The Timmed Lamp

I read "The Trimmed Lamp" this time. The straight reaction of me toward this story is that I really liked the story and the characters. I'm pretty sure that this story is especially for woman to read.
I feel two main characters, Lou and Nancy very familiar and
you must know ladies such as these two as well.

Lou is a realistic character and she emphasizes to earn money as much as possible.
She abandon what she really wants to do or what she likes instead of earning money at an iron shop. As opposed to Lou, Nancy regards what she likes and what she wants more important than money. She get less wages than a sum of Lou gets but still, she always feels happy with the fact
that she is lucky enough to work where she wants to, at a department store.
Nancy loves and admires high standard culture and is hoping to join in the people who live in the high social class state. So that she is always learning such proper manner and attitude and
the ways to talk from customer at the department.

Lou and Nancy is the best friend each other but they both thinks that they do not want to be like the companions. Lou does not understand why Nancy seeks the elegance this much without earning enough and Nancy does not understand why Lou wants money the most.

Lou might be seem more clever and Nancy might be called "dreaming girl".  In real life, a girl such as Nancy is more likely to fail her dreams than Lou's types are because it is often difficult to keep
following the dreams.  But Nancy is the one who keeps effort and ambition in her heart to attain her goal, acquiring elegant manners and marring a truly rich gentleman.
Nancy can endure her destitute life believing her own faith and bright future.

On the contrary, Lou is a girl who does not believe her "dream". Her opinion is money is more believable and makes the life better.

In the end, Lou finds new rich boy friends (even though her previous boy friend Dan is not poor and he is a really kind, calm, faithful and gentle person) and dress herself in sparkling jewel superior furs.
Instead, Nancy got Dan!

Which girl do you want to be like and think happy?

Nancy tells me that what makes the life happy is not mone but what you choose to do.

The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein

I read "The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein" by O' Henry. It was written a bit old English and difficult to read.
First of all, I would like to summary the story itself simply.

Basically this story is about two man who fall in love with the same girl, Rosie.
One is a pharmacist, Ikey Schoesnstein and the other is named, Mr. McGowan. (He job is not clear but he earns 20$ a week)

Ikey is of course smart and respected by the citizens there but he was not confident when he is dealing with something other than medicines. McGowan is more confident and masculine type.
These two used to good friend and have been getting along well.

One day, McGowan come to Ikey's pharmacy and asked whether he could get what is called "love potion", to give it to Rosie of course. They have already fallen with love each other and planning o eloping but Rosie is often scared to do it. That's why McGowan wanted the "love portion".

Ikey does not like this idea at all so he doesn't give the "love portion" but give sleeping pills instead.
Ikey was waiting for what is going to happen but nothing happen.

The next day, Ikey is told from McGowan with much pleasure that he actually did not the "love portion"(sleeping pills) to her because he feels guilty. He give it to her father instead so they could succeed their strategy without any interruptions.


I was interested the use of  "love portion". In the stories of Western countries, I think it is not rare that the "love portion" appears. I have read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare before and "lobe portion" was an important factor on that story too. Also. the wrong person took the medicine, same as this O'henry's story. I agree that if the right person take the "love portion" and fall in love with the man easily, it is not interesting story at all.

I thought McGowan is once about to choose the nasty method to get her heart but Ikey should also
fight with him fairly. I like the ending because, the McGowan won who abandons to choose the wrong way but
to be honest.