Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-07-30
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|APESSIMIS1j
: He Was Converted to /:
!: Optimism /:
: By DWIGHT NORWOOD :
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


companions, bosom friends. We wert
opposites in disposition, and think
such dissimilarity is one Of the mos,
effective of all causes of friends hi,
Billy was as CHEEKY chap as ever
lived. was inclined to be 1norost:
Billy said nice things to people which
he only half meant l said gruff things
to them that l didn't mean at all.
didn't need to understand Billy. be-
cause he always appeared amiable. but
Billy needed to understand me, for
was constantly saying something dis
agreeable-why, scarcely know my.
self: quite likely to cover up liking
for the person to whom spoke
l was very dependent upon Billy for
cheerfulness. and when he wrote me
that he was engaged to be married Il
was a sad blow to me. l had had other
friends who had married, and the
friendship between us was never the
same as before their marriage. would
go to their homes for Sunday dinner
and be heartily welcomed. but it was
always plain that the wife and children
had supplanted me. was a second
third or fourth consideration.
Billy's letter indicated that he real
lied the change his marriage would
cause in our intimacy and seemed in
tent on preventing it so far as possible
II WISH he said that there shall be
the same friendliness between you and
LIella as between you and me. You
shall have the freedom of the house at
all times, whether am at home or alb
sent. You must not expect me to have
the slightest jealousy for you. MY
tiancee agrees with me perfectly in this
and. instead of having that jealousy
brides are subject to for bosom friend
OF her husband. will welcome you to
the family circle as one of u.s.
This did not reassure me at all. l
was supplanted. put down from first
to second place. knew Billy's oI,-
timistic disposition and also knew
that he could not suspend natural
law. wrote him that If he did not
wish the lady he was to marry to
freeze me out of the house he had
better tell her that If she wished 1t
he would never see me again. THAT'S
just like YOU" he replied. but you
can't move either me or Luie with your
pessimism."
Billy asked me to be best man. but /
detest ceremonies and took care to be
called away on a matter of business at
the time of the wedding But sent
handsome wedding present. l was
not so brutally frank as to tell Billy
had gone away on purpose to get
rid of officiating at his wedding. but |
told him that doubtless his bride would
appreciate my wedding gift far more
than she would me.
After the wedding Billy brought his
wife to the city where he and had
always lived. The first time | met his
wife l was surprised that he should
have married girl with disposition
so like his own. His wife grasped my
hand cordially. looked at me with a
smile on her pretty lips and twinkle
in her bright eye and said:
BILLY says YOU are awful grumpy
but We'll take that out of you, won't
We Billy" and she looked at him
knowingly.
My first call was short. suppose
am prone to look out for trouble, but It
seemed to me that Mrs. Bryce was a
trt1e too demonstrative. l was stricken
with fear that instead of being Jealous
of me. as had supposed. she might
make Billy jealous of me, and that
would be ten times worse than if she
should freeze me out l went away
determined that | would not be drawn
into any such danger. To be sup
planted in first place with my friend
was bad enough; to be placed at en-
nifty with him would be narrowing. /
resolved that would not call on Mrs
Bryce again for month at least.
But the very next day l was sum.
moned to the telephone and heard the
lady's CHEEKY voice say:
"ls that you. Mr.. Quimby? Come up
to dinner this evening. We dine at Z.
You needn't bother about evening
dress if you don't wish to. Don't fail
me. Billy has to go out. and | shall
be all alone"
While was trying to frame an ex-
cuse heard click, and that was the
end of the one sided dialogue All
that afternoon was trying to per
suade myself that there was no way
out of the matter but the truth is
that in my heart I didn't wish to find
a way out of it. had nc place to
spend the evening but my club. and
was tired enough of it. l wished to
bask in the light Of Mrs. Bryce's
cheeriness
Resolution is Of no use where pref
ty woman is concerned, and could
scarcely wait after business was over
for the dinner hour. 1t came at last
and was made welcome by Billy and
his wife, Billy regretting that he was
obliged to go out during the evening.
but he would come home as early as
possible. He was ever so much oblig-
ed to me for the favor done him of
Keeping LII from being lonely"