IN LIGHTER VEIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 11

IN LIGHTER VEIN.

. FABLES FOE THE FAIR. I. Tub Woman who Talked Well. Thero was onco a woman who had rcraarkablo conversational . poivcr.s. Her friends admired her very much. Once they planned a dinner-purly in her lion our.. To. this party they .iuvitcd a 'man who was what is. ku'own-as tho life of the occasion. ■ Ho' was oho'- of those people who'set.the tablo in ; a roar; . The hostess' had planned for him; to' tako out the woman- of tho - conversational powers. To her/'surprise;: ho: refused," politely. "■ but forcibly, lo' do: this.'•' v .' ■ ■ "Why,'l thought"you would enjoy each other so ; : inuch !"/said the hostess. ".She is such a fascinating taiker—so,brilliant! Yon,, of all -people, would , appreciate her." :' -" '- ;/■■■ ■ / .■■■ -; ■ ~ - - - "On' the contrary," said the man who could'set the table in a'roar.'. "Far from • l it. . That .woman' irritates me (beyond ! endurance. Every time,l open my mouth •she', knows what I am. going to say beforehand, and,' niore than that, she talks all the time herself. I am .sorry to disoblige you/ but you must give mo somebody else." .; "Here is n list of . the ladies," said the hostess; "Tako your choice."/ ;"I will tako this .one," ; said , he, ."for she stutters." : ;.V / /:/.;! . -. : :. This teaches us that birds' o£ a feathet occasionally prefer to\;flock .apart.. .. - 'il. The Woman and/Hee' Theory. There was: once, a . wonmn ,who had' a theory.;that'man did- ; not icaro. for too much intellectuality.in her,sex. After' 1 this theory; slw shaped. her' actions, which showed'.her to have .been a remarkable woman. ' One . day a man asked . her if she belonged to his sister's Ibsen. Club. "Oh, no,", she' answered j "I .caiinot understand Ibsen at all."' /.

The.next timp he,balled he.!brought her a bunch/of-violets .and'asked her if-she read Maeterlinck.-• . ■~ . - ■ ;"Noj I think it is very.silly," she replied. . ; v'fhen the.man:brought-her a.box . of chocolates,, remarking, - "-'Sheets to the sweet'—do you not': think Shakespeare was right?" , ■ The woman • saw; that : sho was making progress. Now was her time to stop, but this she did, not: perceive. "Shakespeare?" said she.'" "Oh,'yes, I ■ have read- a- little, of his works, but I did not see much sense in them, to tell the truth." ■ . ■/_ "Nay, nay," said' the man, "this is too much. ; ,;Not, to understand; Ibsen shows that . you ; ;arc a . good woniauto! think Maetcrlinck sMy..augurS;.well; for your'lih- .• .tellißciicc;'but :riot tfvseo'imich, seiiso iii Shhkesopnrsimplies '.that you are uneducated." . . And 1 ho did'liot call'again/ \ This teaches us that it is possible tq get'too much-'of a good .thing/:.;, '• ; ■ill:- The Wcjfcs wiio'Pti'iED -''Cikano." / There was.onee'a woman .who''was'very' plain! ,' She ;.was' : also clever. oShe' liad;.iv' ,friend' who; was far from being . cither.Her . friend 'was ,'much interested.' in a brilliant man i who was an autlicr. .The /author bogged to correspond ; with her, but she; knew that he-would licit caro to koep it up long, be.caiiso ;she could not '.write clever letters,''nor understand them, for-thnt matter...- . r.n,:-.. ' ; "I.will write;'themif6'r'!y6u7-' ifa'id- the J .plain woman. "X think it '"cvd'ul;!' lie amusing-:, and : I'. 'should- liko'"'lo ,: 'be amused.''"Oh, how.kind you ,( 'are!" said .hcr friend gratefully. :■ The woman had seen "Cyrano"'arid so she knew how itheso things-worked." She . wrote, mauy letters, and also taught her--friend-to ' play up' to' them r<subse- ' fluently in t conversation/, the liuthor got 'io the point wheroj he, ja's'it! were,-offered to share., Ms desk/ivitli- her: '! ."It . is' oipw- time' for-a coup "d'etat," said' the woman.: "You- niiist--tell', liirh the truth, and -lot .him sec. who' itis'tliat ho really loves." ••• '•■' i JleV friend -was/frightened,' : a'iid when the author'cailia again ■ shoi confessed.'; ' ■; "You have been' labouring under a delusion," sho said. ''I - cannot tell a lie, because von would certainly find /me out ■later. Sao' wrote them." :: . '"Who? That thin'one?" said tho author, in surprise. "You'don't say so!" "Shall I call her 'down?'' said, tho friend, sadly. - '/ " "Not.by a:great deal!" said the author, ' decidedly." "Why do -wo want her?" ■ ."Why!" exclaimed the % friend, Don't; you want-to marry, her?" . : • , 'Ton-precious little idiot!" said the 'au- , ;thqr.. ."Do you..imaginp'that A/man: mar-'. •. lies.!a';portfolio?.-;i Now,.; don't -cry,.:-.or, , you'll mako youi'lovely/eyes-all 1 red.", 1 .< . - This teaches'us that literaturo is-.ouo thing'and life; another.. —Josephine Daskam.