The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-10-27

devoted to your interest, but you
can never bring yourself to feel any
anection for her in return. The
knowledge that you have constantly
to exercise forbearapce in her pres
ence makes you often wish, in spite
or your best resolves, that she
would never come near you again.
The tactless woman is often self
sacrificing and sympathetic to an
embarrassing degree, and Is gener-
ally quite in her element where there
| is sorrow or distress. H"
No doubt she means to be kind,
| but 1t is certainly very unlucky that
when she visits any of her acquaint-
ances in misfortune all they recall
OF her visit is the unhappy manner
in which she expressed her sympa-
thy; her dismal words seemed to
have added to their grief instead of
cheering them, and heightened the
tension of their already overburden-
ed nerves. ar -.I.. ...v...,
Alas! in joy or sorrow, the tact
less woman, being devoid of the
faculty of adjusting herself to cir
cumstances, is nothing more nor
less than nuisance. .. ..s.. owl. ..
If you have just purchased a
smart new hat, and fondly imagine
that you have secured a chapeau
that is the dernier cry of fashion, and
utterly unlike any other hat in the
circle of, your acquaintances, the
tactless woman is sure to tell you
that Mrs. Smith had one exactly
like it last season." or that that
color doesn't suit you at all, my
dear, it makes you look more sallow
than usual" - .nr ..U -. ..
If she numbers among her ac-
quaintances bride, the tactless
woman is quite in her element. She
will inundate the unhappy little
housekeeper with hints and sugges-
tions until, though she may be
shocked at her lack of appreciation
when the tactless woman means it
all so kindly, the bride will positive
ly dread to see her make her ap-
pearance. .H. ..-. ....-.. ..
The tactless woman is mostly of an
imperturbable nature, and is also
very forgiving. Hints, innuendoes,
and even snubs are quite lost upon
her, or, received with the utmost
good humor. .. ....
If you tell her quite plainly that
you do not care to discuss the af-
fairs of mutual friend whom you
have both just been visiting, it may
quell her loquacity for the time be-
ing, and even make her little re-
sentful, but her displeasure is not
lasting; the next time she sees you
she tells you pleasantly that she has
overlooked your remark of the 9TH
er day as something must have put
you out, and, of course, you never
meant it.
This tendency to do and say things
that may be displeasing to others
does not proceed from any spirit of
misunderstanding, but simply from
her lack of imagination and percep-
tion. ....
What is that indefinable quality
of tact after all but imagination, a
putting of ourselves in the place of
others in the varied circumstances
that we pass through in our journey
through life.
But how valuable a gift it is and
how it smoothes out the little vex-
atiouS worries and annoyances that
beset our daily life.
Nothing can quite make up for
this priceless talent, or cultivated
quality, for it is by no means impos-
sible to cultivate tact as has already
been shown. ....
Fortunately the tactless woman's
blunders are not lasting, or their eff
fects, but certainly they leave
most irritating and unpleasing eff
feet on the minds of those whom she
is anxious to help and befriend.
We sigh over her deficiencies, and
wish she were different. Let us see
to it that we ourselves are not gull
ty of want of tact on many occa-
sions totally unsuspected by us.