THAT DEVASTATING "BUT!"

Shannon News, 2 October 1928, Page 4

THAT DEVASTATING "BUT!"

It 's a positive strain on most of us not to qualify anything nice we may happen to say about each other. We exclaim ardently: "Yes, Betty's a perfect darling—but you simply can't rely on her. She's hopelessly forgetful!" "Mrs. Smith's a dear little soul — always ready to help you out of a hole —but—my dear, she's an awful gossip —an absolute terror!'' Now way, in heaven's name, can't we leave out that horrible little "but?' Why can't we stop short at the nice bit? Nobody on earth is perfect. We struggle as hard as we know how, to do the decent thing. ' How hard we struggle nobody knows but ourselves. You can take it from mo "Betty" knows all about the "forgetting" part of herself that causes such havoc and heart-burning among her friends. What she probably doesn't know is that you think hei! a "perfect darling." Couldn't you manage to think of the "darling" part instead of the "but" •bit?

How about tacking yourself securely to Mrs. Smith's kindness- of heart and everlasting willingness to ig you out of holes, instead of fixing on her broadcasting propensities, If people would take more notice of those qualities wc do manage, to rear, instead of fastening on the things wc don't exactly shine in, it would help muchly.