Life — April 22, 1909 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

oe bi Ie) il oa Temper and Temperament BY BEATRICE FAIRFAX When Bridget was mildly requested To work on her afternoon out, She mumbled and muttered and scolded and spluttered, And rattled the dishes about. Finally, one of the little group of school girls ran away with a married man, and in the ex- cited twittering that followed I learned that it was her great amount of temperament that had prompted her escapade. And, like Kipling's soldier man, “I learned about temperament from and more about temperament, until T have eve cluded that the free translation given the word by the average person makes it a menace 1 morals and manners. The married man who finds his affinity in as. other man’s wife or a young girl excus's bin self on the score of temperament. The married woman who runs away with neighbor's husband is the victim of her su abundant temperament. The young girl who allows men to treat be She splintered the Sévres and Dresden And littered the neighbor's back lot With bits of cut glass, till we murmured: What a terrible temper she’s got!" her.” When Muriel’s mother forbade her To go to the Mayflower Ball, She flounced up the stair, and proceeded to tear The pictures and prints from the wall. She cuffed her astonished small brother With a hand that was harsh and ungentle, And we murmured, full sad: “It is really too bad, Poor girl, she is so temperamental !”” What is temperament? When I was a young girl I used to listen en- to people who talked about their “tem- nt.” All my girl friends would shake avely at_me and lament that I lacked that most desirable quality. Never a group of girls got together but what they talked about temperament. According to all accounts, they one and all possessed it to an tonishing degree. And always I had to sit silently without the charmed circle, because I could contribute no valuable opinions. THE SYMPATHO COX Ever since then I have been learning more ERSATIONAL over-familiarly is half-ashamed of her lchavior, but thoroughly proud of what she cons temperament The prima donna who sulks and refuses » appear at the last moment is supposed to bei creature of temperament. So she is, but oa of the two first syllables of the word. The Century Dictionary defines tempers as “that individual peculiarity of physical org zation by which the manner, acting, fe thinking of every person is perma fected.” If I could write ently dictionary T would de temperament as a “modern word meaning | of self-control."” Don't feel badly if. y friends tell you that you lack temperament may be possible that the brain cell labelled “ perament ” has been preempted by self-contni and common sense Especially if you are a young girl, and so man tells you that you lack temperament, thankful that as far as he is concerned you és That man needs watching, for the chances ar that he is an affinity hunter, and gentlemen ci that type bait their traps with temperament Laven (Continued on page 563) hursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and British Possessions. | $5.00 a year in advance. Additional postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union. $1.04 a year? to Canada, $2 cents. Single current copies, 10 cents. Hack numbers, after three Months trom date of publication, 25 cents, a5 Jondetioant doses Ki No contribution will be returned rnless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope, Lie does not hold itielf responsible for the loss or non return of unsolicited contributions for sale by all Newsdealers in Great Britain, ‘The International News Company, Breams DO YOU WANT TO OWN A 1909 Six Cylinder, 30 Horsepower LATEST DESIGN APIE Our 24-payment plan will enable any salaried man to own a NAPIER car, the world’s standard in Automobile Construction For the benefit of thousands of men who do not feel able to pay outright for a car, we have inaugurated a sys- tem of 24 monthly payments on our new NAPIER light roadster. Other bodies may be selected if desired. Guar- anteed for two years. Our new plan will place the NAPIER within the reach of any one who can appreciate a high grade car. The NAPIER is built in every style from a light road- ster toa Pullman limousine. The prices are immaterial. 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