Evening star., 1928-06-06

".rhe Enemy" sweet and savory," etcJ
The two sisters, Alfrida and Placida,
were busy with their embroidery. They
were at work on two quite different
things, in accordance with their charac-
ters. Alfrida, very devout, was making
a cushion with st. Jerome on 1t: Placida,
vivacious and frivolous, was making
cushion with young girl crowned with
roses. Alfrida was going to give hers
to the priest who heard her confessions;
Placida was going to give hers TO the
young man she was going to marry.
Alfrida, as matter of fact, was going
to confession the very next day. She
wanted to finish her embroidery in
time to have ready for Father Dodolino
Placida was expecting her sweetheart
the next day, too, SO she wanted to
complete her cushion for him.
Just as the cushions were finished,
the two girls had a caller. 1t was q
beautiful woman. young widow, named
Tarsila--a cousin of theirs.
She was celebrated round about for
her grace. charm and gay disposition
Her conversation was reminiscent, per-
haps. Of the many books she had read:
certainly it was always somewhat ex-
travagant. But 1t was not this quality
of her speech that made her disliked.
1t was something more personal. For
Tarsiia had no scruples where men were
concerned. Such was her reputation
indeed. She would do anything so it
was said, to win man away from an
other woman-just for the zest of the
contest and the satisfaction of winning
the battle of hearts. Some people ex-
planned her by saying that she was a
psychologist. and wished to experiment
little with varying human emotions.
Others however, were not so kind or
tolerant--they were sure that she was q
rather wicked woman without any
principle worth mentioning.
Well, my dear girls, what are you
up to now?" TarSila asked of the two
young sisters.
"See!" said the girls together, and
held up their work
Beautiful" exclaimed Tarsila eager
ly. "Finei Lovely! And I can guess
who they are for-St. Jerome is for
Father Dodolina and the girl with the
flowers is for your bethrothed. Placida.
Thus do your cushions express the ideals
of each of you
"Alfrida, you regard the world as but
stepping-stone into Heaven. You are
right, in many ways, to think as you
do. Earthly things do not last--they
crumble, sooner or later, into dust.
Flowers fade. Youth wrinkles up INTO
old age. Thine certainly shall be the
kingdom of Heaven.
Yes when Father Dodolino leans his
reverend head on your cushion, he will
be reminded that the hands which
made 1t are sanity, too. Those hands
are ignorant of tender caresses of love
You are obstinate. Alfrida. IN keeping
ntgsnT ysxxs. sNfA Ax+sz@ f-1Vn
knew what you are missing perhaps you
would be making cushion for your
future husband, too But instead your
st. Jerome has a lean and haggard face
and beats his breast with energetic zeal.
How sad the lion looks that crouches
at his feet!"
Turning to Placida, Tarsila went on
''Placida. your heart Is filled with
thoughts of youth and roses, love and
the flowers that symbolic its beauty
and its JOY. Without love there could
be no world. no life, no religion
nothing. Thus you. too, have expressed
in your embroidery your ideal. Your
sister believes that the soul Is per-
fected only by devotion to the spirit:
you believe that happiness can be found,
| at least for time, In earthly things.
Both Of you, my dears. are right-yet
neither of you win be wholly happy.
do you know what woman could
find complete happiness-~w what her ideal
would be? I'll tell you. 1t would be q
woman In whom your two contrasted
natures would be blended A woman
who could make pillow for Father
Dodolino, and also one for her sweet
heart"
Neither Aifrida nor Placida paid
much attention TO this speech They
finished their cushions and started to
pack them In neat boxes. Just then
Tarsila had diaholical idea She sent
the girls from the room on some pretext.
and while they were gone she transposed
the cushions She put st. Jerome in
the box for plaeida's sweetheart. and
the rose-crowned young girl In the box
for Father Dodolino. Then she finished
tying the packages, and when the sisters
came back showed them how she had
helped them.
So 1t was that Father Dodoline re-
ceived a hand-embroidered cushion
depicting THE Spirit of Youth Crowned
With Flowers" He did not think the
gift especially appropriate to his work
in this life. In fact. he thought ii very
frivolous. and hardly reverent for AL
frida to have made for him. To punish
her he decided not to hear her con-
feSsions any more, and thereafter re-
fused. without giving her an explana-
ton.
Now Carlos, PlacIda'S hetrothed.
received u hand-embroidered cushion
depicting est Jerome Beating His
Breast With a Stone" He viewed with
tlisapproval the picture OF an unkempt.
parchment-skinned old man. holding
half brick In one hand ready TO beat
himself with it. and with lion reclin-
ing at his feet looking for all the world
like some starved little dog. He thought
1t showed excessively bad taste on the
part Of Placida to send him, her sweet