Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

meaning of words is so confused that. while she is a
monument OF seltshness regards her own ease
and comfort, she claims the virtue of unselfshness
to such degree that her large circle OF friends are
all hypnotized into sharing her belief and | have
heard her spoken OF over and over again
selfish mother, woman OF unheard of Ccncroeitr. :
woman who does not pause to consider discomfort
when her hospitality is taxed But the real truth
OF the matter is that she manages things in this way
Her name may go Mrs Maynard. She is ex-
tremely fond OF company, and her spinster
daughter Ellen keeps house for her it is no trouble
tor her to entertain. The rub comes in the fact
that every room in the house is occupied
One morning letter from her niece Mrs
Scott, saying that she would like to come to town
TOR few days shopping and bring her nurse and
baby; and would it be much trouble for Mrs
Hayward to have them stay at the house?
Some Hints for Visitors
A T this, the patient Ellen reared her head: for
\ Fanny Scott was troublesome guest-in fact.
any woman is troublesome guest who comes with
nurse and baby and upsets the kitchen with extra
cooking and laundry work 1t is a fixed fact that
women with babies should visit and as seldom
as possible should young mothers wander from their
own fresides.
But Mrs. Hayward wanted to see her niece So
she said: Now, Ellen, don't look like that 1
know you getting ready say they can't come:
but Il tell you just how we can manage. Let Fanny
have your room. You can lust as well as not stop
over to the boarding house and engage room
there for the boys, and then they still have their
meals with us, while you take their Then. let
that is near the bath room. 1t won't be bit of
trouble Tor Ethel to sleep the couch in the
library tor a week; and there YOU are as snug as
possible and everybody provided for. | do love
to entertain my friends and relatives in my own
house, and never allow the trouble it NAV be to
prevent me from exercising the sacred laws of
hospitality. | hope my children will follow in my
footsteps and be as hospitabe and unseish as their
mother isl
How those children managed to keep a grin from
appearing on their dutiful countenances. | cannot
say; but my heart believe they do not vet see it.
If that true, beautiful to be SO blind to the
eccentricities of ones parents? But on the other
hand isn't it fairly sublime to see how neatly the
Mrs. Waywards of the world reap the immediate
and remunerative JOYS of se'fishness? She is willing
to immediate all her and daughters on the altar
of vcarious hospitality, like the man who in
order to gain his own ease, willing to sacrifice
all his we's relations.
The complaccnt contemplation of se1fshness in
ones friends and neighbors is the privilege of the
philosopher. Too many persons who are struggling
against the sin of selhshnesS, who are richly
endowed with its correatve virtue allow themselves
to be irritated violently by the sight of consistent
selhshness. The very sickness, the rotunditv the
cold eye or the compelling smile of the determined
selfish get the of the observers and
destroy all the comfort of social intercourse The
JOY and satisfaction the selfish obtain from the
pursuit of their vocation infuriate the onlookers
who care for the victim.
Their False Pleasures
ID Ut this shows that they do not embrace the
- whole of the picture in their mental vision. The