The Quiet Corner
THE QUIET CORNER / counsel thee, shut not thy heart nor thy library.—C. Lamb. "May I," asked Britannicus, timidly, as he poked his nose through the door, "may I come in and doff my hat and...
...But you should live in the actual, child," protested Britannicus...
...Please, may I now go back to my fairy story...
...The answer was contained in the next sentence which said that, apparently, they were 'not on the feet of New Yorkers.' The statement continued : "'New York's climate, not red flannels, is credited with this boon...
...Such a good joke," replied Britannicus, as he pulled a copy of the New York Times from his pocket, "such a splendid joke on women...
...Well, for instance, the disappearance of the chilblain in New York City...
...You had better consider moving to New York...
...Who was responsible for this discrimination ?'" "Some frightful beast," murmured Euphemia...
...That is more encouraging than Euphemia's indifference," retorted Angelicus...
...In fact, the chilblains of childhood recalled by New Yorkers who were not born here, are now practically a thing of the past.' " "They must all have migrated to Brooklyn," said the Doctor, ruefully...
...Ah, that's because you live in Brooklyn," announced Britannicus...
...Colonel W. B. Ferris of Philbeach Gardens, S.W., who has had the bird for fifty-five years, has records which show that the parrot is known to have existed in 1801...
...It seems that 'Pete, London's oldest parrot, is becoming so bald that his owner has decided to have little jackets made for him to take the place of the long-lost feathers...
...The district tax supervisor ordered the list printed with the ages of both men and women...
...I like fairy stories better," maintained Euphemia...
...Please allow me to return to The Blue Fairy Book...
...Let me hear first the basis on which you give this advice," replied the Doctor, guardedly...
...In the Presbyterian Hospital only sixteen cases were treated in the period from 1921 to 1926...
...Wait," said Britannicus, reading...
...With a plumed hat...
...What's on your mind, Britannicus...
...Not till you've heard this despatch from England," said Britannicus...
...Pete began to show bald spots in 1872, and now is devoid of all feathers...
...Such as...
...begged Euphemia...
...Go back and get your plumed hat," ordered Euphemia...
...Come, come," said the Doctor, "cease this prattling, and tell me, Britannicus, why you thought it necessary to ask to be allowed to come in ?" "Well," said Britannicus, "you both appeared so studious, each with a serious-looking volume in front of you, that I feared my presence might disturb you...
...But my doublet and hose haven't come back from the laundry," protested Britannicus, "and what is a plumed hat without doublet and hose ?" "You might wear your leather jerkin," suggested Euphemia, helpfully...
...Hold," said Angelicus, scraping his heels on the floor, "this interests me...
...But not appropriate," said Angelicus...
...The Blue Fairy Book," replied Euphemia, serenely...
...If you remain quiet, it won't," said Angelicus, pointedly, as he turned the page to begin a new chapter...
...The older Pete gets, the more he talks.' " "How old are you, Britannicus...
...It's high time, then, that you were both interrupted," exclaimed Britannicus...
...You seemed so unusually cheery...
...446 448 The ages of men voters are omitted...
...A despatch from Holden, Massachusetts, says that 'women voters of this town are going about with fire in their eyes...
...Do you blame me...
...It's so much more romantic...
...Here you are reading philosophy and fairy stories, and neglecting the newspapers, which are simply glowing with interesting facts...
...Oh, please—by all means, doff them," begged Euphemia, looking up from her volume...
...When I offered to read aloud to her from this wonderful work, she firmly asserted that she had a more important book to which she must give her time this afternoon...
...Never...
...But I now see that you, too, secretly enjoy the harrowing," said Euphemia...
...No," replied Angelicus, restlessly shifting his book, "doff them you may not...
...Augustinius de Catechizandis Rudibus," solemnly announced the Doctor...
...Nothing's a joke that may upset a woman's home or ruin her matrimonial chances," soberly remarked the Doctor...
...I have always suffered more or less from chilblains...
...inquired Euphemia...
...but we shall be glad to have you come in and remove them...
...There is so much of importance going on in the world with which you should be keeping au courant, instead of filling your head with that nonsense...
...The last time you wore it, I thought it fitted you very nicely," said Euphemia...
...You don't doff an every-day brown felt hat, er—somewhat soiled and worn, if you will pardon me, Britannicus...
...The Librarian...
...It's put here rather poetically," said Britannicus, looking at his paper...
...inquired Britannicus...
...Not at all—it was just an amusing little joke," maintained Britannicus...
...May I," asked Britannicus, timidly, as he poked his nose through the door, "may I come in and doff my hat and coat...
...Listen to this," chuckled Britannicus...
...And yours, Euphemia...
...If we must, we must, I suppose," murmured Angelicus, resignedly, as he put down his book...
...suddenly asked Euphemia, irrelevantly...
...What is this marvelous book, Doctor...
...For the item states that the Hospital Information and Service Bureau of the United Hospital Fund issued a statement recently which began: 'Where are the chilblains of yesteryear?' " "Still with us," maintained the Doctor, "and have been, as far as I am concerned, for forty years...
...Not for worlds would I interrupt the pursuit of scholarship," replied Britannicus, "only I am curious to know what it is you are reading...
...They have just discovered that in the printed list of voters posted on the bulletin board in the town hall, the age of every woman voter is given...
...I can see nothing now for the women of Holden to do but to move to another state...
...I thought you had a prejudice against the stressing of cruelty in journalism, Britannicus...
...Not even sheer stockings and the reputed scantiness of feminine wearables have resulted in increasing the chilblain rate...
...Where, my dear, is your sense of the eternal fitness of things...
...I thought so," remarked Euphemia...
...Now if you were wearing a plumed hat with a jeweled buckle, then doffing would be just the thing...
Vol. 5 • February 1927 • No. 16
