The Washington herald., 1913-09-30
EVERYBODY HAS
THEIR WEAKNESSES
"For the ColonePs Lady an Judy
0'Grady Are Sisters Under
Their Skin"
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

When it happens that for years an6
years folk are separated by an ocear
or by a little mile or so-which some.
times is just as erfectual-and ther
meet Unexpectedly on a day when they
look at their worst, how does it strike
them to be told. falteringly, and with
hidden meaning quite likely:
you haven't changed-very much"
OF course II they are as practical, as
sensible, and as truth-loving as they like
to profess, they are not the least BIT
disturbed and have no care for that
saving clause. They know the years
have not skipped along without stealing
somewhat of freshness, and, maybe
something more; and what do they care
when facts are put to words?
But when the question of age is al
stake, age and vanishing beauty, the
majority Of folk. of womankind at least,
are not SO very practical. They are
quite well aware that a line may have
been marked here, a few silver threads
there. or that other toll may have been
exacted; and they bow their heads as
submissively as may be, without worry
ing very much about II. But when they
meet long-separated friends or acquaint-
ances upon whom the changes are i'm
pressed all in a heap, they would not be
real women II they did not vince just
a bit under the scrutiny. Women? In
deed, it is not women alone who vince.
For one has vague recollections. and
some that are not vague, of men who
have proudly told OF meeting oId-time
friends, friends almost forgotten, who,
at the first long look after many years,
assured them they had not changed a
particle! Pleased? Why, they even
seemed to believe II, perhaps because
they wanted to believe it.
Remember Earlier Pictures.
Among those who meet day after day
in their travels, the changes creep along
too subtly to be noticed and the perfec-
ton of youth gradually merges into we'll
settled maturity, and on and on as il
must without any startling ravages. But
the friend Of other years, the friend who
has slipped out OF the running and is
not on hand TO note the curve make
place for the angle, or the reverse, as
it happens, remembers only the earlier
picture and never is prepared for the
contrast.
And that is the why for the disoon-
certing remark, You have not changed
very much"
That is why, too. one runs home with
the comforting reflection that there, at
least, one may step a bit farther along
every day with no one to open eyes wide
in surprise, no one to note the slow little
changes And IL is not all because eyes
are blind, but rather because one picture
follows another in such perfect success
sion that nobody sees the first or the
second little line or pays much atteu-
ton as the locks begin TO change color
1t Is all very natural, for il is hard
to wipe out the memory OF the beautiful
sheen in the hair. TO picture the clear,
bright eyes grown rather tired from the
press of work and to imagine the whole
early luster fading away.
Familiar to Home Folk.
1t is hard; but, you see, home-folk,
home-friends. who stand by as the tide
moves along and grow familiar with each
variation on the way, have no change
less picture in mind-and tits well.
And what a strange confession it would
be if human nature were not so near
akin all over this wide, rolling world!
At best, We are a foolish mixture of
strength and weakness, but it is right
to remember that the follies
and weaknesses pursue US all. from the
top right down, without any reckoning
with estate.
AS Kipling tersely phrases IT, in words,
by the way, which may be given a variety
Of wholesome applications
For the Coloners lady an Judy
OGrady.
Are sisters under their skim
And we cannot afford to smile too
much at the strange little betraying
signs of weakness wherever We see
them, for quite likely, il We try, we
can trace those same little signs right
back to ourselves.
Indeed. who of US is defiant enough
~ ha4 h.
being told, You haven't changed-very
muCh.''