The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-05
WHY NOT SOME ONE '|WhO LOOKS THE PARI'
Toast to the Next Mistress of the White House-t Is
Not Possible to Tell the Truth and Maintain
Reputation for Tact.

| a Reputatio
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
There are two women In Washing
ton who will never be appointed to the
diplomatic service.
One Of them the wife of an Indiana
Democratic Congressman.
The other her hostess at = luncheon.
In the papers the other day appeared
an account of the refusal of the former
to drink toast proposed by the latter,
to the wife Of the Democratic chair
man OF the Ways and Means Commit
tee, Mr.. Underwood. rs the next mis-
tress Of the White House"
The Indiana woman stated this state
had a future lady of the executive man.
sion itself-Mrs. Thomas r. Marshall.
The hostess. Mrs. Underwood and
all the guests were embarrassed and
confused.
The hostess. however. showed lack
Of tact and bad taste. in the first place,
in proposing such toast The Indiana
woman equally bad taste in making an
ISSUE OUT III iCcui1Ah6 IA il"
scene at a social affair.
The subject of the toast was natur-
ally put in an unpleasant position by
both the given of the luncheon and
the objector.
Tact il one of the rarest qualities
either natural or acquired. OF all the
recent Presidents perhaps Mckinley
- 10 S~h @4Dv
Taft in the least.
1t is lamentable, but true, that to be
absolutely truthful IL, at times. to be
untactful.
No-one in the whole world invaria-
bly, tells the truth.
At this stage of the great social
game it is impossible not to lie, either
actually or by implication, every day.
Anybody who says that he, or she,
doesn't lie now and then, is merely a
candidate for the Ananias Club. For
that is the biggest lie OF all.
When some one drops in. In In.
stance. when you are just dressing to
go down town to get in at a special
bargain sale and says that she just
ran in a moment to see how you were
and you say, with murder in your
heart
How glad l am to see you-delight
ed" aren't you imperiling your chan
ces of heaven?
And as she sits and talks and talks
and talks forever more about people
and things you are about as interested
/ in as you are in the canals on Mars
, and you grin and grimace and interpo
late-"you don't say" well, I never!'
T"Is that sol" Il can't believe it," 81
buy my eggs of the butter mani
f"Well, think of that" THE idea!
"No, indeed shouldn't think you
i"Oh, yes, certainly" Indeed" INC
she never cared for him" That's al
ways the way"
! And then she suddenly looks at The
clock and says-"but was on my way
/ to Cheapems-they've got sale on to
day-did you know-no. cant stay {
minute longer-will just have time t.
get there" and departs, and you rea
lice that by the time you finish dress
ing and reach the scene OF carnage
the sale is over-is or is it not a hor
rid fabrication when you say
$50 glad you dropped in, Min. I'm
always glad to see YOU"
Yet this happens every day.
| You have, in instance, just sat dowI
to luncheon, after strenuous morn
! ing, and are In the act of taking YOU
first spoonful Of soup, when the tele
phone bell rings.
Someone sticks a head in the dool
and says-"you"re wanted at the tele
phone"
! who is it," you ask hastily COB
bling another spoonful.
How do l know" says the head
"go find out"
"Oh-the devil!" you say unde,
your breath, and hastily 60 to the hal
and pick UP the receiver.
Hello" you say.
! Some one says playfully at the othel
end
Guess who this is?''
II haven't an idea" you say in q
CHASTITY tone.
why don't you know me-" cog
quotes the voice, now Just one guess
Just one!" 49,.
"Oh, Sar is that your" you exclain
in a good imitation Of man recover
ing from the rabies.
"Sal! Well l should say mott" ex
| claims the voice at the other end indig
nantly. ~:
And 30 it drags endlessly on.
You begin to feel cold chills chasing
ao nh 1fhor ~ orv4lv ovor vn,rP ann tom y
since the telephone is in the hall and
the heat has been turned or 30 tina,
the rest of the house may get mp to six
! ty.
You simulate surprise. delight, en-
chantment. You Jolly" her along. yot
! pay saccharine compliments, you driv
ell on vacuously-and finally she say
she called up to know II you'd join q
little game that evening at Marjorie's