The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-11-25
az ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

1t may or 1t may not De OF interest |
but it is true that the petition made .
to the Supreme Court of Appeals in
the Reattie case was denied on the
thirteenth.
And it is the fact that this unfor-
turate young man was electrocuted
on Friday.
| Here is the point at which you stop
and gaze triumphantly at the person
who pooh-poohs being superstitious.
There's nothing in it," they say.
Mere coincidence.
! Would have happened anyway.
How by the way, do people know
things
! On what positive authority does the
person who says that superstitions
are null and void base the statement
that they are null and void"
Nail him down. Ask him to give
reasons TO present arguments.
State his premises. Cite the chapter
and page.
Can he do it, Certainly not. He
invariably takes refuge in the state
ment-
We'll, know there is nothing in
it."
Intrenched in this imrregnable po-
sition. he smiles at YOU pityingly--or
maybe she does-and lapses into lofty
and superior silence.
These lofty and superior silences. to
digress-if one might be said to di-
gress at all, the digressions. indeed.
! hc is.
course which makes no pretense of
being other than inchoate-are one of
the most maddening phases OF close
social and domestic intercourse. For
domestic intercourse is, no, infre-
nuently. entirely unsocial in character
Hence the distinction.
In every household is to be found
the person who practices these super
ior silenceS.
After a heated exchange Of ameni-
ties concerning many of those delight,
full matters that agitate every menage,
when diverse opinions have been ex.
pressed for and against. when you
nave, perchance, indicated no violent
respect for the other fellows attitude
and he-or she-in turn, has given
your epigrammatic utterances scant
consideration, and you have, at last
indulged. in some profane comment
to the effect that you have serious
doubts as to his-or her sanity, the
superior silence comes into play.
You talk on.
The silence is not only oppressive
but obnoxious.
Still you talk.
You say that they needn't think
they are impressing you with their
sudden lack of loquacity. That you
understand perfectly that they have
stopped because they are completed,
floored. That they never did have
any case. That they needn't put or
airs because you are as good as they
ents At least the same blood runs
in your veins-you regret this latter
circumstance. How glad you would
be to disclaim the ties OF consanguin
:ty only you yourself could possibly
know. Anyway they might as vel
talk because either way they ar.
equally ridiculous. That you do no.
regard yourself as infallible-1ndeet
know yourself to be a person given tt
gross mistakes and grave errors bu
that you at least have the decency tt
speak when you are spoken to. Tina
If they knew how perfectly preposter
Gus you thought them and how dis
gushing you knew them to be that the,
would-you drool on and on gettinl
madden and more insulting, your figh,
ing blood at one hundred and fifty il
y the shade.
u Only the presence of someone il
the next room stays your hand.
You long to land swift upper Gu
~ on that superior silence.
In the meantime its possessor look
~ disdainfully out of the window O
reads the evening paper assiduousl,
You glance over his shoulder
her shoulder-and see he's perusin
=. the country correspondence upsid
~ down. You can call attention to tn
fact, with which he arises and fling
out of the room and you, feeling e,
tremely cheap-but knowing that 20
are entirely right-hold vain-gloriou
n sway in the apartment.
i'll Later you meet him, or her, on TN
if stairs, and stop to say that while 20
know he is trying to make you fe|
g how low and common and vulgar an
IS. indecent you are, just because you pr
d fer to spit it out" rather than
- chew it over and harbor bitter fee
"a ings forever, when if he would onl
IT, acknowledge you were right ever,
s. thing would calm down, you still kno
that you, in comparison with him, al
P. much more agreeable, and, indee'
o. virtuous person and you advise him
is take a REFER or two in his lofty ii
n ence before it engulfs him.
n. He stands and looks over your hea
G. since you are on the step below ar
H. he cannot possibly pass you without
is.