Show condolences condolence out oat of place dont condole with a friend or congratulate a friend until five years have tested the reality og 0 his grief or joy says rays somebody but my certie it its 8 a good idea after five years or considerably less to find out how apropos your remarks are going to be before you offer em cm instance in point I 1 met bachant Va chant of new york in the street the ot other her day ive been meaning to write to bachant college friend of mine you know ever since his wife died two years ago brutal of me not to have done it for she was a sweet little soul and I 1 could guess what her loss must have been well I 1 rushed up to him and pressed his bis hand and stumbled out a plea for forgiveness for not having sooner expressed my very real sympathy for his cifes loss and all it must have meant to him I 1 noticed he went rather red and murmured something and hurried off as a soon as he could and when I 1 told ray my wife of it and how I 1 thought it rather queer she said eaid she think it queer at all inasmuch as he was on from new N ew york on a wedding journey with his second wife cards on my desk in unopened envelope thought from their size eiza they were an ad boston commonwealth |