The Black Swans 



been compelled to wait an hour or two 

 before she could even get a chance to 

 try on the blessed skirt, and even then 

 it didn't fit! And she did not propose 

 to wear the blamed thing anyway. It 

 was a fright! So there! And having 

 once altered it, the firm refused of 

 course to put it back in stock, and 

 what's to be done? She has a match 

 on tomorrow with Cora or Gertrude — 

 I don't remember which — and nothing 

 to wear! Can you beat it? I ventured 

 to say that goddesses in the old days 

 were not specially particular, from all 

 pictures, statues and other records 

 handed down, as to whether they wore 

 a lot of clothes when on the Olympian 

 links or not, but this did not help 

 much. 



In the second place, had I ordered 

 that coal yet for the hot-water heater? 

 Naturally I had not. Had I not been 

 comfortable out there in the sun-rays 

 all afternoon with Homer and the 

 bumble bees and big brown butterflies 

 [36] 



