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Effacing Herself.
Mrs. Houseworthy is famous for liking to do for
others in peculiar and impulsive ways. She would
rather sit on the'floor than let any one else have
even the faintest ungratifled wish for a chair ia a
parlour or at a concert, and she has been known to
do it more than once, to the great distress of her
family and friends.
She likes to give up her own bedroom to a visitor,
even if there are two or three pleasant unused rooms
in the house.
" Why, I woull rather travel twenty-five miles
than not give up my room i" she declared on one
of these occasions, when rpmonstrated with.
Newly-made friends suffer under her persistent
attempts at self-effacement, but old friends accept
them as part of her odd, though sweet and gener-
ous character. Her husband long ago got U3ed to
her ways, and recalls with amusement now an
example of her overdone unselfishness which
annoyed him a greaj; deal at the time.
It was the day the Houseworthys were married,
a quarter of a century ago. Mr. Houseworthy, in
gallant fashion, had ordered a carriage and pair
sent to the house of his bride to take her to the
church, and it waa arranged that he was to come
from bin own home a few streets distant, to pro
ceed with her to the church.
Now there were guests staying at the bride's
home, and there was no carriage to take them to
the church, so the generous bride said :
"Take ours! take ours!' Mr. Housewoithy will
' get another when he comes !"
So the bridegroom, arriving a moment later, saw
his carriage and pair whisking round the corner,
and had to trudge away two or three streets in his
pumps to get another.
But no other carriage was to be found, and the
wedding was delayed ten minutes for the bridal
pair to reach the church on foot. Mr. Honseworthy
said "I will!" that day with more emphasis than
seemed necessary, and lie meant it ; but he did not
really enjoy his walk to the church.
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