Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-08
Little Talks by
Beatrice Fairfax

We were discussing the widow the
other day and the amazing success
she mas made of her life. We had
all been schoolpates of hers, and we
remembered her as a homely little
girl inclined to fatness and tears
Thls was way. back in the fourth and
fifth grades, and that picture persist
ed-a fearful little girl consoling
herself with a surreptitious pepper
mint.
Never an attractive child, she de-
Neloped into rather a peevish girl
who always had woe or two on
hand that she was more than ready
to tell you about. She seemed
chrontcally in need of sympathy, and
she absorbed 1t as blotting paper
absorbs ink.
We We're surprised-in the unflat-
tering way of classmates-when she
married a young Army officer and
went to live in the Philippines
None of us ever knew what hap
pened in the islands. Perhaps one
fne morning she met a long-lost
fairy godmother who confided to her.
the secret of Charm" perhaps, like
Aladdin, she found an old lamp that
worked miracles, or maybe she just
schemed out the whole thing by her
self
At any rate, rumors began to fly
homeward that Louise-we'll call
her that-was the most fascinating
woman in Manila She's got 'em all
on the string" the reporting friend
confided; and by lem" she meant
everything in a uniform. from young
and slender second lieutenants to
pompous colonels no longer slender.
And we who had been to school with
her found it hard to believe,
Then we heard she had been left
widow and had gone to China,
where she had a brother in the con-
sular service. And the China bulle-
tins equaled those from the Philip
pines-Louise carried everything be-
fore her She was like racing
yacht, full sail on a winning breeze.
No Unpleasant Gossip I'm Her Wake
The sole difference between Louise
and other women who make charm"
a business was that there were no
unpleasant stories in her wake. No
broken home wreckage, no spectacu-
lar gossip, nothing unpleasant And
the former classmate jury sat on her
case every time 1t met 1t couldn't |
understand. still remembering the fat |
little girl. eating peppermint on the |
sly.
Finally she came home, and we /
nearly broke our necRs in the haste !
we made to call on the "siren." Had /
the dumpy little girl been turned into |
a daughter of the gods-divinely i
tall and most divinely fair?" II
think, despite our impressions, we
went expecting to find triumph of |
the beauty parlor." And a clever
stage manager" too; a woman who
would understand clothes and back
ground effects and rose-colored cur
tains.
But, bless you. no; we found Louise
still rather inclined to be dumpy and
not at all good looking. And as for
effects" the afternoon sun was
shining numerically on the table at
which she was pouring tea.
But she had entirely given up the
tears of childhood and the thirst for
sympathy of early youth. She was
cheerful and she remembered the
most charming things of all of us.
She remembered all our good points,
too-which had the beautiful com
pleXion, which the curly hair. which
played we'll enough to adorn the con-
cert stage, and very delicately she
insinuated each had kept these gifts.
There was nothing suggestive of
trowel work about her way of say
ing gracious things. 1t was all as
delicate as an old pastel drawing.
We may have had our own misgiv-
ings, but ii was highly gratifying
and agreeable.
On Good Terms With Yourself
There was nothing as gross as fiat
terry about her methods, a fine ap-
probation more nearly conveys the
effect it produced. And the rather
hostile schoolmate jury began to
beam as it realized what success it
had made of life.
While we were there several men
she had known in the
Philippines and now on their way to
France. She didn't have to ask any
one how he liked his tea-she re-
membered. Again l heard her con-
vey to each, when he was out of
hearing of the others, that she looked
to him, personally. to save civiliza-
tion.
She hoped Colonel Smith would
have time for just a round of golf
before he sailed-no?-toob bad!-he
played such a wonderful game. She
recalled Mrs. Smiths inspired"