bit drearily TO take advantage of
the first opportunity that presents it.
self.
She's rarely unhappy, which is her
one salvation, and the salvation of
those who must come in contact with
her. She drifts aimlessIy on and on and
just as long as she is permitted to go
ner own sweet way she asks no odds
OF any one, for she is like a cat that
has had plenty TO eat and has found
. the sunny corner Of the kitchen To
De sure, she doesn't purr in her delight.
but she stretches out quite as lazflv
ana is every whit as much at peace
with herself and the world in general
What an awful bore such a girl is,
-. - nay De pretty, and many times is
Dut she IS absolutely without ambition.
without vivacity. without coouetrv. in
1act, without everything that makes
lie worth living. She may possess
some talent 10 a marked degree. but
WITHOUT ambition she never turns II TO
any account unless q slave driver
STANDS behind her and cracks a whip
otainously at her very heels, and then
sne does II in a half-hearted I-don't-
Want-to-oo-it sort of way that is far
better left undone.
You simply cannot drive o.. coax her
into making anything worth while o,,+
cf herself, for she hasn't the T'lI-do-i+
or-oie qualities shat always manage to
find a way somehow or other. She may
promise by all the saints in the calen-
dar ano even run bluff on herself bv
secretly vowing 10 do better. buf in
few days her old ways have gotten her
IN their clutches again and she is in
the old familiar rut quite as deem ~
not deeper than ever.
Talk. Oh, yes, you can talk and
preach until you are blue in the face.
but you might just as well save vour
breath for all the good II viii do The
lstless girl always means well. but she
hasn't the force Of character to carry
II cut, She's always reforming. and
just as .religiOusly backsliding. for she
doesn't care enough to make even a
faint hearted sort Of struggle. and She
doesn't see the sense in making herself
uncomfortable and unhappy anyway.
AS long as she's happy and contented
wonder whether IL really is worth
while bothering over her and trying TO
make her other than a hopeless non
entity. She really doesn't want to he
anything else, and it takes a tremen-
dous amount Of hammering and infinite
patience to break down the barrier Of
supreme satisfaction and stupid dull
ness with which she has surrounded
herself
] knew a girl who caught the lIstless
habit when she was yet IN the grammar
school. She didn't want to help about
he house, she didn't want TO study,
AID. in fact. she didn't want to DO any
ding useful, sensible or practical.
When her mother couldn't persuade
he TO 20 to the high school she decided