The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-01-05

en-. ! am little girl again. as full Of
childish JOY as ! used to be when IA
ther took us on those trips which now
seem like dream. they were so long
ago"
"lf your father hadn't been so easy
we'd be owning a handsome cottage
at one of the fashionable places in the
Adlrondacks instead of hiring a mean
little bungalow here" lamented Mrs
Harris. mo fashionable people ever
come here, and one has TO be so partlc-
can't remain in New York in the dog
daysw
For me. I'm sick and tired of the
mountains" announced Beth. "Td like
to go to Newport, where we'd stand
chance of meeting somebody and
where anyhow we'd be able to see real
society people"
Bother societyr' said Emma hap
PLY.
Both her mother and Beth looked
shocked.
Emma, how can you say such a
thingY' reproved Mrs. Harris, envel-
oping herself in an air Of loftiness.
81 hope you have not allowed your
self to be Influenced by the anarchistic
vaporings of your-of that unspeakable
person whose name is not to be men.
toned"
I've read somewhere that fine soci.
ETY. is only q self protection against the
vulgarities of the street and the tav-
ern," chirped Beth primly.
THAT all depends on how you define
fine society," Beth said Emma.
81 mean the society of wealth, the
Four Hundred, Of course. l pray every
night that ] may marry a duke or
count"
Beth has such elevated ideasy COM
mented her mother admiringly.
"Such petitions" observed Emma,
becoming grave, ''never reach the
mercy seat 1t is said that at mid
night every New Years eve, when the
bells of the churches ring out the
dying year, there issue from the bel
fries streams of vapory spirits with
distracted, terrified faces, their hands
clasped to their ears. They are the
prayers that never rose any higher,
prayers of worshipers in the churches
who repeated~them mechanically, as
they are accustomed to do every Sun
day, without realization of the signifi-
canoe of the words they utter; prayers
muttered by those whose thoughts
were on other things; prayers of the
hypocrite; prayers of the humbug;
supplications to the most high for the
preposterous and the impossible pray
ers of those who do not practice what
they preach; prayers of those who do
those things which they ought not to
do and leave undone those things
which they ought to do and think
their weekly glib confession of it and
their obolus in the collection plate alb
solve them. With the jangling and
changing of the bells they are borne by
the winds over mountain and sea and
are lost forever in the eternal void
between the worlds. All such prayers
wherever uttered must share this
fate"
BY this time Mrs. Harris was agape,
too astonished to utter a word.
Gracious, Emmaw gasped Beth
"You talk like a book. l don't know
what's come over you"
1T is my new birth. l told you it
was as though had been born again
| hope you will marry a duke or a
count If you want to, Beth. AS a rule,
! believe they are real men, every
whit as worthy as good men who don't
bear this distinction of title. Still, the
field is necessarily restricted, and you
mustn't forget that there are other
noble men as distinguished from no.
blemen-men of sterling value, who
ring true under every test"
'Like-lille Jimsy," ventured Beth
with a dubious air, casting about and
on the spur of the moment thinking
of none other she knew who would fit
the description.
Like Jimsy." assented Emma en-
phatically.
But he's so ungrammatical, so-er-
shy on education, besides which he
hasn't any money" objected Mrs. Har-
ris.
None to speak Of" seconded Beth,
pursing her lips deprecatingly
aside from that, though" conceded
Mrs. Harris, Il must say Jimsys a
real good man and most obliging. He
can't help his upbringing."
How about Captain WilliamsT
questioned Emma. How would you
class himT
MY dear" answered her mother,
you wouldn't put him in the same
class with Jimsy-I mean socially.
He's so rich! wouldn't be surprised
If he were several times a millionaire.
Remember, he has two automobiles.
And the handsome way he treated you!
Why, he crossed out the $4,000 that
! abomination stole as though it were a
matter of 10 cents"
"A mans true wealth is the good he
does in this world, mother, according
to Mohammed."
'"That is how 1t may have appeared
to that foreign prophet in the year