Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-30
THE DAILY cHIT-CHAT.
By Ruth Cameron.

They say that truth is as strange as
fiction" I heard a girl remark the other
day. but, really and truly. nothing
like things In story books ever happens
In real life. That is. to the people you
and know. 1t may to people in news
papers, but that's different"
That is point OF view which I have
often heard expressed, and with which
I am always ready to differ. I think
that just as strange and delightful and
story-book things happen every day to
real people as are written into fiction.
I can't say that truth is any stranger
than fiction. / am too much impressed
by o. Henry's declaration that he once
read in a story, $50 be it. said the
policeman" and that he is sure that
truth can offer nothing stranger than
this.
But do contend that truth is just as
strange and just as nice as fiction.
Let me tell you two absolutely true
story book happenings which came to
my attention recently.
A friend Of mine took care of her
grandmother through the latter's last
Illness. Toe grandmother was a very
fascinating and delightful old person
OF some means, and was always doing
cnCudHlluSly unique LuluSS IndL WOulu
not have been at all out of place be-
tween the covers of any best seller.
On one occasion she called her grand
daughter to her and said. Mary. l
don't consider that you think enough
about what you wear for a girl in your
position. Now, l want you to take my
hand and solemnly promise me that
you will use the interest of this money
twice year to buy yourself a new
hat" Mary did so. and her grand
mother-"dearheart" as she calls her
gave her a thousand dollars.
Another time "dearheart" made her
granddaughter promise that she would
buy two lovely gowns with the inter-
est of her gift. and thereupon gave her
5000.
full string of pearls. There are 112
pearls in this string-the number of
days she nursed her grandmother.
bought by "dearhearts" orders.
Another friend of mine. young col
lege girl, had to earn her way through
college, and tried working as waitress
at one of the big summer hotels. She
and her chum were the only college
girls there. and were unkindly treated
| in every possible way by the other
mattresses. The guests. however, were
very much interested and extremely
kind, and just as the girls were about
| to give up in despair on account OF the
cruelty Of their mates and the wretch
e0neSS OF the 1000 my ITieIu TccciScu
| an invitation from some of the people
she served to accompany them in their
next move. She went, and spent three
| of the happiest weeks of her life
doing" New York as their guest. Her
| chum was even more fortunate, for a
| family who had taken a fancy to her
| actually took her abroad.
Now, you who think that real life is
| always prosaic. own up that II you
had read these things in story book
you'd say such things never really
happen.
But they did. Honest and true-cross
my throat-hope I may die.
Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote to
his wife, 1T puzzles me to conceive
how You meet with so many more
events than /. You will have volume
to tell me when we meet.
Is 1T not true that there are some
people who are always hearing of and
experiencing interesting things. and
that there are others who never are SO
fortunate?
Now, just because you do not happen
to be the kind Of person who Is con-
stantly meeting with romance. do not
think that story-book things do not
happen in real life-because they do.