The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-09-19
A Mutual
Admiration Society
b. ESTHER vANDEvEER

Mrs. Leo Hunter. In whom Dickens
satirized q woman ambitious to shine
az q literary star and to entertain 1T
erary stars. though Mrs. Middleton.
Tranby was not the caricature Mrs.
Leo Hunter was and lived in the TWEEN.
tieth instead Of the nineteenth cen.
tury.
Among the literary salons given by
Mrs. Tranby (the whole name is too
long for repetition, was one where. a
professor of German literature in a
prominent university was to address
the company. The professor. who was
as unp%retentious as his name. which
was Brown, did not know when he &C
cepted the invitation that be was to
speak to a mutual admiration society.
His address was to be In the after
moor and half an hour before he was
to appear on the rostrum he stepped
into q trolley car which would carry
him direct to the resideoce Of Mrs.
Tranby. He seated himself. took q
newspaper from his pocket and be.
gan to read.
Presently two ladies entered the car.
sat down opposite the professor and
began to chat. There were various
noises connected with the journey.
such a. the conductors bell ringing
and vehicles rafting over the stones
without, and the ladies found it din.
cult to modulate their voices,
"Have you read Mrs. Middleton.
Tranby's latest poem in the Maya
liner" asked one lady, who wore some
thing like a NUT for a hat on her head
Eyes. Isn't It lovelyT"
Beautiful: But It doesn't compare
with your My Rover"
Don't you think so7 It's awfully
good of you to say So"
II love dogs. and the close Of your
poem. when your dog looks up at you
80 ~expressively before be dies. Ia just
too lovely for anything"
Thank you ever % much. have
you been writing anything
Nothing In verse. have a story
I'm going to read at the next meeting
Of our literary society. I've spent q
lot Of time over it. which l fear may
have been wasted. When / write q
poem I dash It right OF without think
ing. and It's better than when take
palms."
That's genius. | wish we were 20
ing to listen to your story this after
noon at Mrs. Middleton Tranby's In
stead Of having to listen to that pro
lessor. think meetings when we
read our own papers are 80 much more
interesting"
$50 do l. l don't care for German
literature. There 10 20 much philosO
ply mixed up In Il q.
Mr.. Eqgleheart's paper or
Goethe read at our last meeting. wa'
very good"
.sGood! 1t was delightful! But thcr
we are all so familiar with the opera
Of Faust that Goethe has q special
charm for Us"
! whats the name Of the professor
who 10 to lecture this afternoonT
] Brown. l believe"
/ Brown: He isn't the Professor
II 0FUWu WuO9S JOOCC oOVdO VO " bA0AS
have excited so much comment? ] be
lieve the trustees of his university AJAX
ca him to resign-Cuthbert Brown
professor Of something Or other.
don't remember"
II think that's the man who IL Il
speak thia afternoon. hut I'm nH'
sure"
"Tf it ia I shall not remain for tn.
lecture"
"You'd better be careful. You know
Mrs. Middleton ranby has her fO,irtl
husband. all the other three still living
- II didn't think Ut that. Ever ~
much obliged to you for mentiOping 1t
OF course 1t wouldn't do to offend
hostess. Besides. ! rather like to heaI
what horrid theories people will pro
mulgate"
II can stand y bit Of spice myself. 4
this nan Brown doesn't advOcate posi-
tive free love | rather think sh;i
i hear him out. But. since he h To sIt',i
on German literature. pprhups he won
! mention his peculiar ideas
s.'Possibly not. hut 10 kong ,aa, be .h0ld'
them and we have to nEten to him !
would be disappointing to have hin
stick to his dull subje<t"
BY this time the car had reached
o street leading to Mrs. Middleton
Tranby's resideMre. and the ladies
alighted. They were followed By PRO
lessor Brown-Charies. not Cuthl,srt
Brown and. a husband and father .
M children-wh b Jagged behind them
"a. that when they entered the Tranb!
ssrNsidence they did 80 without ha vinI
not1ced that be had followed them
Lets 60 right into the lecture room.
aid one. land get seats where We "a
feoaF I'm . little deaf
Yhey took seats 10 the front row. an
when the room had been filled behint
them the lecturer. with Mrs Middleton
.gTFanby. pasaed down an aisle. and thes
n0untsd the platform together
s(sreat hea vena!'' exclaimed the lad!
Nth the mu6 hat.
It II the man who sat opposite q
~ the car.
WI must 70"
fHI 49, AAe~ HETEROGENEOUS IN.