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out into the wronj path blindly, and is now afraid to go back
to the right one lest he find his flower dead. I do so want him
who is discouraged to take heart again, for it is more than likely
that the tender flower he trampled upon is waiting to spring to
life and trust at his touch. But, Oh, let him be sincere sin
cere and true.
I have never heard of a society for the prevention of cruelty
to insects, but I should like to hear of one. I think it would
bring about better results, even, than the society for the pre
vention of cruelty to animals. I have often not once in a
while, but often seen highly educated and refined women who
took strong interest in church and charitable affairs, who would
weep over a horse with a broken leg or the imaginary sorrow of
the heroine of an emotional play, thruBt a pin through a happy,
golden butterfly and, in keenest satisfaction and delight, watch
the beautiful, palpitating thing throb out its little life so brief
a thing at its best slowly and in bitter torture. I have seen
such women smile triumphantly at the rare specimen they
secured. Well, they may smile and they may have their rare
specimens, as there is no way to prevent them ; but I should
think those tiny eyes of tortured entreaty and those golden,
drumming wings would awaken them sometimes in the lonely
nights and cause them to turn uneasily upon their pillows. A
woman who will do such a cruel thing has naturally brutal
instincts ; she may acquire a fair mastery of them by education,
but they will break out at time, and she is not to be wholly
trusted. If it absolutely necessary to take the life of an animal
or of an infect, for God's sake, take it as quickly and as pain
lessly as possible ; and under no circumstances take the life of
the humblest thing that crawls merely for your own gratifica
tion or vanity. If you meet a little harmless insect or worm,
turn your foot an inch to one side and let it live a trifle longer.
Teach your children that it is as sinful to torture an insect as it
is to abuse an intelligent horse, or to tell a lie. We have all to
one day suffer death, and well will it be with us if we may,
when that dread time comes, cry with an unfrightened con
science: " Father I Be Thou as tender to my sufferings as I
have been to those of the humblest and lowliest thing that
crawls."
The use of slang seems to possess a peculiar fascination for
some people. It is so expressive; it says so much in so few
words. Innately refined people often yield to the temptation of
indulging in its use. There is another peculiarity about it, too
it is like sin : a terrible thing in others, but not so bad in
ourselves. Other people, you know, do wrong through very
viciousness and love of wrong, but we Oh, dear me I We have
a thousand reasons and excuses at the tip of our tongue 1 God
allowed u to be tempted beyond our strength, and all that sort
of a thing. Besides, it can not be so wrong when we really did
not mean to do wrong, and struggled so against it, and never
gave up until h'm until our strength failed. Well, it is just
so with the use of slang. We do not mean to be coarse, we
have no intention of being coarse, and we would be indignant
if anyone insinuated that we used slang.
" I can't tolerate Mrs. 8o-and-So," I heard a woman say the
other day. " She uses such utterly utter slang, I always feel
that she needs to be sat down upon slang is so coarse."
Why the world should bother itself about the personal, and,
therefore, one would naturally presume, sacred, affairs of prom
inent people, is not easily understood. What can it matter to
disinterested parties that Mrs. Burnett does not live harmoni
ously with her husband? She has worked so hard and so
conscientiously to give pleasure to others that we might, at
least, have the charity and the good taste to respect her domes
tic troubles, and not be forever dragging her skeleton out of its
closet and dangling it before her eyes. It is time that the
cheap gossip about people's home life, which not only runs
through the sensational papers but even appears in more dainty
apparel in better publications, should be frowned down. It is
usually untrue and always unjust.
Table Talk tells us how to utilize the little, thin, wooden
plates now used so extensively in sending out lunches from res
taurants and bakeries. Take two perfect plates; cut one in
heart form, gild or bronze it inBide and out; fasten it to the
other plate by means of small holes, about three-fourths of an
inch from the edges, through which are run silken cords.
Sketch a pretty design on the upper plate, and the result is
unique.
Some people go through life always behind time. If they
say they will come at three, they mean half past three ; and
when they finally put in an appearance they do it leisurely and
good naturedly, and are mildly surprised if you insinuate that
that you are displeased. When they die, though, their friends
will be avenged; because they will probably reach the gates of
heaven ten minutes behind time and find them closed.
A woman of position in London society recently resorted to
an original device to decide who should take whom to dinner.
The male guests were put up at auction and went to the high
est bidder, in imaginary sums, the description of the human
wares being hit off wittily by the auctioneer. We may now
expect all our Anglomaniacs to follow suit, and some men may
feel humiliated to find how cheaply they are held.
As a blind mother would know her own child among a thou
sand others merely by touching it, so a true woman feels In
stantly the difference between insinuating flattery which always
has an object in view, and the expression of genuine apprecia
tion which never has birth in a heart that is not kind and sin
cere and generous.
It is a good thing to never envy any one; and it is a still
better thing to never get the idea that any one envies you.
The first makes you dissatisfied only with yourself; while the
second makes every one else dissatisfied with you.
Franklin says : " If you would have a faithful servant, and
one that you like, serve yourself." Yes: and if you would
have a lenient master, and one that will readily pardon all
your shortcomings, terve yonrielf.
Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland was born in 1840. She has
taught school, edited a paper, reigned in the white house, and
written a book of essays and a novel. She has a clear, clean,
well kept look.
The three most popular women In England, according to a
vote taken recently, are the TrlnceBS of Wales, the Baroness
Burdett-Coutts and Miss Ellen Terry.
Some forgive for the pure good of forgiving, which is divine ;
but some, alas I forgive because they are not strong enough to
stand alone and suffer, and that U sad.