The Tupelo journal., 1906-06-08
BY MARGARET e. sANGsTER.

L
into my living-room the other day
looking very forlorn. She flung her
self into chair. the corners Of her
mouth dropped and | saw that tears
were not very far from her honest
brown eyes. Louise has those big
brown eyes that show a soul SO true
and loyal that 1t has in it not The
faintest possibility for deceit. l have
seen dogs with eyes that have exactly
that expression.
What is the matter?" said.
"Have you found out that your doll
dearest friend picked up her play
things and gone home? You appear to
have met with some provoking Gisap-
pointment Did you not get on the
| promotion list after all your work?
Come, dear, pour out your trouble. Tell
me what has happened. Perhaps
can help you. I've been in hard places
myself
Louise managed to smile little as
she answered.: "The trouble isn't one
| that you can cure. 1t is just that l
am such an idiot OF a girl, always say
ing the wrong thing and making mis-
takes and setting people against me.
I have done it three times to-day; l
have three times said the wrong thing,
and l am completely discouraged.
I'm the first place / met Mena Car
son on her way to school this morning.
She was in very good spirits and told
me that she was sure she would have
a perfect recitation in geometry as
she had worked out every proposition
| correctly last evening. l had nothing
better to answer than: That will be
| change for you. l know that your
Cousin Tom is visiting your house, and
suppose he helped you
Nov, that was the worst and most
insulting remark l could have made,
for Mena is very dull in mathematics,
and, as everybody knows, her people
at home are not particularly well-edu-
Gated. l called attention in a breath
to her own stupidity and to the fact
that she couldn't have made her prep
aration unless Tom Winthrop had
been there to help her. She left me
abruptly, and she hasn't sponen to me
since. Anyway, l was sincere"
"Yes, Louise" l assured her, you
were sincere, but you were not tact
full. fear that you did hurt your
friends feelings quite needlessly. 60
on, dear. Let me hear the rest"
"At recess" said Louise, Marjorie
Dean asked me If liked the fashion
Of her new frock. Without stopping
to think, told her frankly that the
fashion was pretty enough for some
people, 1t would suit tall, slender
girl like Nancy Kent, but 1t made Mar
jorie look too dumpy and short. 1t
was the truth, but Marjorie flushed up
and said: You do say such horrid
things, Louise. One never knows what
you will tell her when she asks you
q civil question: Then she walked Off,
and know she does not like her frOck
so we'll as she did before.
LAS if this were not sufficient"
Louise proceeded, Il blundered again.
Miss Tilson, our teacher, asked me
whether would have to go out OF my
way to post letter for her, when /
went home to luncheon. The post Of
flee is three blocks from our house
in an opposite direction from the
school, so l could not oblige my teach
er without taking some extra steps. I
hesitated a moment before answered:
Il shall have to go little out of the
way, but shall not mind that; l can
hurry, and l will be happy to post
your letter. Never mind said Miss
Tilson, here comes Rose Elliot,
think she can oblige me without any
Inconvenience
"You should have seen Rose. She
Just beamed. She seized upon that
letter and bore it off in triumph, and
Miss Tilson looked after her as much
as to say: There goes young girl
| who takes delight in doing favOrs for
people,"
Louise sighed and was silent.
"The error you make, Louise"
said, after pause, is a common one
with young people. They lack sense
OF proportion. You are naturally can
did and open, and you have formed an
excellent habit of always telling the
truth. like your sincerity. e'en
like your bluntness, and yet l must