The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-13
MRS. O'FlAHERTY ON PICNlCS.
BY Anita Day Downing.

food said Mrs. Hogan. coming into
the small grocery establishment of her
friend Mrs. OFlaherty, just as that
lady was preparing to close up for the
night, Il want something that will sat
isfy Mike Hogan's appetite till break
fast"
Its so late there's no sense giving
him regular meal, and I'm afraid TO
offer him anything that even looks like
a sandwich. We've been on a picnic
this day. Little John went to sleep in
the car, and Mike had to carry him all
the way home, and besides that a
warsp stung him on the ankle. and he
skinned his shin on a rock, and alto
gether he's that cross that feeling is the
only thing will quiet him"
What was the matter with the food
at the picnic said Mrs. O'Flaharty
running her eyes along the shelves of
neatly arranged cans, wasn't there
enough?"
Mrs. Hogan raised her head YEARLY
and looked a volume at Mrs. O'Flaher-
ty.
Food" she said tragically. there
wasn't anything else. Mrs Murphy
and Mrs. Monahan and 1 agreed that
we'd only bring Just enough for our
own families, but, Lord, there was
enough left over for a regiment, even
with everybody eating twice as much
as they needed"
IT'S always the way" said Mrs.
O'F'laherty, never did | see a nicn,c
| that was different. Did you bring any
mora than enough for you and Mike
and the kids? Let's get down to tacks
and find out the way of it."
Sure did said Mrs. Hogan, falling
into the trap
DO you think I'd let that Murphy
woman have a change TO call me
stingy?
And by the same token. it was her
self that was feeling the same about
you, and Mrs. Monahan about the
two Of you. Each Of the three of YOU
fool women was trying to make an i'm
preston on the other with the amount
of extra food you hauled along"
DO you think so really now?" said
Mrs. Hogan, disappointedly
or course its So" replied her friend
sententiouSy. Did you think you had
corner on human vanity? This very
minute likely Mrs. Murphy is wonder
| ing how she is going to make the fam
| lily eat up that extra dozen sandwiches
she had TO bring home
! Sandwiches is easy" said Mrs. Io-
gan, Its the kids will be getting ours
| for school lunch for a day or two
| But what can a person do with a cou-
pie of quarts Of stale potatoe saIad?"
Nothing 1 know Of, Mrs. OFlaher-
ty spoke conclusively. But its worth
wasting gallon, if you'll try and learn
something from it.
| Listen. Every one of you fool wom-
en- knows what the others husbands
4 I'LL Il 1sv1F~
shame of yourself, should you be buy
/ ing a lot more food for a family meal
| than YOU could use, and throwing the
rest into the swilI barrel to impress
the garbage man.
| But you'll load your table with food
for company or take it to a picnic.
just to make a showing, and then the
guest will think she has to put UP
the same style when it comes her turn.
And so on, till person darent ask
anybody in. to dinner at ALL
Mike talks like that sometimes F.,
objected Mrs. Hogan, but he's as bad
himself. After lodge he's often been
telling me how it's every last one of
the men tries to show what a good
fellow he is, and if lodge night ever
comes on pay cay, it's, a slim chance
the children have if it's new shoes
they're needing right away"
IT'S human nature to show off,
agreed Mrs. O'F1aherty. And I'm not
so sure but that it's a good thing
Keeps us on our toes so to speak.
Putting your best foot foremost right
along sets a good pace to success. but
you want to be sure it is your best
foot.
Most of us spend our time and
money doing things to make the other
fellow think we're wonders, when all
the time he's only laughing up his
sleeve"
She leaned comfortably on the broad
and immaculate counter. her plump
bare elbows reflected rosily in the pol
ished surface.
"A business man that would skin a
flea out of his hide, will pay out good
money to impress a head waiter in a
swell cafe. and he knows way down
deep that the waiter despises him for
being such an IDIOT as to pay good
money for nothing"
Yes" agreed Mrs. Hogan and you
ever notice the agony when a bunch
of women are ordering lunch, till some
body has enough sence TO say Let
go Dutch?"
we all of us want to make our
friends and neighbors as jealous as W.
can of our own success. A girl wi
show off a homely. wall-eyed beau
as though he was wonder. not be-
cause she thinks he is, but she want
you TO think she was some fascinatol
to hook such a prize. supplemented
Mrs. OFlaherty. None of it fools
| anyone at all.
There's one mighty good way o.
showing off, though" she went on
and one that could set the neighbors
trying to catch up, without doing an
harm. IT'S convincing besides, anc
/ saves money instead of spending it
And what might il be- asked Mrs