HINTS TO THE HUFFY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 41, 12 November 1907, Page 3

HINTS TO THE HUFFY.

:-'/Wb'.all - wish to. shine, each in . her own little.sphere, do wo not? It- is, a very | riStufal feminine desire.To feel oneself truly' persoria grata' on 1 stepping • across the. threshold of -a neighbour's' house, to know ;wo ■ shall: meet thorp,' ■ besides tho silent porfiinctory "Salvo" graven on!tho doorstep, a warmer, living 'welcome depicted ill the coun•tchiince cf a gratified hostess. : It'-, is not, of course, possible, for everyone to. becomo a, brilliant social Success. Such opportunities, with abilitios to use them, fall to tlip" lot of but-few. ;On tlio other hand, the possession of . a . pleasant. popularity ariiong . kinsfolk- and acquainianco is a laudable ambition, to bb desired arid achieved by ,tlio 'itiany who will but'take' the trouble to cultivate social l talerits and avoid a few notable'follies. •>' •• , Perhaps of all hindrances fatal to pleasant social .intercourse, the most'hopeless is the ownership of ';that, disposition known as "huffy." ; No age or sex is immune from this besetting sin. Even in tho nursery:a huffy child is the. spoil-sport in every, game, in all sorts ,'of amusements, as ho glowors apart, miser-, ablo because of some fancied grievance or rough and ready joke. Scant sympathy is accordcd in juvonilo republics to" such suffcrors, whoso condition is briefly summed up as "sulks." In tho noxt stago on life's highway, tho schoolroom, who has not suffered from tho •huffy governess? ,Sho who bccomes deeply hflrtvif not invited to share the company in tho drawing-room, and yet when there sponds the time looking-out for premeditated insults or covert sneers, duly visiting the indignation, perforce restrained at tho moment,, upon her luckless pupils noxt day. Tho -life of a teachcr .in a private famiiy dopr,: alas! too often pr.esont opportunities for indulging in tho self-torture of huffs, ifrom-causes quite unavoidable, and . indeed frequently imaginary. •y Schoolgirls' ardent friendships aro specially .provocative of huffs. One dear affinity .does .not .write to the other often enough during vacation tirrio, or has riot at once coniinunicatcd somo trivial piece of news, or perhaps does not respond with sufficient affection' to the goodriiight kiss, giving thus diro offonco to a foolish young thing, as yet ignorant of that wiso French proverb, C "I1 y a toujours l'un qui baissc rit l'.iutro qui toncl la jouo. ' , > -. .Childhood over, arid real life beginning, su•premor follies, far, greater dangers, lie wait-ing-in the guiso of huffy lovers. A wise young woman will hesitate ore she converts ono into that most to bo feared -of all huffy mortals, a jealous husband. Tho lover over exigeant or-too sensitive may bd ignored, avoided,, and finally escaped from; but to .purcatory, if not to something worso, must ibo.likened-the lot of her who is tied fast to a J eal o" s , i exacting partner for life. : ; f 1 friendship, good comradeship, l tire incompatible with indulgence in huffs. Life is top. short and too. full of unavoidable coriiplications to ,m!ike it worth while to be always explaining to th'oso afflicted with suoh an mifortunato disposition why wo did this oi: loft that undone! WhetheV wo gazed at a .shop window or crossed the street on purpose to avoid groting our friond? AVhy wo call oftcner on Mrs. B. than on Mrs. C, etc.? i tf, . result is that the huffv ouo "gets lpft, as the Americans say, and finds hers,elf- as time fioes on man isolation by no means "splendid," avoided by contemporaries, arid an object of mirth to a younccr generation. . A huffy disposition, which may bo analysed as ono morbidly jealous, foolishly suspicious, is, strange to say, oftoirtho defcct in an otherwise generous and affectionate nature capable of nobility and self-sacrifice. ■ Sbv \self-conscious youth, in its ignorant egoism! is specially prone to this failing, and then is .tlie - best time to obtain tho mastery over such .weakness. - A most effective anti'doto is the assurance, ruthlessly prossed homo, that other people do not think about us, our ■looks, manners, or actions, half as much as iwe imagine by their own looks ,words, and deeds. The busiest person only occupies a small' space m tho lives of those nearest and .dearest: ■ , Each in his hermit spirit dwells apart ' Not'oven the fondest heart and next our'own . Knows half the reasons why we. smile or' sigh. .. : Fe,w indeed would bp missed for moro tllnn a very brief period.. Tho world takes but little notice •of. its rank and'file, and could got; on quito happily without any ono of us. ■All tho moro reason, thon, to make the most of life while wo aro here, to enjoy ourselves, and help others to do the same, not wasting ■ life in such foolish roles as that of i huffy girl,--developing into either a huffy matron, a terror to her family and friends, or a huffy spinster, to become in tho end a lonoly old maid. ; , . Although tho stronger sex fortunately liavo such'nonscnso as huffinoss usually eradicated in tho-rough and tumble of school life, there are cases whero it still survives, in tho shape of a jealous husband, exacting master, or (s.uspicious friend,' working therein still greater disaster than in their feminine counterparts.—Lady Onslow in the "Queen."

j,,. . . __ "I think sorfie long walks would do me a lot ..of-good." "All right j I'll take you out •iii my automobile a fewvtimes."