1O2 Company and Solitude 



for a moment, and was about to reply, when 

 another question was put : Will there be a 

 pleasant summer ? This was somewhat stag- 

 gering. How was I to know the chara&er 

 of the coming season ? I smiled, hypocriti- 

 cally of course, and replied that I hoped for 

 pleasant weather in the next world, but did 

 not dare to prophesy as to this. The fools 

 tittered. I supposed I had scored a success 

 at meeting formal company, and was heaving 

 an inaudible sigh of relief, when the guests 

 rose to depart; but it seems that my part 

 was not well done, and madam scolded me 

 for rudeness. I am convinced, now, that I 

 cannot become a successful formalist, and I 

 understand that our callers agree with this. 

 They call me a boor and other significant 

 names ; but then, out of the parlor I am 

 abundantly happy, and doubtless my days 

 will not be shortened by my lack of appre- 

 ciation of their valueless inanities. 



Is it, seriously speaking, necessary for one 

 to part company with a bird or a flower, to 

 leave the open air for a stuffy room and miss 

 music and beauty, that a caller may have 

 opportunity to assure you that two and two 

 make four ? Even if the caller has knowl- 



