Barton County democrat., 1912-05-03
WAITING THOUGHTS.
(By Ruth Cameron J

Did anyone ever, wonder, wait at
meeting place for a tardy friend,
without passing through three dis
tinct states Of mind?
The first state of mind is one Of
irritation. "She is always late" you
think as YOU consult your watch; 81
will never promise to meet her again.
suppose she'll have some story Of
the cars being slow, for she always
does. There's no sense in it. She
ought to allow for that when she
starts"
How long this state of mind lasts
all depends upon your previous exper-
fences with your friends capahity
for tardiness. In ordinary cases it
would endure from five to ten min
uteS. At the end of that time, irri-
tation gives place to an entirely
new feeling.
This new state of mind, as Of
course you know II you have ever
waited for anyone, is a growing won
der if you or she could have made
mistake in the time or place appoint.
ed for the meeting. Gould she have
said RS instead Of S's?" you ques-
tion yourself. I'VE used to meet at
RS. No, I'm sure she said SIS, for ]
remember thinking that they had
such a nice waiting room in here. "
Could it have been half past three
instead of half past two?" is the next
question. NO." you assure yourself,
because she never could have ex-
pected us to get all We planned done,
and get out to COra's at five. Still
that would be just like her. I've a
good mind to telephone. But if go
away from here she'll be sure to
come and think I've given her up.
Oh, dear, why must she always be
late"
The third state of mind sets in
earlier or later according to the tenn
permanent of the waiter. But haf an
hour of waiting almost always brings
to the average person the apprehen-
sion that something has happened to
the missing one. Gould she have
been run over? These automobile
accidents are so common nowadays.
Can she be sick? Can it be that
her mother is worse? She looked
real miserable the last time l was
there and she's liable to these sud
den attacks. Dear me, wouldn't 1t
be terrible for Lucy if anything
should happen to her mother. She
depends on her mother so much, =
so runs the current Of your thought,
and so probable does this entirely
groundleSs hypothesis Of yours seem
to you, that you have almost come to
regard it as a fact, and are proper
tienatelg relieved when you see L1sy 6
familiar figure hurTying toward you.
/ Your car broke DOWN." you ne
spOnd to her breathleSs explanations
Lucy, YOU do have the worst luck.
was getting real worried about you
Nonsense? Well, / guess YOU would
TT say 50 if you were me. ! felt thai
something must be the matter. l never
waited quite so long before. Hows
your mother?" so you greet your re
calcitrant friend, much none warmly
on the whole than you would have
had she come in that first ten or fit
teen minutes.
| Is the moral, to be half an houl
late if YOU must be late at adj? NO
If there's any moral, it's just this
you haven't made a mistake in th'
time or the meeting place; she has
MT been run over or taken suddenl!
i'll; no member of her family hal
died; she's Just late, as she has beel
before, and will be again. So mex
, time don't fret and worry. Just 81
; stiT and read a book or paper, an'
remember this little talk, and posses
your soul in patience.
Will do the same? III try to, m,
. friend. That's the best can prc