The Washington times., 1911-01-19
DON'T MAKE GIFTS
YOU WOULD RECALL;
IT'S NOT GENEROUS
Bv FRANCES CARROLL.

THE sort of generosity which
prompts a gift but allows the
giver no peace afterward is no
generosity at all.
1t is rather an impetuosity which one
should curb and discourage, for it can
" bring nothing but discomfort.
/ can illustrate the point well by tell
ing you of the visit of a certain young
woman to some wealthy folk in Boston.
The Washington woman and the Boston
woman were once schoolmates, but I'M
til this winter they had not seen each
othe!' in years. The Boston woman, in
the meantime, had married a wealthy
man, and so continuously pressed the
Washington woman for visit that it
was recently arranged.
Il did not know that money could
make such a difference she said to me
thoughtfulIy.
You see, when we were college
mates" she went on. Clara was always
generous, big-hcarted girl. SO that l
was totally unprepared for the SELFISH
ness her money has developed in her l
didn't realize ii until the second morn
ing l was there, when we prepared to
go down town for d little shopping.
While ] was dressing Clara brought in
dainty little blue silk waist.
Maybe you can wear this, Marion
she said. i got it in Paris last year,
but have grown so stout that l cannot
get it on. If you can wear it l will be
so glad for you to have it
Il tried on the waist, and ii fit me
perfectly, so / decided to wear it down
town. Clara enthused over the way |
looked in it, and l myself was nightly
pleased.
She was very happy until we neared
hnnna "a nH n
cross, and conversation dragged. When
l was again in my room | changed my
street gown for a house dress and Joined
my hostess for luncheon.
"An hour or two later when / went
back to my room the waist had diSap-
peared from the chair over which | hau
hung it, and l never heard of it agaln.
"A dozen times during my visit Clara
impetuouSly ShOWcrCd generosity upon
me only to regret it. and retraCt it.
Once she laid her last years furS on my
bed, handsome set of lynx, declaring
that ] just had to take them, that she
had new ones and never intended wear
ing the old ones again. l thanked her
doubtfully. and left the furs where she
had laid them. Later in the day she
slipped into the room, took the furS
and packed them away in trunk in her
storage room.
She could not wear the waist herself.
She did not want the furs, but neither
did she want any one else to have
them" ended the Washington woman
with a laugh, for she could see the
humor as we'll as the pathos of the Stu
alton.
II reminded me of other rich women l
know who pack away endless things
they never intend wearing again be-
cause they are TOO selfish and too
stingy to give them to some one who
could wear them
I know one wealthy woman who never
fails to tell me when l see her of some
perfectly good" cast off clothes she
gave her washerwoman, and there is al
ways a tinge of regret in her tone. Ger
tainly she will never forget her gener-
osity, and / doubt if she will ever let
her poor laundress forget il.
The gift that is going to be afterward
rcgretfully remembered by the giver had
better never be made.
The woman who has impulses of gen
erosity which are gone with the mo-
ment has no real bigness of heart, no
genuine desire to help others.
I received this year a Christmas gift
from such woman, and ! have been
adroitly reminded of its value, in some
way, at every possible opportunity, since
the holidays.
Somehow or other the giver has