The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-06-09
Modern Woman
The Innuendo Is Very Unsatis-
factory Weapon-The Etiquette Of
Book Borowing-Some Pertinent
Suggestions For the Thoughtless.

sne OF her acid chuckles.
"And she understood all right, but
she couldn't say a word. for. of course,
| had mentioned no names" And an
other of those chilling cachinnatiors
rang out on the air. The sour faced
woman was happy: she thought she
had hurt somebody.
The dig" as femininely translated.
is an innuendo so wor(ied as to admit
of no reply on the part of the victim.
1t is, alas. a favorite form of discipline
ON the part of the gentler sex. More
over, it is almost invariably tried on
women, for the fair digger" may have
learned that the masculine skin is too
thick for 1t to be effective. Possibly,
however, she doesn't dare to try it on
him. for she who inflicts this barba-
rous punishment is invariably a cow
ard. If she wasn't. there would be no
need to resort to SUE Il weapon; she
would speak her mind and give the
enemy chance to make defense.
Nine times out of ten the dig" is
particularly offensive type of med
ding. Giving :. 'ti-" is about as hon
orable as STALL ~ in the back and not
nearly SO safe a; " appears, for there
always comes lie time when the
worm turns, ant. then 1t generally
proves to be a rattlesnake.
In the case mentioned Charlie prob
oil hi ho ov,1 ort
able at being made a lay figure for
the exploitation of the "digger's'' spite
and much resented the use made of
him. No doubt he would later treat
his men friends with more or less
highly colored version Of the incident
In which the epithet regular cat
would fill in various intervals In the
narrative. The tale would be passed
on by gossips, each one adding his or
her own particular touch to the story,
until the "digger's'' deadly weapon
turned on her like a boomerang and
she herself went down under the i'm
pact of pubic opinion, for when the
world docs not despise the woman
who digs it at least fears and avoids
her.
No, indeed; the dig" is neither nice
nor safe. II you have ever INDUCED
in it, resolve that hereafter the only
digging" you will do will be In the
garden.
II love books SO much that when /
get treat l want the whole world to
enjoy it with me-" said woman much
given to the lending of literature, "but
when one comes home looking like that
I sometimes determine never to allow
another one to go out of the houser'
The volume In question had been
grease spotted and dog cared until it
was hard to believe that it had been
new and spotless when the borrower
received it. 1t gave Il stranger very
bad impression of the woman to whom
1t had been loaned. although she did
not deserve it. Very few persons are
as scrupulous y careful in caring for
loans, particularly books. as good man.
ners require. Many persons dislike to
let favor..o volume go out of their
possession itct&:ise of the condition In
which 1t is almost sure to come back
If 1T is not dog cared. it will be finger
marked or soiled on the back One of
the greatest nuisances among book Dor
rowers is the man or woman who
marks favorite or striking passages.
Not even the fact that the volume does
not belong to them is sufficient to
deter them from getting in their deadly
work with pen or pencil
When borrowing book, it is wise
to put on 1t thick paper cover. Then
accidents are not SO likely to happen
In marking the place where you have
left of reading use slip Of ribbon or
paper, never under any circumstances
knife or pencil. Either will spring the
back A month Is as long as a borrow
ed book can be decently kept. If you
want 1t longer, speak to the owner. Be-
fore returning 1t be sure that you have
slipped into it neither kilograms nor
note Family secrets are thus some
times passed along.
Ii you are asked to loan books often.
it Is good plan to do as did clever
western woman who lived In town
where new books are much in demand.
She would cover each volume with a
piece Of oilcloth and on the
inside paste slip of paper on which
she had printed her name. address and
a little verse in which she asked for
prompt return and careful usage. The
oileloth was the soft, pretty kind used
for shelf coverings When the seal
Hoped border was cut off. there was
plenty of material for making book
covers. Linen or denim covers are |
pretty. but they are not nearly 50 prac-
teal as the oilcloth. which protects |
from dampness aud can be wiped off |
when soiled
Flowers are the most acceptable |
gifts for. friend and the most appro I
pirate for the sick Their cost should |
deter no woman from having them If |
she cannot plant her own flower gar
den, she can have window boxes. 1t is |