The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-26
EVENING. STORY
The Old Order Changeth.
by LAMB OSBORN.

a. Things tnat are unworthy OIL d reai
lady,"
Aunt Caroline had never done any
of those things; in fact. she had
worked at rather trying odds Tor the
last ten years in the uptown flat where
she kept house for her own four sons
and daughter and her niece Babette.
And they had all remained ladies'
she and her daughter and the niece,
and the three boys had, SO far as the
good mother knew, remained perfect
gentlemen"-in spite of the three
fights up and the dingy. bare painted
walls of the kitchen where Caroline's
work never seemed to be done, and in
spite of the debts there had been to
pay after the husbands long illness.
On the parlor table there was copy
of a well-known book on so-called
social usage, and altho the chapter on
caudle parties and the advice the
writer of the book gave on how to
act when meeting the English royal
family" and how to write to the Arch
bishop of Canterbury had been OF lit
tie real use to Caroline, she found
much of 1t immensely helpful to her in
her task.
The fact was that Caroline had as
she said, seen very much better days
in the years when she and her cousin,
Babette's mother-for Babette was not
a real niece-had. for one brief season,
mingled in a society that never found
its way to Caroline's poor little
widows flat.
Then came the marriage Of Caroline
and Babette's mother and the death OF
both Babette's parents, the death of
Caroiine's husband. the bringing up OF
! the five children in the ways OF gentle
folk, and then. a year ago. Babette's
I engagement to Caroline's eldest SON
who, to be sure, was only a sort OF
| third cousin.
The courtship was conducted along
| of even by the author of that book on
social decorum on ICaroline's parlor
| table. The young people. reminded
| that 1t was not we'll bred to go to the
theater unchaperoned, never went to
| the movies on a Saturday night with
out Caroline in tow. tho poor Caroline
sometimes endured all kinds of tor
| ment fearing that she was hindrance
| to their good time. And Caroline re-
membered that when Babette's mother
| and she had been engaged they had
| not permitted their lovers more than
! the meagerest kisses, and those on the
cheek.
Engagements are sometimes broken.
they had been told, and a real lady"
would never cease regretting the fact
| If she had ever allowed any more pas
sionate salute from a man who did
not become her husband. So Caroline
| had told Babette and her son and,
tho they had been engaged year.
| there was but one salute a day and
| that very decorously upon the cheek
| When the first Christmas of their
| engagement came about Caroline had
reminded her children that "well-bred
| engaged people did not give personal
| presents" The young man, besides the
(, engagement ring, should give nothing
| but flowers, books and candy" Her
| own husband had given her copy of
| Tennyson's poems on the Christmas
| now reposed beneath the book on good
| form on the parior table.
He had given her roses on all holt
days and candies ever weekend. There
was no reason. Caroline said, why her
son should not do as much for Babette.
He could afford it, for he was now
getting a generous salary.
Babette didn't often protest but she
| was a practical bit of a girl. and when
she might have been making a collec-
ton of useful household things given
her by her husband-to-be-as other
girls she knew did--she took small
pleasure in the little bunch of roses
that faded on her bureau after every
holiday nor in the candies that she
shared with her cousins every week
end.
From her very slender earnings she
might have bought things that would
: eventually have helped feather the
nest, too, but Caroline assured hel
that would not have been in good
form. The great authority especial,
eautioney young women against Civ.
ing anything of personal or intimat e
nature to their frances.
4 Books, desk accessories, accessories
of sport-a riding crop, or something
, Of that sort-were the things suggest
, And as Caroline's oldest son, Stephen
, had no desk save the office one hs
J toiled at eight hours a day, and knew
no sports save struggling with thu
crowds on his daily trip to and from
; that office, Babette's choice was linn
: tied to books.
!. He liked the Stevenson and the Kip
ling she had given him, but how muc1
sooner they could have been married
| il instead OF those books she coult
; have given him something that would
r t.Ao for the little fiat-chairs and tables
E OF a rug. perhaps!
1t was three weeks before Christina
) and Babette and Stephen had each Sc
: cretly decided to linger after offic
hours to make the Christmas pur
5 c-,ases. Unknown to each other the.
/ were both part of the great thron,
/ that swarmed one of the department
. stores not far from their places o
r work. At the door of the store Bah
f cite had received q little holly-decke,
t card, and on it were words somethin
/ THE patriotic gift this year is tn
I useful gift. We feel it our duty t
: urge our customers to refrain from
81 buying non-essentials. SO. instead o
. displaying large stock of Christina
Il candies and our usual Christmas book
n I'D flowers, we are recommending
gifts of useful household articles an
articles of apparel"
e What if Caroline could see 1t tina
: way? unused Babette, and then, yield
e ing to the temptation, she took tn
n elevator to the floor where were sol
It the household articles, dishes and fur
h niture and kitchen things. There sh
: ran almost precipita tely into StepheI
He. too, was holding one of the littl
e holly decked cards.
o IT have been looking at set G
o Dishes" he said. Maybe after we ar
o married We can get one" He presse
" Babette's hand-perhaps that WASH
n exactly In good form, but the crow