The Cairo bulletin., 1911-10-02
Reforming
Mildred
Mildred was astonishingly proficient


IN the gentle art of selfdepreciation
She had horror Of permitting people
TO think herself or her possessions
better than they really were. She
could not bear that any one should be-.
iieYe she was trying to appear smart,
or or nicer than she was In reality.
For instance. II person casually
admired her bracelet, which was set
with tiny French br1lliants that de-
Ned the criticism Of anyone but an ex-
pert with magnifying glass, Mildred
always spoke up hurriedly.
They aren't real diamonds. you
know" she would explain. They
look real. don't they? But they
aren't"
When visitors CHANGED to remark
on the beauty Of the Flemish wood
work In her home she would hasten to
say; But you know 1t isn't real oak
Its Just pine stained. The effect 10
exactly as good and you couldn't tell
the difference unless 1t was explained
to you--but 1t isn't real oak at ALL"
One day she said to visitors. mo,
rather isn't rich enough to own an
automobile" Yet these same visitors
had been assured ten minutes before
by her father that he disliked cheap
cars and was waiting until American
manufacturers did better work before
he bought machine.
Sometimes Mildred's despairing
FAMILY would take her aside after such
outbursts and demonstrate with her.
Their words ranged from fearful sup.
plicauon to roaring threats, but the
effect In all cases was precisely moth
Ing Mildred would turn her rather
prominent. accusing eyes upon her
mentor and say: We'll, but it's true.
isn't 1t? What's wrong about telling
the truth!
As time went on her family de.
SPARED of ever finding cure for this
obliquity of Mildred's mind, They
would sacrifice much in order to joit
her into a becomingly tactful state Of
conscience, They finally concluded II
was hopeless.
1t irritated Mildreds mother to sail
out In a brand-new gown made from
an old one sent her by rich aunt
and then to hear her daughter chirp
You'd never guess mother hadn't
gone downtown and bought that goods
by the yard, would you? Aunt Sarah
is so much larger than mother that
things cut down nicely for her,'
In response to her mothers some
what heated remarks after this par
ticular performance Mildred retorted
shocked: Why. you actually weren't
trying to make them think 1t was new
when 1t wasn't. were your That
would be deceiving themi"
OF course, this reply would tioor
any perfectly good mother. Still, as
Mildred's mother said 1t was infuriat-
Ing to have a daughter so devoid of
common sense.
Mildred was just as downright In
regard to abstract things, too. she
carefully explained that her brothers
eyes didn't really fail him at college.
but that he was expelled because he
got into 80 many scrapes. She also
pointed out that, even though he did
have a prominent jaw. his character
lacked decision and that he threw his
things on the floor instead OF hang.
ing them up.
SO when she became engaged to Ru.
fus Price her family, in spite of their
disappointment. were relieved. They
felt that henceforth Mildred would be
kept busy pointing out all Of Rufus
defects and faults and sins to him. 20 |
that they would get much needed |
rest.
II there was anything Rufus had In /
abundance It was faults. II he had
stood ten miles away and let you fire
a shot at him 1t would have been Inn.
possible to escape hitting fault or
so. The more Mildred's family thought |
about It the more Rufus appeared to
them lih6 q, great blessing.