Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-06-20
The Woman Who's Determined to
Please Too Much.
HOPELESS TO CHOKE HER OFF


uncomfortable feeling that have been
extremely rude. Margaret is one of the
few remaining specimens of politeness
left to us in this rude, busy age. In
deed, she is so anxious to be nice and
to have her guests enjoy themselves
that she defeats her own good object
by being too soicitous of their well be-
ing. In other words, she is one of those
pressing" people who make the aver
age woman feel like Saying things"
at times.
Here is an example of what l mean:
"Won't you have one of these cakes,
dear?' she cried one afternoon at tea,
her bright eyes falling on my empty
plate.
"Thank you very much, but I've
quite finished"
ooh, but you must try one of these.
They're homemade"
I'm sure they are delicious, but
really
Just one, now; just to please me-"
SO l was obliged to meekly dispose
of the cake and as soon as l had come
to the last crumb Margaret began
again.
"Now I'm sure you will have another,
won't you?"
mo, thank you, really. Margaret"
"Oh do; have not nearly finished
yet Do keep me company. Or per-
haps you did not like my cake?"
at was splendid" | managed to re-
ply, quite honestly. for Margaret is
fine cook. "But, truly
Well, it was all off. Margaret smiled
a sad, wistful smile, which said as
plain as words, I'm so sorry you
didn't care for it, for if you had you
would have taken another one"
She doesn't seem to realize that, how
ever nice cake may be. there exists
to the vulgar mind such q thing as
well, repletion is the prettiest term l
can call it, though very small people
have expressed the same meaning by
announcing that they are "full now"
Then one day Margaret began talk
ing of new spring frocks, and l was
foolish enough to say that l was think
ing of changing my dressmaker
"The very chance for you to try the
little woman who made my green
gown. She's so smart and so cheap.
She lives at There, I've forgotten,
but I'll look it up in my address book
and let you know"
Now, as a matter of fact, | don't ad
mire Margaret's green gown in the
cni1 hrio
of fashion"
Trying to be tactful, / approximately
looked at Margaret and replied: Don't
bother, dear. think perhaps after all
I'll give Nine. Blank another chance"
Yes, but you may as well have the
address, mayn't you? And I'm going
TO her this week, and if she says she
cannot take any more orders just now
I'll mention that you are a friend of
mine. Or-or maybe 1t would be bet
ter for you to come with me-"
Margaret is always full of plans, and,
knowing that to raise her hopes to let
them fall again will hurt her feelings,
! temporized by saying, "I'll think it
over"
And so we went on every minute of
the time | spent with her, feeling the
most ungracious creature on the earth,
for Margaret never can see that she
has said enough. Yet she is a dear
and does mean so well.
Why don't go to Ferncliffe next sum-
mer? Why don't l take her remedy
for sore throat? Why don't / take
ticket for the current event talks? Why
don't | go to her dentist?
And indeed don't KNOW why | don't
do maAy of these things. except that
don't particularly want to.
Dick and | never look forward to
our visits to Margaret. simply because
we find it so hard to get away. We
plead that we have engagements In
town. "Won't they hold over?"
Do you remember Sam Weller's re-
ply to his father when that dear old
gentleman suggested that his letter to
Mary, the housemaid, was rather short?
mot a bit of it," said Sam. She'll
wish there vos more, and that's the
great art o. letter writin'."
Somehow those words always come
into my head as | travel home from
Margaret's.
I wonder, Elsa, how you will like the
doilies and centerpiece l am making
for friend who does a lot of informal
entertaining-chaf1ng dish parties and
the like. The set is of blue and white
barred tea toweling. A yard and five
eighths of eighteen inch wide toweling
makes the twelve doiies. which are
nine inches square. A square of the
toweling was too narrow to make q
good looking centerpiece. so compro-
missed on an oblong table runner.
The edges of both doilies and center
piece are finished with heavily padded
buttonholing done with mercerized cot
ton the shade of the blue bar In the
crash. Across the center of each dolly
and at both ends of the runner center
piece will be placed the initials of the
owner in cross stitch, carried out In
kxxy -I,n "a On