The Washington herald., 1909-06-20


answer any question Of a social ma
ture that may be submitted Such
question should be addressed 20 The
Arbiter, care The Washington Herald
In commenting on the woman whom he
is about 10 marry. the mere man recently
said. she is the only woman ever knew
70 whom triaes are only trifies;" which is
as great a compliment as can be paid
any one. man or woman. But what is
trihe2 According TO the Century Die
tionary, a trife is anything Of slight
value or moment: an insignificant fact.
circumstance. object amount. &C; but
what is OF slight value OF moment TO one
may be OF great value or moment to an
other For those however. IN the same
station OF life and approximately the
same wealth. the definition OF a trihe
should be about the same.
Il would be a trifie for a multi-million-
alre 10 break a thousand dollar vase or TO
have his stables burn. for he could re-
place them. or for his wife TO rum a toilet
that cost into the thousands, for she
would only have 10 order another; yet the
plutocrats are prone 10 make much Of
their losses. have seen a male pluto
lost a bauble from his watch chain. and
female plutocrat weep and wall for an
accidental rent in a black lace parasoL
It Is exactly the same spirit that causes
the notable. provincial housewife 10 90
OF into an attack Of Mysteries should
some neighbor come in and find a spot
on her kitchen floor or discover a fly
in her best room"
These things are stupid so stupid as 20
be unbelievable yet numberless instances
could be cited showing how the merest
trifies are the determining factor in the
lives OF many people; but the great ones
Of the earth are never handicapped by
trifles or allow them 70 stand IN their
way. and 10 them. things that 70 others
would seem momentous are only trifles-
trifies light as air.
II is curious how really serious things
sre sometimes classed as trifies. For
instance. my lady will go of into hys-
terics over rent in her parasOl, but un-
necessarily trample on some ones feel
ings, get into a rage with a servant, or
forget a promise she has made 10 a
child. and dismiss her commissions and
omissions as only trihes. II all depends
upon the point OF view and education,
but nothing should be considered as a
triie that serves 10 make any one in
int MNElQ udllNlcL OF DelAcI- 1llLES
that are mere trifles 20 laymen are mat
ters Of grave import 20 a doctor or
trained nurse. and the neglect OF them
might cause death A nurse was sum
marily dismissed from one OF the local
hospitals the other day because she neg
lected some "triie." as she called il. but
on that trihe lay the recovery Of the pa
tient the reputation OF the physician.
and the prestige Of the hospital II is
well, therefore, 10 draw a strict line be-
tween trihes and serious things
The reason why the prospective Bene-
dict said that his fancee was the only
woman he had ever seen TO whom triles
were only trihes was because her idea
OF trfhes comedies with his She wore 70
the theater the other night a smart new
gown. intended for her trousseau- After
the play, the party OF which she was
member went into a cafe for supper,
anu when the red wine was being served
:. clumsy waiter poured a half a bottle
Of il down the side OF her dress She
laughed over the mishap assured the en-
barrassed and apOlogetic waiter that no
one was immune from accidents, and
soon every one was as merry again as
though nothing had happened Il wager
Margaret viii have a good cry over that
when she gets home" whispered one OF
the women 10 the mere man. NO. she
won't" replied that worthy; you see
she never loses her calm over trifes, nor
does she cry for split milk" What she
does cry for are things that 10 other peo-
ple would seem the veriest trifes in the
world. II she inadvertently hurts the
feelings Of a child. misses an engage
ment with one Of her poor. or IS power
less 70 help some one in trouble she
would rail at fate unless she were
philosopher, which she is. and her motto
is Wycline's admOnition: do the next
thing"
And what IS the use. anyway, this cry
ing and fretting over things that can't
be helped?
Only from day to day the life Of a brave man runs
What matters Il seasons far away have gloon or
have double sunsi
know a clever woman who, when she
was Arst married, had an impossible per
son to deal with IN her husband. He was
an only child. had been brought UP 70
have his own way about everything, and
20 have all OF his whims gratifed- My
dear" said his cousin, who had known
him from childhood, you can never live
with that spoiled youngster in the world
Why, he commences at the breakfast
table. and from that time on through the
whole day he finds fault with every one
and everything. I have seen the maid at
his house 60 out with the third plateful
Of toast that had been made specially
for him and according TO his Instructions
and I have seen this same maid weep
bitter tears because, no matter how hard
she tried, she could never please him;
eov- har
and she was an excellent creature. You
can never live with him-never, never.
ueverp'
But the girl was enough IN love with
the man to try. and she tried. The honey
moon at a summer watering place passed
pleasantly and harmoniously enough, and
the little bride began 10 think that her
husband had been maligned. but she
changed her mind at the very first break
fast they had together under their own
roof.
My dearN said the spoiled youngster
to his wife when the delicious grape fruit
was passed 10 him, Il don't like my grape
fruit fixed in that way. II looks messy.
Don't you remember how they served it
at the Nabobs' Club? Please have it ar
ranged in that way"
Jane said the little bride 20 the maid.
take Mr.. KS grape fruit away. and
next time please see that it is arranged as
he wishes"
The grape fruit was whisked OF the
table. and when Mr.. Man asked for an
other he was informed that there were
no more in the house. But this misfor-
tune did not deter him from further fault
finding.
Bessie" he whined TO the smart little
figure opposite him. you viii have TO
show the cook how 10 make coffee. This
coffee IS as weak as water and as muddy
as q bog nfrer 2 rain hatn maak cnf.