THE TEMPERAMENTAL POSE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17027, 28 April 1923, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TEMPERAMENTAL POSE

Tom hung his hat up and came cheerily into the sitting room. Hullo, old girl,” lie said—a trifle uneasily, for Fanny was huddled up dejectedly in a chair, looking like a rather tearful, dishevelled tragedy queen. With a perceptible start she roused herself. “ Oh! is that you. dear? I’ve had a dreadful day—just- been sitting here, and thinking and thinking. Directly you had gone this morning. a dreadful melancholy came over me. and I’ve not been abie to do anything but cr\f for hours together.” A damp handkerchief came into force once more. Tom came » slowly to her side. “Cheerio, kid.” lie began awkwardly, “ buck up and let’s go to a show.” “ Cheerio ! Buck up!” Fanny shivered. “As though it lies in my power! You know it’s my temperament that makes me suffer ho.” A good many words got sadly misused ; “ temperament,” in particular, has to bear the weight of all the moods and “ whimsies ” that should by lights l>e called ‘ selfishness.” nerves,” “ laziness,” or “ temper.” Very few of ns are clever enough to bo temperamental. Here and there. highly strung that he really responds to the subtlest shades of misery, passion and happiness. But we ordinary mortals are not made like that. Indeed, when we feel Hke hurling the (spoilt) pudding at the head ot our erring cook, we can be pretty certain that we are feeling—not temperamental but bad-tempered. Yet quite u number of people, especially women, seem to think the temperamental pose both clever amt interesting. They revel in sudden sadness, in affected mirth, in artificial brilliance; they switch from rnood to mood with a celerity that may satisfy themselves but which annoys their friends unspeakably. It makes a convenient excuse, moreover, for laziness and lack of enterprise. “ I would play for you if I could, but I am so nervy.” Or, “ I'm altogether too unsettled to cook today.” And so on. You wjl! notice that these temperamental people are nearly always idle! Those of us who do a full day’s work have not time to bother with temperajnents ! *