The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-01-10

z al III dA1C G1LhSs IO uOACh L 1C1OS L i
in jury, have written on their slips regarding his
Taste in Dress all the way from Z down to 4. Then
his appearance comes up for discussion: hair,
complexion, eyes, nose, ~mouth-those features
which are so precious to him, which he values so
highly, yet which his friends look upon from quite
a different point of view. And upon the twelve
slips of the jury against Courage are written fig
ures ranging from (Which in this classification
with 10 as a maximum is pretty close to abject
cowardice-all the way up to (which might be
very good if it we're descriptive of Good Looks,
but is pretty poor for Courage.
And then his Companionable Qualities, and his
Good Manners. Can there be any doubt whatso-
ever regarding these? But he would not feel fiat
tered if he heard the discussion of his friends, and
when he is recalled to the room and shown the
average vote which ascribes him but 5 out of a
possible 10 for Companionable Qualities, and but
6 out of a possible 10 for Good Manners, he stands
aghast at the Indictment against him.
There is one characteristic which the jury re-
Trains from voting on until Character No. One
has returned to the room and heard the verdict
upon every other of the twenty-six points. AS
one by one the verdict of the jury is read off to
him by the chairman-with such comments as may
seem fitted to be of use to the character on trial
the members of the jury watch him closely before
marking down the vote against the final heading,
Good Humor. Does he take it we'll or i'll? Good
Humor counts not merely 10 in the general aver
age, but 80 as one of the most important of char
acteristics. Consequently, when the applicant for
a decision upon his character laughs good-na-
turedly even before the severest blows to his
amour-rropre, the pencils seek the cards and mark
the final figures % out of a possible 80, which does
much to bring up the general average-to correct
L - $3.50
in everyday life.
The entire number, if possible, to a character
perfect in every one of the requisites, is $50. The
figures noted by the several members of the jury
averaged 40. To this the % for the final test of
Good Humor was added, bringing the character
up to 168-by no means a bad showing, as charac-
ter goes in the world.
The next lot falls to a young lady of the party,
an especial favorite, sprightly, cheerful, gracious
in manner. She departed with the mot of Talley-
rand, who, turning to a brilliant French assem-
blage as he departed from the room, said: 81 go,
but L leave my character in your hands,"
10 her the vote of her friends was almost equal
ly surprising. While in Good Looks, in Compan-
ionable Qualities, in Good Taste in Dress and in
Courage, the vote was high, that which concerned
Mental Capacity, which concerned her Education.
which concerned her Energy and her Self-Control,
was so untatterlng as to give an opportunity for
many hours serious meditation, if taken to heart
as, indeed. should be the case.
You, my dear reader, may say that the Game of
Averages cannot be played altogether comfortably
to the players. I am willing to concede that roint.
But on the other hand, the claim may be made for
1T that it is highly entertaining, interesting at
every moment from the time Character No. One
retires from the room until the average for
the entire party are footed up to determine the
composite picture before separating for the even
ing. 1t is intellectual in that it brinos into play
the best qualities of mind and heart. And finally,
it IS valuable exercise to those who wish to see
themselves as others see them, so that from what
is a petty modification of the moment, they may
Iro- 1occoDc e., rlo L,;1J;nr IN &c ohoroo+or + -