Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01
THE IDEAL MAN


spirits that attracted him, from the first"
"He is not so very DID," l said: "only
thirty-four. And you will see him look
younger every day now, under the influence
of my frivolity.'
Marcia laughed gently, and 1 was glad to
see that her eyes were entirely happy. was
| wrong about the effect of the Hints and
Helps: her discontentment seems to have
| been only temporary, and she really believes
that she has discovered the Larger Life. If
| she keeps her out oft the window look as well
as she has so far, she will never grow any
| older.
And as for me, l find that am really get
| ting fond of hearing her quote the sayings
| of Sylvester. Even that one about the
| "border of JOY to every act"-1 repeated it
to Henry this morning, and told him that
once l thought it idiotic, but now l liked it;
and what did he think of that? He answered
| that he was very glad had had sense enough
| to see that it was idiotic, and equally glad
that 1 was now sufficiently in love to see
nothing at all.
That was only four hours ago,
and nothing could then have made me be-
lieve that l should shed any tears on this
wonderful day. Yet l have actually been
doing Just that, and hardly know at this
very instant whether l am happy or miser-
able
l have been telling Henry about Marcia
and her Ideal Man. At first he seemed
good deal amused, as l expected he would
be, over what "The Domestic Monthly had
done for her; but when | began to tell him
how she had given him up because she had
become so adoringly devoted to Sylvester
Sharp-which was afraid he would find the
funniest of all-he grew quite serious, though
l saw, as l often do, kind of smile lying
away at the back of his eyes. He was still
| for a minute when l had finished; then he
said:
caroline, if we are to have all things in
common for the rest of our lives we can't
keep secrets from each other. So | may
as we'll tell you at once that l am Sylvester
Sharp"
To save my life l could not have spoken,
but stared at him and waited for him to eX-
plain.
@The publisher of The Domestic Month
ly,' you see, is a cousin of mine," he said,
"and L have been on its staff for several
years. l happened to make hit with some
talky -talky stuff about womens aspirations,
and was put in charge of the new correspon-
dence department Of course I've always
been little ashamed of it; yet have rea-
son to believe that 1 have given more pleas
ure to more people in the person of Sylvester
Sharp than l ever have, or am likely to, as
Henry Parmenter. When | was sent up
here to the country for the good of my health
1 dropped all my other writing; but they
still wanted me to keep up Sylvester. He
has really become the drawing feature of
the magazine. All that was necessary was
to have them forward the letters that re-
quired personal attention, and l sent an
swers back to New York to be typewriter
and mailed"
Still l did not have anything to say,-I
| just couldn't ,-and after minute or so he
went on.
@You can imagine, Caroline, how sur
prised and interested was to receive a let
ter from Bridgewater; though your sisters
first one, as a matter of fact, did not see
until after it had been answered, for the
clerk in charge had one of my form letters
sent in reply, as he always does when he
thinks general answer will do"
This seemed to loosen my tongue, and l
said, THAT was the one with the motto
about borders and edges?'
"Yes. 1t has been quite success. Don't
look so-repugnant, Caroline. There are
people who need letters of that Sort and
tell you it has done a lot of good. 1t did to
your sister Marcia
| OF course he didn't mean to be DatrOniZ-