The broad ax., 1926-07-17
A Lesson in
Friendliness
tCcpyright.D
BY CYNTHIA BLAIR

and mother, and I don't know a soul.
except few friends OF theirs. It's
dreadful"
"Well, I've lived here for Ave, and
| know lots Of people," Helena Grant
replied. "Somehow-oh. people are
SO kind; they seem to want to be
friendly"
mot the people meet" Marian In
sisted. Perhaps you live In a part Of
town where people are nicer-or 20
to church where they're more
friendly, or something We 90 to a
church near home. The minister is
a friend of the minister In our
church at home, but somehow, I
haven't got acquainted at ALL
Il live on Terry street." Helena told
her. "No. IT."
why, that's just three blocks from
where live, on Ventnor avenue
Marian said. ''How funny. We go
to that church on the corner Of Vent
nor and Terry"
$50 do l. That's the friendliest
church I've ever known" Helena told
her. Listen, Marian-why don't you
have dinner with me tonight, and 90
TO prayer meeting with me after
ward?"
Marian's lesson In friendliness be-
gan when they left the Office. Helena
stopped to buy a newspaper, and
asked the newsboy how his mother
was.
His mothers been Ill; I 60 to see
her every few days, and take her
some little thing" Helena explained.
"She's dear woman; was quite a
musician, but her husband lost his
money. and then died after long III
ness, and now they're so poor that
they have to- earn money just anyway
they can. She's dear friend Of
mine"
| Helena stopped at a fruit store on
the way home. and chatted q bit with
the woman who counted out oranges
and apples for her
''She's Greek" she told Marian.
I've had some long talks with her
about Athens, where she used to live,
/ a
] couldn't possibly have learned any
other way She's very interesting"
There was company at Helena's for
| dinner. a rather elderly man and his
wife. whom Marian remembered see
ing at church. She had met them,
but had never got TO know them; to
her they seemed very distant, unlikely
to be pleasant acquaintances.
Anyway, such old people couldn't
be friends of mine," she had added
to herself
Tonight, listening while the man
talked OF the work that he was doing
as a bacterioIogist, Marian was 4, .rly
swept of her feet Never had she
been more interested; bacteriology
had been the subject that interested
her most at school and she had longed
for q chance to 60 on and make II
her life work. but lack OF funds had
made that impossible, and she had
learned stenography instead.
She said something about this to
Mr.. Whitcomb. who promptly asked
her to visit his laboratory the follow
ing Saturday
an assistant before long" he told her
"And though You haven't had the
necessary training, think you would
learn quickly. Anyway, come In to
see me-"
They're such nice people, the
Whitcomhs." Helena told her, az they
walked to prayer meeting that eve
ming. "She doesn't hear very well, and
80 she's often left alone in a group
Of people. so I've always made II q
point to talk with her"
At church that evening Helena
seemed to know all the younger PEG
pie whom Marian had thought she
would never know.
Il don't see how you've done II,
she told Helena, as they walked home
II just can't understand"
''Well. when was just little girl
my mother told me that everybody was
just a little bit lonely, In their hearts
and that ! must always remember
that. and remember, too, that IL ]
wanted to know them, they'd want
to know me. too. Before that I'd been
sort of lonely and bashful and un-
happy, but 1t changed everything for
me. It win for you too. Marian. Peo
pie will be friendly If you'll just &c
half way"
"But-you seem to know such In
teresting people" Marian told her
"You could too. It's just that
well, you look at people and think
oh, they wouldn't be interesting :
But everybody's got something inter
esting about them IL you just take
the trouble to find IT,"
Marian agreed to that, half-hearted
". But as the days went by she found
that It was q truth that worked. The
| woman who ran the tea-room where
she ate her luncheon. the family who
lived In the house next door to her
own fathers.
She went to work for Mr.. Whit,
comb, the bacteriologist, but 1t was
only a few months until she left him
to be married to the assistant rector
OF the very church which she had
| thought 20 unfriendly.
aTd never have known him II II
hadn't been for you she told Helena
gratefully. the day of her wedding.
YOU'D never have known me II II
hadn't been for the truth | told you,
Helena ret0rted And now that
1