The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-12-24

i'sS sstouei Vlsltor. II had my oy III
household, with charming brids
pour the imitation coffee, and 4 NJ
and figtree in a jardiniere I'd seud
special delivery letter to James ID
ing him to come and stay for ten ye,s
or more.
There's something restful AMI
soothing about that gifted man. n
never bothers anybody. No one hs
to waste precious moments entertain
ing him. 1t isn't necessary to discus
the weather predictions, or dig 10
lot of statistics about the cropS h
order to make James have good time
You don't have to show him the Ola
plush photograph album, and describe
the ancestry of the melancholy effgIs
whose pictures appear therein. Near
ly all visitors are bores, my dear Mn
Jiggers, because they have to be en-
tertained. Somebody has to sit up
with them and thrash out last years
gossip. They have no Initiative or
referendum. They have no resources
Of their own. In order to have pleas.
ant visit, they need help.
"Your cousin James is man after
my own heart. l remember his last
visit quite well. He came In the eve
ming, and after supper he took chair
on the porch. Knowing he was a
guest, 1 felt it my duty to entertain
him in the conventional way. |
dragged my chair close up to his and
remarked that 1t was a pleasant eve
ming. but the presence of cloud bank
In the northwest almost convinced me
that there would be rain within twelve
hours, In which case, / proceeded,
there would be much jubilation among
the honest old farmers, whose crops
were suffering for moisture.
"James listened to my remarks ana
then looked at me, In sad, reproacn'
full way, as though he thought Il
shameful thing that imbeciles Should
be- at large, and then he took his cnali
to the opposite end of the porch WIN
out having said word. / must Con
fess that felt like a counterrel
kopeck for a few minutes, but tns
more considered the matter, ln'
more I admired and respected Una
remarkable man.
"He used to 60 downtown ever.
morning and buy a paper DaeAe.
novel, or a fiction magazine, ana lnel
he'd read 1t all day, and when ne w.
done with his literature he ieit !
where the boarders could get u
didn't hear him say ten words durinl
his visit. yet you say, Mrs Jigseis
that he is an unsatisfactory CUES
Elderly landladies, whose ntelee'
have been warped by long years
parsimony, are hard to please /.
Jeremiah, whom you describe :
Jolly and agreeable, should De SUI
pressed. He has collected all tne =
cheesey stories ever manufactu,e'
and insists upon telling them. de u
a horrible habit of making puns' ~
considers himself humorist, =
cause of it. You couldn't bride nun s
sit down with book, or magazine = =
behave himself. He has to De en'.
tanned every minute Of his time ~ n
the only way you can entertaln -
is by letting him do the enterta .n,n,
"He is genial old freak who tnla u
he is a privileged character ana IN, u,
body's pet. The last time ne was ~
he went into my sumptuous apa !,
ment and used my razor to snase : :
southeast quarter section OF !,
countenance. His whiskers are !, :
of barbed wire, and the razor y
ruined. When spoke 20 him az
II he thought it funny. Yet you 81 !,
TO such a man as an agreeable " Y,
for blush for you, Mrs. Jiggers'