THE EGOTISTICAL COUPLE



Egotism in couples is of two kinds.--It is our purpose to show this
by two examples.

The egotistical couple may be young, old, middle-aged, well to do,
or ill to do; they may have a small family, a large family, or no
family at all. There is no outward sign by which an egotistical
couple may be known and avoided. They come upon you unawares;
there is no guarding against them. No man can of himself be
forewarned or forearmed against an egotistical couple.

The egotistical couple have undergone every calamity, and
experienced every pleasurable and painful sensation of which our
nature is susceptible. You cannot by possibility tell the
egotistical couple anything they don't know, or describe to them
anything they have not felt. They have been everything but dead.
Sometimes we are tempted to wish they had been even that, but only
in our uncharitable moments, which are few and far between.

We happened the other day, in the course of a morning call, to
encounter an egotistical couple, nor were we suffered to remain
long in ignorance of the fact, for our very first inquiry of the
lady of the house brought them into active and vigorous operation.
The inquiry was of course touching the lady's health, and the
answer happened to be, that she had not been very well. 'Oh, my