Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-02-09
SLIPPERY WEATHER
(Margaret E. Sangster, Jr., in
the Christian Herald.)
Just ahead of us a Stout MAN ston

tne christian Herald.)
Just ahead of US a stout man stood
gravely on one toe, whirled around
he strange human marionette.
hcsitated, poised uncertainty and he
then crashed down to the sidewalk.
Some one rushed to his side, helped
him up. and he walked off, limping
reHntfully. With the picture of his
rather dangerous fall before our ewes
we aIirted the bit of ICY sidewalk
carefully and went forward, with our
eyes down. looking for other icy
stretches. Once my friend slid and
| clutched her arm. She righted her
self and laughed shakily.
81 wonder why it is that hate to
fall 2" she questioned.
Everybody hates to fall" 1 an
swercd. at might hurt, and it's
to fall"
We walked few blocks in silence.
And then L slipped. My friend clutch
ed my arm and i balanced, righted
myself cautiously.
ooh" said my friend, half angrily
Il hate this slippery weather!"
When one hates the slippery wealth
er and when one tries desperately
hard to play the glad game, it is hard
to make responses. sometimes. But
Anyway" l answered, slippery
weather. is good for us, once in a
while. 1t makes us much more care
full"
Life had always been rather COM
portable journey to Annette Brown
She had been born in world of ease
and plenty and affection. The only
child of wealthy parents, she was in,
dulsed and pettcd and consulted. Inl
other words
have always wondered why I'M
limited indulgence and petting and
consideration do not invariably make
the recipients thereof particularly
sweet tempered, loving, consideratel
persons. But I've discovered that
they don't. They often tend to make
them Just the opposite, rather snap
pish and Inconsistencies Too much Of
anything. no matter how pleasant the
said anything may be, is apt to be bad
for one. In other words, Annette
Brown was spoiled.
Even wealthy parents sometimes
cease to be wealthy 1t was com
easy. when Annette was
small, to satisfy her slightly whiny
demands for doll houses and imported |
doll babies to fill them. When she was
IN her early teens it wasn't hard to |
Keep her at the most expensive school
ana pay Tor vacation trips, heavily
chapcron0d, to Europe. But when she |
made her bow to the society of her
city. when she dashed radiantly into
Il whirl of pleasure and extravaganza.
1t became harder, indeed. There
must be car and much entertaining.
Then another car was needed, and n |
larger house. so that the entertaining
might be carried on in royal way. |
Then there were weekend parties. |
and country home to stage them in
became necessary. Also a box Mt the |
opera, caterers, and gowns from for
cign costumcrs.
And then, to keep up with it all.
Annette Browns father began to dab
bic i'll stocks-that is he began to
dabble ut first. Then he plunged. Havei
you ever sen q timid child go SWIM |
ming; first thrusting one pink foot
in the water, then the other, and then
recllcss'v. darling in? I'll
was like that with Annette Browns
father. Only, unlike most timid chill
dren, he wadcd out too far. And when
n huge wave crept i'll to engulf him,
he was all unprepared The wave
struck him. That was all.
NolIiS NsiSu ~ ~
few who knew, left the heart out of
it and called it failure. After the flu
neral, Annette Brown found herself
with only a small income scarcely
more to live on than she had spent
yearly on silk stockings and dainty
lingerie. Tie wave that had carried
off her father had swept town and
country houses, opera boxes, eXpen-
sive gowns, and many other things in
its wake. After while, Annette
Brown discovered that a number of |
her friends had gone with the houses.
1t was slippery weather for An
nctte. Like the stout man, she stood
gravely on one toe, tried to balance
herself, and, like a pitifully human
crumpled up in heap.
And, unlike the stout man, there was
nobody to help her up. She had to get
up by herself. She didn't fall once,
she fell many times. 1t was
very slippery weather indeed for An
nette Brown.
And then, sore at heart and discour-