Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18

! ing If she has heard us talking a scandal
! and gossip, of however innocent a kind.
when she brings in the tea things? Please
remember that fashions. like water, run
down hill.
Paradoxical as it may sound it is true
that before considering and regulating
servants duties one must first consider
those of the mistress and the way in which
she fulfills them.
The good mistress is punctual. methodicaL
just. courag eous and not afraid of respon-
sibility. a mistress who hesitates is lost.
while mistress who is afraid of her serv-
ants is beyond help.
The Beloved Neighbor
Causes the least possible annoyance or
discomfort to those who live about her.
Whether her home IL in village. country
colony or a crowded apartment house, she
sees that her habits. possessions and
amusements, her household pets. her chill
dren and her servants create no disturbance
that can distress or annoy her fellow res
idents
When she dwells In an apartment house
and she wishes to entertain with music or
dancing, she tries to regulate her festivity
with due regard to the rest and convenience
OF the other occupants of the house. If she
must needs practice her voice. her violin,
her plano, and there Is an invalid on the
floor above or below, she asks to the
sick neighbor or his relatives, explains the
requirements of her art, and arranges, II
possible, to practice at the hours that will
not interfere with the afflicted ones sleep.
There is more than ciyility In this; 1t is a
tribute to unselfishnesS and to others. And
it shows that she has appreciation of the
rights of the men and women with swhom
her lot is cast.
When she calls upon a nelghbor with n
grievance she is always certain that the
complaint is real and she always takes 1t
| for granted that he or she is unaware that
any wrong is being done. Never does she
resort to the highly improper and uncivil
policy of comp laining loudly TO the tInof-
| Tending neighbours servants or of sending
messages by the children in hopes that the
grievance will come in some roundabout
way to the neighbours ear. Instead, she
calls in a friendly fashion to explain the
difficulty as though the whole affair were
an accident, and quite as though she de-
sired sympathy and assistance rather than
stern justice. She makes no complaint
while still wrathful over trespaSs or In
jury. She waits until she can discuss the
ma tier quietly; but she does not decide to
say nothing at oil. and instead nourish the
wrong in silence and take revenge by ceas-
ing neighborly intercourse, or in some other
unsupported fashion. This is a specimen Of
injustice, since she can never be certain
how matters stand or in how far the neigh
Dor is truly to blame until the affair is
openly discussed.
It is Often
a puzzle to the observing girl to account
for the popularity of some of her friends.
Jane is no better looking than Susan, yet
Jane has admirers by the dozen while SUI
san knows what it is to be sometimes
wallAower.
Kate has no finer character than Alice,
F,,to, sl,
Alice seems to achieve few intimacies. Ag-
mes is not more clever than Harriet, yet her
sayings are quoted, the literary honors OF
the class are showered upon her, while Har-
riet remains unappreciated.
Why all this should be so Is an apparent
riddle, but the observing girl will notice
that there are some side lights on the mys-
terry.
Beauty quite devoid of vanity for exam
pie, is always more alluring than when
marred by self-cOnsciOusness A fine char
acter which is broad enough to comprehend
and allow for others will always attract and
keep more frinds than one which demands
that all must meet her standards.
The brilliant girl who can listen as well
as talk will find more appreciation than one
absorbed, as some one has described it, in
sending off her own fireworks"
Perhaps the best way to achieve popu-
larity in the good sense Of the word was
pointed out by the apostle Paul when he
told US ito be all things to all men"
This saying must ne taken III connection
with his whole life his fearlessness and his
nobility of character.
From his lips these words convey no sense
Of insincerity or flattery. They only mean
we are to throw ourselves as much as may
be into the lives Of those about us, and try
to see with their eyes as well as our own.
It Is
A matter Of economy to be happy, to view
life and ali its conditions from the brightest
angle. It enables one to seize life at it's
best. 1t calls power to do our bidding. 1t
is far truer sympathy than that mistaken
sense Of communion with grief and suffer-
ing which holds our friends in misery In
stead Of helping them out of IT. 1t is far
uobler religion than that creed which causes
one TO put on n long face and look as
serious as possible. Once more, there Is
something wrong in our philosophy If It
sanctions melancholy and pessimistic
thoughts.
We have not yet looked deep enough into
life. We have never got beyond being i'm
pressed by the sadder and goomier side OF
life We are still thinking and acting con-
world of nature by which we sur
rounded.
By maintaining this mournful attitude we
show our want of faith in the goodness of
things as much as when we fear A deep
and unuuenchable spirit of Joy Is at once
the truest evidence that We believe In the
benehcent father and that we have pene-
trated deep enough into LIES mysteries TO
see how best, most economically, most
courageously and helpfully 10 take our
career. GRACE RILEY CLAkhE.