Year: 1870




A late writer says of the tribe of meddlers:
Being for the most part people of an over
flowing energy, without sufficient occupation,
and afflicted with untiring strength and ac-
tivity. they are up and about everywhere, pry-
ing out all you wish concealed, and doing
everything you want left alone. On their own
account, and unasked by you, they undertake
to do your business, and nine times out of ten
they do it wrong. 1T ever they have your per
mission, and you are about to give accurate
directions. they do not wait to hear all you
have to say, but go off half-charged, and have
fired their shot before they know what they
had to hit. If intimately associated with them,
they reduce you to the state of an imbecie, |
with no will of your own, no individuality, no |
independent action just mannikin, to be
moved according to the will of your oficious |
friend the wire-puller. If you are asked a
question they answer for you, and they make
arrangements in WI ich you are the principal
person concerned, to save you the trouble of
deciding for yourself. If you are tired they


mount guard against your door, and defend
you from the presence of your dearest friends
whom you specially wish to see; they buy
you what you do not want, because they
thought such and such things Looked like
you; they commit you to engagements you
never dreamed Of undertaking; and send you
teachers, tradespeope, workers of all kinds,
with an assurance that you are certain to EN-


ploy them. Ifthey know that you are invited
by common fiend, they hustle over to his
house, and take it on themselves to inform him
! of your peculiar habits and tastes, and you,
who are shy and sensitive, and haste to be sin
gular or give trouble, are made to appear in
character of all others most distressing to you,
because your offcious friend chose to betray
your little weakness and parade, your pre-
dilections as necessities On journey or
drive they smother you with supernumerary
wraps and go shivering for their own share


Ii you have arranged to accompany them on
an expedition they judge unasked as to the fit
ness oil TIE weather for you and either 20 Uf
/. without you because it,was not the right kind
OF q day for you, or break up the party on your


account and in their character of watch dog
G guarding your interests IfYou decide on going,
l. supposing the possibility OF decision is still left


you, they deluge you with their advice and
q hamper you with their help before you start
il, giving your coachmau private instructions tc


which way he is go, so that you shall have this


view or avoid that hill, as they think best tor


your pleasure aud well-being. Indeed, as a


general characteristic, they interfere not lit


tie with your servants all round if they are


women, rebuking the maids for their feminine


vanilies in dress, and the men for their fond


ness for beer if of the domestic sort, oppress
o, ing them with recipes for. furniture pOlisl
N and plate powder, and rules for doing thei
on work differently from their present methods
es which serve only to af1ct their souls ant
nd bewilder their minds, and to make them un
OF certain in all they do. They understand a


about everything. If they go into your gar
IL. den they nip off your first buds to strengthe
IS, the plant, and in their. zeal for riddin
Is you of dead leaves and seeding flowers tea


off your best blooming branches with then
~ They diminish the number of peaches o
"a your wall for the sake, they say, Of givin
!. sunlight to all !: and, if you let them into you


vi cry with pair of scissors when the grape


are forming you will not have bunch fit {


bring to table, and their theory of thinning wi
account for it. They have always some ne,
" doctrine about grafting or training for you
na- orchard; and for your stable they have privai


bits and Shoes saddles and mashes which al
Ses simply perfect, and beat all yours 10 nothing
rds Y iou may think yourself lucky if cargo is ne
4 consigned to you without delay, or if yor
,rv groom is not won over to try experimen
i which may cost you your best hack.


- Women who are prosecuted by othciol


friends in society find company matters


aud the serenity demanded by their caste diff


cult to compass The ofhcious male frier
% Jumps up on the smallest provocation an


hovers about, insisting on doing everything Il
. his victim she does not want done at all,
, that she wants some one else to do, and So
!ns ceeds in making her life burden to her 4
the time UelDR. ne SpiliS tuc VI OOhOO
:. his struggle 10 hold ner glass or cup; canno
|, 70 against her in his endeavor to wrest from he
Pu' the light chair she is dragging after her, wi
ain, pretty affection of carrying burdens tn
In she knows becon es her insists on giving h
:. footstool which makes her seat uncomfort
we bic, and over which she trips when she gets VI


before 5eS teIET any ON one else can offer when she is pra


ing in her heart for some other man half-w


across the room and coming towards her NJ


to perform that pleasant ofhce--some 9th
81 man to whom she has tender word to sa
!, and from whom she hopes TO hear one yet mo


tender. In a word, he makes himself nj
ST sance, and spoils the poor creatures wht
pleasure by his officiousness, when he mea


louly to do her service But this is just t


way with your oficious people they alws


mean to do WE'LL only they never manage
, succeed -'a't