THE STORY-TELLER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 13

THE STORY-TELLER.

; APPLIEDjETHICS. ; ■ / The.. literary, man; was unhappy. .He •was not a great ■ and,successful-man, who could afford a', whole house, and within the limits of : his flat' quiet was. inore.thari a matter/of comfort;'it was' •a matter, of bread abd better." -Over his head was . a studio that had: "boon . occupied; by a quiet painter. ' But now the paintor had gone. There was'a new .neighbour in the studio, and Ihe.day; .before, with a horror tt.it.: amounted to' illness, 'the litorarj man - had ■ heard the tuning of a pian'.. :. /\ ' /-.i/" .He. sat. at. his desk, and looked at- a :blank sheet of paper. Try as he might, there/were-no thoughts in him; be was .waiting nervously for. the piano to begin operations. :'■::■■■.

.. Presently : there "came a knook'/at bis door.', He. laid, down his impotent pen and;'.admitted, -a; :visitor., She.-; was .a ; pleasant-looking. young woman, and her .first words startled'. Mm. ; ■

y: 'I:bave 'come_ about.-.ray'.piano." ——" . sho said, /hesitatingly. "I am your new neighbour,.'you know." ■.'.■'.'"■':■/. /.V/'Yes," said the literary man. '"Won't you sit- down?" ..■;'■;■'", /■.;..•;/; . ■;. ;"I/;uhderstand," she continued, ."that ,you. : ; do/ia:' lot of writing down here,' r and.l ; w'as afraid ..my. piano -—■'.'/■'■: : ... , f ;'.'"l:hcard it' being tuned," he replied' gravely.;. ;: ; •'' ■;•.;•• / "■■'. -/ : ■;.' '•..'■

•!■ "And;itheso-ceilings aro so low, too,", she'/went/on,. //That is why I came ini ~I;. thought- perhaps.we.' could make, some arrangement—about hours,. ■; don't./' you /know,,. 1/expect >to,'ha.,.painting' during ■the'rraorningSs'V -■: ;V' %.'..'; , , //•'That' is the time,'l .write,"; .he ,re;plied. ..'lt/is the,tiihe—er—musio^is most distracting.". V..:',..''':";.: .. •'--.;■ s'Then ..if I promise not to play. .611 : afternoon?"... •"...'-,: ; '■■'.■' ,: .

■■'.;'fJbu ';wilt lift Ta - tori .off, 'my /Bonl,'' he ; 'said,, smiling.; ;"A real; ton.':. I :.am '.always/ out-/in . thoV afternoon. 'And' an ;the' evening/-r-" /.: .■!'■:'■'■'.■:''■'■■ ■■■■"■■'■''!■

' : -The /woman looked at him 'a ■ Uttle;;misbhievonslyi ,;,,;;; •>.

v'rDo./.you.-.think: you 'oan;stand';,it -in |the; evening,', sometimes ?"•■' she; asked, her ;hand;,bh--th"e ddofrknob.'-".-,-...'-, i ■',''■,/.

;,;;, "I,' sha.ll,>.enjoy, it," he nodded,; i "It •will -.remind;..me. of.-the- 'only- person I'applied/, the othios vol Christianity,', to life in "a .boardinghouse" ;T, "But'-what. :is /.the/.use.:.of; ethics"'of/Christianity," :said ; his new neighbour, "if : one';doesn't; apply .them?" And. the door; closed- behind -Horl-'.'-•:■'■-:'.■'••■.'-'. --i^^-X

:' .The/.literary: ; raan; ;\n>nt ■ backyto. : his desk, ; Had.thoughts.to. put .on;', his blank, Spaper.: - i But Ml 'was not. .untilS'evening,;'-,when ,-he;sat -before;his fireVivjth-a ;bopki::and -heard; his neigh-, bo'u'r) settle herself atathe- piano, that '.the' !'lo'6k'' : 'b'(:''')TOfr^.^eritii'ely' i 'vy'amsh«'d-'/.wJth .the/first iewinotes that.,"camo'i;down l :to' '':'■■■-■''■■'■.,''. .'-;;-;,':)--';.- ■,■■;;;; ■

"She; knows' how; to play."'.;.;;;.; '-a;;'

CHAMER AND VERSE FOB, IT.

.TheVstory;gbe3 that 'a. certain';, college president-in, Indiana,- :a;/clergyman,'was !addressihg'-his'- students;' at'the, beginning :pf-;the!. ; «)l!egesyear> ; /.:. --yt ;/ ]"\B.e'; .observed^;td'3them; that'itv was, a .friendsi/p"f : the ccUegb.that/tho' year'.had. opened;, ivith;, the,/largest-freshman class in ' its fhistory." ;'.■;'-- : : ' : ."-''-..r-VJ»/ '"■■■.'.:-K':v----';//Then,-; 'witheut a f pause; ■ : says ' "LippincptfsV Magazine,"/' the good' man. turned tb/Hhe;:Usson ; '/fpr//the;;day;,;tho; ; >Third, : Vh'.loud :'vbice77'.- r /-.. : i; ; ;\V;-.; ; '•■;;':-'. | ;'".:,/'~.' : -;-' rv;"Lbfdi : :;how;:'.are;,'.they\;increased 'that ; trouble',me!";'-/;;;' ; :7 -'./■' "'■'■■'"'/ i;'/;/ /

: ;>lmng .was: playing: "Macbeth^"vsd'.rufls' ■the, story! iny."lmpressioM: of- Henry. -Irving,'' j and ■ bo-had.reached :the place-where

'Macbeth;■ of dor s'.'Banquo's ;ghost ■ .to'. leave' ;theV.banquet,: board..; -^;;*^.'v, ;V : '---'.i '''.•'■■'.'■ '■-' ;: "Henco,.' horrible, : shadow—tinieal '< moek-'-ery, v.;hencp!":. said; Irying, -in., his -most ;,tiagic'.tpneß,fand:.with'axonTulsiye shud: der':'.hfl";sahk-it6,": the ground; drawing, hia robe/'about .'■■ '■'-..; •:■.',- .-;■/ y.'' : ': : .-' ~,On^Banquo;.withdrawin'K,v ' a";v6ic'e rcainefrora '.high up .'in. the .gallery— \ « .-■••;; •'. :'- , -'Ws-all.;fißht , -n6w,^'&My';;Vß''-'g6ne.''''-

: POSITIVE-;.;■;.Ths-'-pastpr./.and- his':wife -had -'called upon;'a .member: of the.'congregation, ;a' boy, ■■'■ aridV/wet'e '.'on'.'.theirJ; way-;;home. ,'WelI,":.-said, : ;the.:,prenbh'er; ;'."she- Iseenis., ;to ( be:a.yery ; intelligent woman.ianyhow."

y'And .very;,pbsitivo ; in. Expressing > her ..opinions.".: Vy:<S ■,•',; ';''■'■.;:..;,. ; V^.,:.'..,.'.■'.'.■';' *"9f.'.t)ie Contrary,", said .ins struck., me. : as. being .strongly^.negative."-■'" vA- Negative? .flow '-■: .V..;;'; : ;-tf. : - ' ;.;,•'; ■■■ thing she v said. 1 to ■'.her- ; ' : littla' boy' ; began,with;a 'Don't.' Johnny!'" >■ -: "'

f-p ::iHER: : :x;NCONSii)i3REi) :-need7; C; i may,, bo /.a- nuisance .rather, than, l a: , form.o^fl l ittery.;,A,,writor- tells oi an '• incident ■in aY.banfc.which ;is as ,aiaus.mg,-,asvit" is.: probable.:;-Tho' teller was asked by a woman for :a new'.envolope tor hor; bank-book. ; : :It'-was-pisesd'' but ,afld..tie v ;lady,:beliind;:.noting that' her own .envelope', was ;."a; .trifle :'• dingy, - also asked;.'for:.-a-:.fresh'.one';--•:'■'■ ■" '• ■'■■ -.■■■ ; 'V ■■■-.' i^he :third/:woman: said:V"Mo,' ; ;Words,tq;that r e!fect,.and;;So it;went down' : the : line. y , When':;, the '.< teller's ; patience '• a ? d WiStook o f : envelopes .threatened' to 1 tmjiutlieperiiiiDa to.call -a' halt.. ; .... A.fasfadiouslypressed.ladyi appeared at the v window, ; holding r out ■:•:' 'a;.-, .perfectly gloved;, hand. '\ ■ ~:;' '..r..:.'-^...,; -.'■■'. 'she I■'w?H1 ■'w?H ;■ °?°-;-I°°.'. pleaspi'V'said' '< T^ D? f" ■ asked 'the MleW comi?ai —-' "- '^ .look

other ladies had".;, /: ..;:.;:',.:,>

ft;.' ;;k'tesiing;;thb : ■'"• v ■■\ ; '/"There is a -streak/of- impracticability in :most. persons. 'Often'it leads one' out'of ■ ,tne usual iiath to'what seem.short cuts ' but. are m-reality' blind alleys.: Not loneago a roan and his v wife, .both-of. whom ■mo/somewhat-, lacking- in the mechanical sense, -tried .to put in order- a pair, of scales/that 'had been/in disuse.'; . ; i • '->Tho. man ,got:the pieces together 'after considerable : difl>oulty, : /and lie' and his wife.cledred;.a-place for' the 'scales;'•'.on .the.desk.-.-; ;./ ; ■.1 / •

■ ' lie; "let's; seb if they will weigh." .' v//':. .•,;..-■. . ■•'.".. - : _ .■ ••

i.'His.wifo. put a-light ".-pamphlet,on one plate; It happened that v the weight was ."JW' that/the, .balance .was perfect. ■.- Kiiel" 'said: her husband, ';'-■... ■■■;. .;■'. ■; ;?Yes,".' said '.-she/: :"and see how accuratel'"/.,'- "//'--•.'-. -~.-,.-. ■■■■/•■■■■ '.;■'•. .--

> ;; : ; TOO ;OTCHTrOB TEAES; .; :.'.'- The.play was all. about a ous' horse; tho autobiography of which is ;e7en; yet -among 'the ."best sellers,".aud ■over .the .sufferings -.'of which, thousands of. readers have" shed -tears of "sympathy; .The four-legged actor'that had been cost ior the part of'the' horse' was doing, its ; ;best;-'presumably, to look pathetic. ''.-. , Witb -drooping: head, it stood on the stage,, from time to .-.time, switching, its' .'poor docked tail,' One.; of 1 the- two-legged actors was delivering an impassioned and :really, touching .speech,' >vhen the audience suddenly burst, into' a fit of prolonged -and uncontrollable, laughter. '~ The. oration.came to a sudden stop. The actor .glanced"at-the horse, then turned and fled in dismay, behind the scenes. "Black Beauty" 'was.yawning.

v'wherescience would scoee. . 'Opposition to scientific research-is sure to, end as soon as it is recognised that the* end is good. Unelo Ezra's ;remark in 'the Washington "Star"'is to tho point' on. this subject:'' :, : ._: i ; ' ■stT.don' see much; use in do 'scientis' folksii'studying monkey talk,"' he said, "but!a.-study.of hosstalkdat 'ud let do animal tell all about hisso'f ■' befo' : a trade comes off 'ud: save a heap o' hard feelings." ; •-'',■-. . ■ -",.!■ ;

.-.'....J0HN BEIGHT/S BOGEY. ';.■■) John Bright onco described the variety of stage'fright with which.ho .was'fnroifc iar ; with telling point. Ho was discussing publio speaking with George Dawson,, an eminent Englishman of bis day,' when; according : to - a paragraph in tho lato David , Christie Murray's'.."Eccollections," he said:— '"•', . "Tell me, friend ; George, you have, I suppose, as largo an experience in publio speaking as any man in England. , Havo you; any acquaintance with tho old nervous tromorf"

"No," Dawson- replied, "or if I have it is a mere ' momentary qualm, /which • is gone before I can realise ,it." "Now, for my part," said tho great tribune, "I have had practice enough, but I have nevor" risen to address an audience, .large or email, without experiencing a shaking at the .knees-and a sense of a scientific vacuum behind the waistcoat." ' . ■ ■'.

THE. ABT. /OF PUTTING THINGS. ..'_■ Tho study, of the, art of putting things is .to bo recommended to everypno who meditates a/' plunge' into print. Even' the writing of a death notice involves a cer T tain, amount, of; genius, if tho author wishes to keep, clear: and, well defined' the.-,fragile lino which lies .between the :serious ami the funny. "'•'•■.."':-■ .'•':. .That. this .is.. true is shown by certain quotations from a Leipzig paper given in Bishop! John P. Hurst's "Life and Literature in '.tho: Fatherland"; Here. are a few sentences extracted from tHeso obituary notices:— .-.-;■:'■'; ... ■," '-.'. '."'.' 1 '"To-day, death tore'away from us for the third,time our, only child.";-: '■'■'■■ ::'< '; '.'Last night Tat: five thirty .tho''-'Lord ■took to -Himself during a/visit to the grandparents our little daughter.Antoine of teething." ' ;'"■.''■. The.last speaks better.than it knew:— -,'Tlere. died Marie Wiegel, who 'was mother and.seamstress of children two." ;; /IT.WENT HOME.',.'.': } ■ ■'■■ An "object admonition"; is often more efficacious 'than /storms pf.- repreach; - : / One day' tho colonel of. an; American 'regiment' noticed o soldier en parade wearing a; badly.soiled, pair of gloves./,.'.. ~ "Corppral," said tho officer,-."why do you'set the men such; a bad example as appearing, before, them ;in -dirty gloves?. Why is : :'it?" A;' A;;':---;:- :- ; ' :-'':.:-: . :'"l'vb'bad.-no. pay, sir, since I entered /the, service," returned- the corporal; "I. -can't, afford .to''hare them done up." _ The colonel drew.from his pocket'a pair of .gloves, /spotlessly white. ; 'Handing them ;to' the .'corporal, hp 'said, /quietly,: ."Put these on.;-I. washed' them myself."; ,'lt was an, unforgotteb lesson, to the' whole ..regiment. ;;/" :-''■• '■•■[\' : --y---:':