The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-30

, Speaking. of the seeing eye. said a
woman the other day, we've got one of
the most capable relatives-Cousin
Arabella--that you've ever seen; and by
capable l mean she has the seeing eye
you speak of. We hang upon her words
like the bee upon the honey, because
we all know when Cousin Arabella
speaks whatever she says she's seem
and knows it by hearty
For instance, when she came to
spend the day with us the other day
the woman went on, Pm afraid we
didn't give her much of "A chance for
recital of her own affairs because
she'd Just come back from trip to
Atlantic City, and as we were knee
deep IN making up clothes for our trip,
we wanted her advice as to what to do
with certain old east off garments. and
what the latest styles were, and how
we should manage it."
And has she such an eye for clothes as
we'll as everything else?" | asked
My dear" the woman said, "she can
read the very hieroglyphics on your back
bone, Nothing ever escaped her in all
her iife-clothes, people, virtues, defects
everything comes under her observation
In Cousin Arabella dived, as Anne ripped
away at her old last years black chiffon
that had seen its best days, and before we
knew It, Cousin Arahella had planned the
/
saw woman with brown eyes. black hair
and fair skin wear the other evening at
Atlantic City Just for the fun of the
thing, l thought I'd see just how many
things Ciusin Arabelle did know, and
while the sewing bee was going on /
said to her:
Cousin Arabela. what was the date OF
Queen Issbellas relgn?"
Now. some of us have those things
written down In our little scran books"
the woman went or to say, land not be-
ing called up more than once IN u nfe-
time to answer such questions we ere
not quick with our response but not so
with Cousin Arabella. The way she can
repeat dates is marvel, and as for Civ
ing telephone numbers. why she never
has to look in the book Now, what do
you think of that for the seeing eye, and
the retentive memory?"
Wonderful" / said. II think most of
us are remarkable when it comes to dates
In history, and as for calling off hand any
telephone number except the butchers and
the bakers, why most of us would come
just about as near doing IL as we could
repeat the first 100 lines of Paradise Lost"
suggested.
Cousin Arabella with her seeing eye"
said the woman. while she has stored
away in her mind many valueless histor-
ieal dates. has everything practical and of
every day Importance quietly tucked away
also. I've heard her say:
Why not? You see the common or
garden variety of person has very little
use for dates and historical data: it's
all right enough in its way, but / think
people ought to observe such things as
telephone numbers. nonsense rhymes Sc
rious verses and peoples addresses, be-
cause We are using the mevery day, and
so I've trained myself to remember. |
never could abide person who went trav-
cling and came home telling about some
marvellous place they'd seen, and when
you asked them what part of the city 1t
was in they couldn't any more remem-
ber than ir they'd never seen it. The To-
cation of a milliner's or dressmaker's shop
the exact street they are in--why the
seeing eye takes it all in at glance
Most people are merely wool gathering
these days, very superficial, and only in
terested in one thing-but I'm glad to say
I'm not that way. I see everything
"And l believed It," said the woman I'm
conclusion. There's not a frecSle, or a
bump, a gray hair. or missing eyelash
that Cousin Arabclla. doesn't see, and we
call her in our family our bureau of in
formation She's a very valuable per-
son. let me say. and her seeing eye has
been of great benefit to many a person
besides herself