LIBRA, the Scales

How to Recognize LIBRA

"Your face is the same as everybody has-

the two eyes, so ... nose in the middle,

mouth under. It's always the same.

Now, if you had the two eyes

on the same side of the nose, for instance-

or the mouth at the top-

that would be some help."

Librans hate to be rude, yet they'll straighten the crooked picture on your wall and snap off your blaring TV sfft. Librans love people, but they hate large crowds. Like gen&le doves of peace, they go around mediating and patching tip quarrels between others; still they enjoy a good argument themselves. They're goodnatured and pleasant, but th^y can also be sulky, and they balk at taking orders. Libra(is are extremely intelligent. At the same time, they're incredi­bly naive and gullible. They'll talk your ear off, yet they're wonderfully good listeners. Librans are restless people. But they seldom rush or hurry. Are you completely confused? You're not alone. There's a frustrating inconsistency to tl»is Sun sign that puzzles the Ubrans themselves as much S&it does others.

Lots of people will tell you that Libra is all love ai»d beauty and sweetness and light. That's fine, as far as it goes, but it stops a little short of accuracy. It also stops short of Eugene O'Neill. Just because the sign is symbolized by the golden scales of justice, don't ever think that LibraAS are always perfectly balanced. It seems to be a logical deduction. After all, the purpose of scales is to balano®. However, did you ever watch the balancing process on a pair of old-fashioned pharmaceutical scales? The ultimate goal is to get both sides even, but what happens? First o(ie side is low, then the other. Up and down, and they dip until there's perfect balance. Drop into a friendly neighborhood. pharmacy and watch them in action. (Just tell the druggist you're trying to find out what makes Aunt Martha tick.)

Never again will you have a mental picture of a Libran as a calm, perfectly balanced, sweet, gracious and charming individual You'll have a mental picture of a person who has that kind of disposition half the time. The other half of the time, Libra can be annoying, quarrelsome, stubborn, restless, depressed and confused. Libra is first up, then down. He swings one way, then another. Suddenly, like the scaels-perfect balance! It's heavenly. But there is always that period of weighing and dipping before the moment of heavenly balance is achieved.

The physical appearance of these people may require almost as much concentration as the personality. There's no such thing as a typical Libra feature, unless ifs the Venus dimple. Libran features are almost always even and well-balanced. They're pleasing, but not very noticeable, so it's easier to start with the dimples. There will usually be a couple in the cheeks or one in the chin. If they're not in the face, you might check to see if the knees are dimpled. Many Libran knees are. But be careful. Very few girls will believe you when you tell them you were staring at their knees "because I want to see if you were born in October." Be discreet, but check. With the men, of course, the trousers rule out that clue, unless you're on the beach or playing tennis. Don't get discouraged if you find dimples, then discover the person was not born in October. Those fetching dimples have a right to be there, because he or she will have a Libra ascendant, so your guess is still correct.

After you've ruled the Venus dimples in or out, notice the entire effect of the face. It will always wear a markedly pleasant expression. Even when the Libran is angry, some­how he or she will manage to look mild, or at the very least, neutral. Venus voices are typically sweet and clear as a bell, and these people seldom raise them to a shrill or bellowing pitch. A Libran is the only person on earth who can say, "I hate you and I'm going to punch you in the nose," and sound as if he's reciting Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?" The mouth is usually bow-shaped, and the lips would have been described in Gibson girl days as "lips like cherry wine." In fact, the typical Libra face reminds you of nothing so much as a box of bonbons. Or a sugar cookie. Some of them look like human lollipops, or a caramel sundae topped with rich, whipped cream. They like to eat those things, too, and if any Librans are reading this, they're probably weak with hunger by now.

The women are almost invariably pretty, and the men are usually handsome. Still, not all of the beautiful people in the world are Librans; Venus beauty is in a class by itself, and it's not always easy to separate it from the good looks of other Sun signs. My own secret way to recognize them is to begin by thinking about the sweet expressions of Dwight Elsenhower and Brigitte Bardot, and then go on from there. The trouble is that sometimes the women will look like Ike and the men like Bardot. You have to make allowances.

I'm not implying that the Libra woman is masculine.

Most of them are about as female as the average man can stand (unless there's an aggressive ascendant). And I cer­tainly do not imply that Libra men are feminine. They're usually quite virile male animals. But there's no denying that they have a purity of feature that keeps you from • getting them mixed up with prize fighters or wrestlers. Even the rare Libran who might be called ugly, and it will be most unusual to find one, has such a charming expres­sion you're persuaded to comment that there's real beauty of character in his (or her) face.

You'll never meet a Libran who doesn't have a smile like a soft, white cloud. That Venus smile could melt a chocolate bar at twenty paces. When it hits you full force, it has enough candle power to transfigure even plain or downright homely features-literally, not figuratively.

Most Librans are full of curves, rather than angles. Their hair is often curly. They're not necessarily fat (though a Taurus ascendant can produce some pretty plump pigeons). Still, they can fool you, go on a diet and cut quite a trim figure. But even so, the curves will be there in spots, rather like a slim hourglass shape. Using Bardot once more as an example, one certainly could not call her fat-but could one call her skinny? There's one more trick in mastering the Venus appearance and physical characteristics. You'll notice a bright, lilting laugh that rings with merriment. Once you've heard it, you won't soon forget it.

Now you might think that to be born attractive and dimpled, to seek fairness and loveliness, to be pleasing and easily pleased, is a blessing. You might imagine that gentle­ness and intelligence, grace and understanding are the gifts of a fairy godmother. You might be right. When the Libra scales are balanced, ifs utterly delightful, like meeting an angel from paradise. The problem is that fairy godmother. She keeps rapping one side of the .scales with her wand and then the other, making Libra dip back and forth. She can't seem to make up her fickle mind whether she made a mistake or not, and she passed her indecision on to Librans. First they'll talk up a storm and monopolize the conversation. Then they'll listen intently, with flattering interest. When others are fighting, theyll play the role of peacemaker, and smooth everyone's ruffled feathers. Then they'll turn right around, deliberately take the other side in discussion, and start an argument for the pure relish of it.

They seek harmony. Yet, lots of Librans indulge in excessive eating, drinking or love-making, completely up­setting the cookie cart, not to mention throwing harmony out of kilter. In fact, you'll come across a few Librans who will remind you of Dr. Dolittle's "push me-pull you" animal.

The Sun sign itself is known as Lazy Libra, and that's another inconsistency. For days, weeks or months on end, Librans can be too busy to play. They'll burn gallons of midnight oil, then rise and shine in time to hear the rooster crow. It wears you out just to watch them. Suddenly, they'll plop down into a chair, say, "I'm bushed," and give the best imitation of laziness you've ever seen (especially after all that frenzied activity). Once they've plopped, you won't catch them moving a muscle if they can help it. It will be an effort for them to pick up a spoon or raise a glass (though they will manage). If there's anyone around who's willing, they'll expect to be waited on, hand and foot. When the scales have dipped down toward lethargy, you couldn't move Libra with a steam shovel. Hell talk, read, yawn, snooze, watch TV or stare out the window, and seem barely able to make it into the bedroom (though he'll manage). All the nagging and shouting in the world won't impress him. It's as if he were in another world. After a period, when he's recouped his forces, hell feel a spurt of energy, get up, and start chugging down the track again. His nose will go back to the grindstone, and his hands and feet will fly. Once more, he'll work like a mule in harness, keeping a miraculous balance and a steady, even pace, as he harmoniously plans his chores with efficient ease. Although Libra is not a dual sign, most of their friends think they know two different people. Try to tell someone who has frequently seen a Libran in the midst of an up­swing that Libra is lazy, and hell stare at you blankly. Conversely, if you try to tell someone who has been ex­posed to the Libra lassitude that this creature is a bundle of powerful drive, he'll retort with, "That lazy bum? You must be kidding."

Librans know instinctively that to restore harmony to the body, they must alternate their active spells with com­plete rest. Their personal arrangement of genes and cells and electrical impulses demand it, and most of them are pretty adept at managaing this delicate physical balance. However, harmony of the mind and emotions isn't always as instinctive with them. They can weep with overflowing sentiment, turn sharply sarcastic, then be as bright and cheerful as the first robin in spring. It's not at all the duality of Gemini. The Libran is constantly dipping deeply into one emotion and then the other by turns, which isn't the same thing as the complete change of character of the Gemini twins. There's a deep richness to Libra's emotions, no matter which emotion is high or low at a given moment, and a philosophic approach to both sorrows and joys that seldom fails to smooth things out eventually.

An instinct for sanity keeps most Librans mentally healthy and physically fit. Usually, they avoid serious breakdowns of body and mind. The biggest threat to their health is over indulgence of some kind. Eating sweets can bring on obesity, stomach disorders and mottled skin. Ex­cessive use of alcohol can cause severe kidney and bladder •disturbances, which in turn result in violent headaches of migraine intensity. Giving in to depression can cause itchy sensations in the skin and even boils. The breast area is a sensitive part of the body, and sometimes there are foot problems and intestinal disorders though these aren't as common. Ulcers beset many a Libran, not from worry as much as from abuse of the digestive system and the topsy-turvy emotional make-up. Generally, Librans are healthier than most people, unless they push themselves too bard, and forget to take those necessary rest periods. The effect of peace and harmony on Venus health is miraculous. When they're ill, they need enormous amounts of prolonged rest, with no discordant emotional situations to plague them, pleasant books, soft music and soothing words. Such an atmosphere rarely fails to put the typical Libran back on his feet quickly.

The Libra character is made up of just about equal parts of kindness, gentleness, fairness, plain cussed argumenta-tiveness, stubborn refusal to capitulate, philosophical logic and indecision. It's best to examine these ingredients in detail. The argumentativeness, for instance. A Libran will argue with you about what time it is if he thinks your watch is two seconds off. Don't try to get away with a generalization like: "Teenagers are ruining the country." You'll get a logical, careful dissertation about the Peace Corps and how many wonderful youngsters there are in the world, even if his own children are defiant drop-outs. Make a remark like, "The law is so corrupt today that all judges and lawyers are dishonest," and he'll go on for hours about the divine protection of justice in this country, the virtues of the jury system and the problems of law-makers, going back to Roman law and continuing through the Code Napoleon. Never say casually, "It's foolish to live in the city when you can live in the country. There's no compari­son." That last phrase especially is a huge mistake. Just mention the word comparison, and the average Libran is off and running. He can compare all night long, with refreshments at intervals. He'll extol the beauties and advantages of the cities compared to rural areas: describe j the bright lights, honking taxi horns, theaters, museums and | parks in glowing terms-even if he himself lives in suburbia | and you couldn't blast him out with dynamite. It wouldn't | make a bit of difference if you took the opposite view in | any of these cases. The Libran would then expound on the (rising teenage crime rate, the corruption of the courts and [the joys of country living. He doesn't really care which side I he takes in a good argument, as long as it's the other side. Sometimes, if he gets bored, he can switch sides in the middle. Tell him you like a movie and he'll tell you what's wrong with it. Criticize it and hell praise it. Rave about a new book and he'll list its shortcomings. If you found it dull, he'll point out its virtues. Throughout all this constant, logical deduction, the Libran will try to remain fair. Libra dreads the appearance of prejudice, unjust accusation and blind faith equally. What he seeks is the real truth, the exact balance that gives the correct answer, after weighing all possibilities.

It's an admirable trait, of course, but all that weighing can drive a positive person simply wild. It can drive the Libran himself into a state of constant indecision. Even the most controlled Venus men and women dislike making instant decisions without taking all the possibilities into consideration. Fairness can be a fetish. The Libran general, with his qualities of balanced, harmonious judgment, makes an excellent strategist, and thoughtful planning can win a battle before it's fought. His ability to see all sides, to smooth nerves and calm angry tempers can make him the finest kind of mediator, bringing people who hate and mistrust each other together, and getting them to work in harmonious cooperation. However, war makes all Librans secretly heartsick. They hate bloodshed. An October-born officer in the armed services will let someone else make instant decisions under fire, while he brilliantly charts the strategic maneuvers that will save thousands of lives in the long run, and still win for his side.

This antipathy to making a decision can turn into quite a stalemate with the ones who have adverse afflictions between their planets at birth. There are some who can't decide which shoe to put on first in the morning, let alone which side of the bed to get out of. Even the average Libran you meet at the office or at a party will always reflect to some degree this tendency to weigh things back and forth until you get the jitters, and the time for decision is long past. They'll say, "If I do this, such and such will happen. On the other hand" (which is one of their all-time very favorite phrases) "if I do that, then such and such could occur." Those scales can dip crazily up and down like a see-saw. Nothing is more painful to watch than a doubtful Libran trying to make up his mind why, where­fore, and whether to. He doesn't like to be hurried or pushed while he's deciding, either. An impatient person can turn the airy Libran into a sudden spell of earth stub­bornness that would make Taurus, the bull, look like a gullible pushover. Impatience is one quality most Librans can't stand. Flighty, rash, impulsive people who don't stop to consider the consequences give them the jitters.

It's amusing that Librans will always immediately deny their Indecisiveness. The first thing they'll say when you're describing their Sun sign will be, "I'm not indecisive at all. That's not accurate. It certainly doesn't describe me." Hide your smile. Translated, his denial means that, al­though he takes a devilishly long time to make up his mind (which he very conveniently forgets), once he's reached a conclusion, he's quite gung-ho about it. If he's been allowed sufficient time, his eventual, final decision will be carried out with such forceful conviction that it mis­leads him into thinking he's firm and decisive. Don't let it mislead you. Anyway, when he tells you he has no trouble making up his mind, he's just starting a typical Libran argument, and you can tell him so. It will do him good to realize that, even in the midst of his objections to his astrological traits, he's proving the truth of his Sun sign. When he denies your analysis of him, just say smugly, "I expected you to take that attitude. Librans always argue every point." It will drive him crackers, but it may help him realize the truth, and the truth is what he seeks. He's bound to see the logic in that. Telling him he's being unfair and refusing to consider both sides will take him down a notch or two, also.

Very few Librans are markedly eccentric or show-offs. Most of them are as wholesome and as well-balanced as a neat field of wheat, swaying back and forth gracefully in the wind. They're normally scrupulously honest in business deals, and there's very little carelessness about them. Libra would rather take his time and get it right than make a false start and have to repeat the process. They hate exag­geration, and they're repelled by embarrassing displays of anger and passion, though they themselves can be guilty of both extremes if they're pressed beyond their endurance. Most Librans have a fantastic ability to concentrate and to ponder deep subjects. They are born with an affection for books, and such a respect for the printed word that many of them scorn paperbacks. They feel it's not a book unless it's a hardcover, and smells and feels like a book. You're almost sure to find an extensive library in every Libran home.

They love the harmony of sounds, colors, poetry and the proper use of words, both written and spoken. Rarely do they escape the influence of the arts. A Libran is a gentle, tender lover of all that's good and clean and lovely underneath whatever image he may project when that fairy godmother raps one side of his scales. He's an artistic soul at heart, who enjoys spreading the soft blue and pastel shades of Venus at parties and cultural occasions. Soft light, mellow music, interesting conversation, good food and fine wines turn him on. His mind has both the brilliance of the diamond and the smoothness of the opal. He moves in the changing element of air and reflects the usefulness .of copper, his harmonizing metal. There's a touch of the cool, Libran mint in his alert reasoning and his sharp sense of honor, and six dimensions of peace shine down on him from Venus.

To truly understand Libra, you must understand the riddle of the scales; one side heaped high with October's vivid, golden leaves, suggesting brisk, autumn weather- the other side holding sky blue bunches of shy violets, drenched in the fresh scent of April rain. When the scales dip, bright optimism turns into silent panic, weighed down with lonely depression. When they balance, they produce a perfect harmony between his rich, crackling intellect and his affectionate, sympathetic heart. The seasons hold Libra's secret. Winter is too cold for him. Summer is too hot. He must blend them both into a perfect fall and spring.

Famous Libra Personalities

Julie Andrews Brigitte Bardot David Ben-Gurion Sarah Bernhardt Charles Boyer Charlie Brown Truman Capote Dwight Eisenhower T. S. Eliot William Faulkner Mahatma Gandhi George Gershwin Graham Greene Helen Hayes Rita Hayworth

Charlton Heston Deborah Kerr John Lennon Walter Lippmann Franz Liszt Mickey Mantle Marcello Mastroianni Nietzsche Eugene O'Neffl Dr. J. B. Rhine Eleanor Roosevelt Ed Sullivan Michael Todd, Jr. Oscar Wilde Thomas Wolfe

 TOP

The LIBRA Man

"In my youth," said his Father, "I took to the law. And argued each case with my wife;

And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw, Has lasted the rest of my life."

You'll get plenty of free advice from this man. Hell have the perfect solution to all your problems and an answer for every question you ask. But there's no use expecting him to be the answer to all your girlish dreams. He'll change some of them and argue with others. A Libra male can be as cranky as a crocodile with poison ivy, and his habit of rationalizing everything, including love, will drive you to frenzy-or leave you limp with defeat.

Still, I must warn you that once you're caught and en­meshed in the Libran charm, it won't be easy to break away. Trying to escape from a bear trap is a cinch, com­pared to liberating yourself from a Libran man. If you try to run, he'll persuade you to stay with such logical, intelli­gent arguments you couldn't hope to top them unless you graduated from Harvard Law School. In addition to using his unmatched reasoning powers on you, he'll turn so sweet and gentle you'll forget the frustrating inconsistencies of his nature that upset you before. Then he'll smile at you and something will happen inside. Your heart will turn over.

From that moment on, the battle will be lost. His dreams will be your dreams, and nothing will matter so much as making him happy. You'll seek that smile and need it to survive the way a thirsty traveler needs water. Only a really hard-hearted Hannah could resist a Libran smile, and she'd have to summon all her determination to avoid being magnetized by its purity. The Libran charm is not like the hypnotic persuasion of the Scorpio. The attraction of Libra is logicul and real, not supernatural in any sense. There's no black magic about it, just common sense submission to his heavenly aura.

On the other hand, to use his favorite catch phrase, there will be times when those Libra scales dip back and forth with crazy contradiction. You'll have to shout at him, push him into the lake, or stand on your head to get his atten­tion and force him to make a move. Don't be so naive as to think love will be smooth and eternally tranquil, even if he is ruled by Venus. If you're up on your Roman mythology, you're aware that Venus had her off days. Still, when the scales balance, life with Libra can be as intoxicat­ing as a goblet of golden ambrosia, with lots of laughs and a casual freedom known only to the gods who cavort on Olympus.

Making up his mind is a chore no less strenuous to the average Libran male than taming a wild buffalo, and once he's made it up, he's liable to change it with no warning if he suspects he's made a mistake. There's a woman I know Who hoped to go into a business partnership with a Libran, and she learned the hard way about this legendary Libra idiosyncrasy. They had a breakfast appointment together one summer morning, and both of them were full of en­thusiastic, optimistic plans for the future. After he dropped her off on the way to his office, she began to worry. His promises were almost too good to be true, so she phoned him, just to make sure she hadn't been dreaming. He was still excited, he repeated all his promises and ambitious plans, and they made a date to get together again the fol­lowing week. Before they hung up, he guessed what was on her mind and reassured her. "By the way," he re­marked, "I want to say something, since I won't see you again for a few days." He hesitated slightly (she missed that clue), then continued with conviction. "I wanted to tell you that, well-I guess what I wanted to say is don't worry. I won't change my mind. We'll go through with it, just the way we planned."

The next week, when he didn't call, she phoned him again. "Were you out of town?" she asked. "No," he said slowly. "I didn't call you because I wanted to think it over." A long pause. "I think I should try something with a smaller budget first. We'll get together on our project next spring. I promise. It's just that, well, I've decided it's best to wait until then, and put it on the shelf for a while, you know?"

Filled with natural resentment and disappointment after such an unexpected letdown, she made a decision of her own. She would never speak to him again. The man was obviously undependable, untrustworthy and cruel, besides. A month later she passed him on the street, and he stopped to say hello. Caught off guard, she stammered an aloof, cool sentence or two of greeting, and instantly regretted that she hadn't cut him dead. Then he smiled. That did it. She was once more his strongest booster. He could do no wrong, even to her. To this day she defends him fiercely, and if she hears that one of his dreams got shattered, she has an illogical desire to help him pick up the pieces so he'll smile again.

Now, if that could occur when a woman is involved with a Libra man only in a business way, can you imagine your state of mind and your ability to insulate yourself if you should happen to fall in love with one of these impossible charmers? You simply can't be too careful. Steel yourself to turn your head when he smiles. Stuff cotton in your ears when he starts his convincing arguments in that smooth-as-silk voice that makes the back of your neck tingle.

The word love and the word Libra are practically syn­onymous. Libra invented romance, and refined it to an art with even more finesse than Leo, Scorpio and Taurus, which is saying a lot. The delicate strategies of Cupid are inbred Libran talents. He'll use every trick with casual ease and seldom fail to get the girl. However, once he gets her, he isn't always sure what to do with her. Having thoroughly charmed her into willing submission, he hesi­tates. Should he take advantage of her helpless state or should he propose marriage? Or both? Or neither? The mental struggle begins, and life in the garden of Eden with this particular Adam becomes' considerably less than ecstatic.

He won't lose interest in the opposite sex until he's at least ninety. It may be purely an academic interest if he's happily married, but the subject will never bore him, even if he only speculates what it would be like to whirl each pretty girl he sees around an imaginary ballroom.

Since the art of love-making comes so easily-and shockingly early-to the Libra male, and since he almost always wears the crown of success on his romantic excur­sions into love's jungle, he gets tangled up with a lot of clinging vines. Libra hates to hurt anyone's feelings, though he remains blissfully unaware of the damage done when he's in an argumentative mood. He hates to say no, and seldom realizes that postponement is more unkind than an outright break of an affair which has no chance of hap­piness. In the opposite situation when the mutual feeling is as close to sublime as humans ever reach on this earth, the prolonged agony can be equally tortuous. Only an Aquarian can be more shy of making a drastic move in one direction or another. If he senses he's being unfair to someone in his own life, to you-or to someone in your recent romantic past-there will be no end to his painful indecision. Being unfair is, to him, a crime roughly on a level with murder. The reluctance to be cruel can push him into a mistaken proposal of marriage, predestined for the divorce courts •-or else his endless procrastination can cause him to miss (he love of his life. So you can see his attitude is a two-edged sword, which can either slice away true love or cut him a piece of indigestible matrimony. Tossing out false sentiment is the cure for both.

The tendency toward fickleness in Libra men can't be denied. They do tend to trifle, especially in youth. The natural Libra impulse is to to size up every third or fourth woman they come across, and weigh her possibilities of being the true soul mate. They often get friendship and love hopelessly confused. Surprisingly, it's not often that the Libran will suffer from a broken heart, for all his dabbling and experimenting. He can forget with insulting quickness, and be less apt than anyone, except perhaps a Gemini or Sagittarius male, to allow himself to regret the memory of unrequited love or a romance that was fated never to be. He may sustain a few bruised spots, but there will be no permanent damage, except in very unusual cases. Then the hurt can be devastating beyond imagina­tion. But it happens so rarely you won't find many ex­amples. It's easier to find a soft-hearted, guileless Libra man in the clutches of a passionately determined female who has made him feel that deserting her would be a sin second only to breaking all the ten commandments at once. Caught in such a net, he can be a pretty miserable prisoner of love. But both extremes are the exceptions, and most Libra men manage to keep free enough to enjoy romance to the fullest, without letting sentimental ties rope them in.

He isn't too interested in rooting out your secrets. He may seem to be, at first glance, but take a second look. Often he misses what's going on two inches under his nose.

Everyone will notice what's happening but him. Though he'll argue until hell freezes over, his purpose is not to dig out personal motives, but to dwell on abstract theories so that he can reach a balanced judgment. His questions aren't aimed at uncovering anyone's hidden neurosis. He just wants to sort the facts and assemble them in the proper places. He'll discuss pros and cons with brilliant logic and astute rationalization, and his conclusion will usually be fair, accurate, sensible and practical. Not even Solomon in all his wisdom could top a typical Libran's final, balanced decision. But he doesn't have the inclination to figure the personal nuances or emotional tangles that lie just beneath the surface. The facts and the facts alone are sufficient. The Piscean, Scorpio or Aquarian's deep penetration of character would, to his mind, muddy the crystal-clear picture he seeks. He instinctively feels that such psychological examination is out of his line. It is.

If you're extravagant, he'll simply deduce that you spend money like water; therefore you aren't a good credit risk. The fact that you seek emotional security by wasting cash isn't in his field. He's not your psychiatrist. If you're stingy, he's only interested in carefully examining your thrift to form an accurate appraisal of your customs. There's no desire to uncover your secret fear of losing your inde­pendence through poverty. Promiscuity will make him argue against its pitfalls; frigidity will, bring on even lengthier discussions about isolation from human com­panionship. But he'll avoid learning about the traumatic experiences that brought on the former, or the deep-seated feelings of inadequacy that triggered the latter. Libra is the judge. You'll see lots of judges handing down fair decisions, based on weighing the facts in the case, but you won't find many of them asking you why the color red makes you nervous, or sympathizing with your com­pulsion to lock your husband out because he wore those red-striped pajamas. Always remember that the Libran argues with only an abstract curiosity. He appears to be a prober, but he's not. Nor is he as nosy and gossipy as he seems to be. It's like breaking the seal of the confessional to pry a secret given in confidence from the typical Libran.

All this makes him terribly trustworthy, but a little hard on your feelings. You can confide in him with faith. But you'll suffer when he misses sensing your innermost needs. He wants to please you, but there's seldom enough under-standing of your silent hopes to satisfy all your longings (unless there's a water sign on the ascendant, or the Moon is in a water sign). Just because he's an expert lover technically doesn't make him the soul of empathy in relation to your moods. He has enough trouble coping with his own. Nothing can be more irritating than when you rush to him with a story about how someone has hurt you deeply. You seek sympathy, and what do you get? His first question will be, "What did you do to him (or her)?" Then he'll point out where you were just as much in the wrong, until you could scream with unsatisfied indignation. Go ahead and scream, he still won't take sides if he thinks you've been unfair, and the emotional implications will escape him.

Trouble invariably arises from this Libran lack of aware­ness of the partner's need to be understood in depth. It may seem unbelievable that he can be so intuitive about the abstract, so brilliantly logical in deduction, so capable of clear, open-minded and open-eyed deliberation, and still be so aggravatingly obtuse about what makes you ache or thrill inside. But it's one of those inconsistencies you have to live with, if you live with a Libran. His gentleness and that smile, of course, make it easier to bear.

Unless there are financial afflictions in his natal chart, he won't be tight with the budget. On the contrary, the typical Libran has a rather lavish hand with cash. He believes in spending it on objects or activities that bring beauty or happiness. Be prepared to be a good hostess, because his home will be a regular hospitality center at most any hour of the day or night (except during those times when he's resting and won't take kindly to being disturbed by doorbells, telephones or people). Don't drag him to crowded places where he's forced to feel the press of flesh and where the noise offends his sense of harmony. Crowds of strangers affect his inner equilibrium. All Librans have an instinctive distaste for physical contact with masses of humanity. His social life will be generously sprinkled with intelligent, sparkling people, but when the group expands to over a couple of dozen warm bodies, he'll Struggle for air. A Libra man can suddenly leave you alone in a crowded theater with no explanation. He doesn't hate you. He was just overcome with claustrophobia, a typical Ubran affliction.

The fastest road to the disinterest that leads to divorce Ffs a disorderly home. Keep the radio and TV sets toned down, and don't let the odor of cooking penetrate hia sensitive nostrils. If you must make onion soup and garlic bread, spray pine-scented deodorant around until the house smells like the great northern woods. A wife who serves a Libran husband bread right out of the wrapper, makes him use paper towels for napkins and leaves the milk bottle or cereal box out where he can see them is beaded for the life of a not-so-gay divorcee sooner than she may think. Hanging stockings across the shower rod is out. Forgetting to dust or make the beds can keep him in a constant state of emotional discord. Hell retreat from the disharmony with longer and longer naps and more and more nights out alone, and eventually, there will be no communication. He may be as sloppy as six pigs himself, but he'll expect you to pick up his socks and fold the papers be scatters on the floor. If the chartreuse draperies clash with a maroon rug, he can pout for years, and you'll never know why. Better keep the decor pastel. With the typical Libran kindness, he may not complain, but his secretary and her exquisite taste may look more attractive to him every day.

The Libra male hates confusion, and he really needs harmony to remain stable. His home must be a beautiful, quiet oasis from the jangling discord of the outside world, or those scales may remain permanently out of balance. Since he seldom probes motives, you'll have to be smart enough to guess why he's never home or why he sleeps all the time when he is. Remember that he's weak on intro­spection, so you must be the analyst. He'll never suspect his unhappiness stems from seeing you covered with cold cream and the youngsters covered with jelly. He may not realize he hates the orange shower curtain or that the lithograph of George Washington crossing the Delaware which hangs over the mantle goes against his artistic grain. He won't quite understand why he keeps forgetting to kiss you goodnight and good morning, but his logical mind will tell him something is off balance, and he'll suffer from it more than he lets on. Pick up the papers and toys, spruce, Up the house, dab on your best perfume, take the curlers out of your hair, turn down the television, buy some heavenly blue shower curtains and get a good Degas print to replace George over the mantle. Youll wake up some morning and find you're married to a completely new man With a .otally changed attitude.

The children will always benefit from his sense of fair­ness. He'll make sure the biggest youngsters don't take advantage of the baby, or the youngest doesn't break the oldest's bicycle spokes. Libran fathers will exercise dis­cipline with quiet authority, and they'll try to give a logical reason for punishment, which will seldom be administered in anger. Like you, the children will melt under his charm; and like you, they'll also chafe under his constant debating and challenging. Strangely, a Libra man usually doesn't look forward enthusiastically to the birth of children. But after they arrive, he weighs the advantage of their love against loneliness, plunges into fatherhood with a sincere desire to enjoy it, and normally ends up as a doting parent. However, he'll never allow parental affection to replace his romantic feelings for you. With typical Librans of both sexes, the mate comes first, offspring second. You needn't fear that his love for you will decrease as the family in­creases-assuming, of course, you got rid of those char­treuse draperies or the maroon rug, one or the other- and that the dirty dishes don't continually pile up in the sink.

One final word of astrological advice. If you're in love with a Libra man, and you're sure it's meant to be, go right ahead and propose whatever it is you want to propose, up to and including marriage. Hell be relieved that you took the initiative. But watch out for that perverse streak-which causes him to let you decide, and then when it doesn't work out, cheerfully point out that "You made the decision. I didn't." Make sure you know what you're doing, or you'll never hear the end of it. There's only one way to even the score with him. Say "Yes, I decided. If I had left it up to you, we'd still be standing under that lamppost in the rain saying 'I love you,' and we'd both have caught pneumonia." He'll argue with you, naturally, but just before or after you bounce the teapot off his head, he'll accidentally smile, and there you'll be-stand­ing under that lamppost in the rain again, saying "I love you," once more. I believe this is where I came in.

 TOP　

The LIBRA Woman

And so she went on taking first one side

and then another and making quite a conversation of

it altogether...

She generally gave herself very good advice (though she seldom followed it) ...

Once a child asked me a question that wasn't easy to answer. "Why is it," he wanted to know, "that ladies wear trousers and men use pretty smelling cologne?" In typical Aries style, I dashed off an impulsive reply. "Well," I told him quickly, before he could think of any more em­barrassing riddles, "that's because there's a little bit of woman in every man, and there's a little bit of man in every woman. Now let's play checkers."

Looking back, I'm rather proud of my instant Mars wisdom. That statement is true to some degree of all the Sun signs, and it's super-true of Libra. You can find a trace of the opposite sex in the most virile, rugged Libran male, and Venus plays the same trick on the female scale balancer.

She may be as dainty as a fluffy, white bunny and she may whisper with gentle persuasion. She can dress in silks and laces, and her hair can smell of fragrant cologne. She might even look like a little doll you could lift with one hand (though a Taurus or Sagittarius ascendant would make her considerably more hefty). But with all her femininity, sweet mannerisms and lovely grace, this girl wears a pair of trousers with surprising ease, and they'll fit her rather neatly. Her mental processes operate with male logic and they can match yours in any discussion you care to start. They can even top yours on occasion, although the female side of the Libra woman is usually too smart to let you catch on to that until you're safely past the honeymoon. During the mating season, she'll be careful not to beat you at chess, but she won't hide her sharp mind behind those soft dimples forever. EventuaBy, you'll be treated to a display of her brain power.

Most Libra women will air their clever wits any time a subject appears with the slightest possibility of debate. It could be anything from why you shouldn't wear button down collars to what's keeping you from getting a raise at work. (She'll feel the latter is partly your fault and partly your boss's fault. Everything with Libra ends up as six of one and half a dozen of another-just so it all comes out even.) If you refuse to rise to the bait, she'll argue with herself. A Libra girl can start a donnybrook alone, pursue it alone and finish it alone, in a grand flourish. Your only contribution may be "But why?" or "I don't think so," but sometimes that's all she needs to deliver a brilliant monologue, which may last for an hour or more. Through it all, however, you'll probably be drowning in her charm. She'll turn on that unbearably delicious smile every third sentence or so, and you'll end up changing your mind as effortlessly as she changes her sex by taking over the man's prerogative, then switching back to a cuddly love bunny. She'll convince you with pure clear logic. You won't lose much-except your pride, and you'll hardly miss that, under the spell of that gentle Libran smile. She's usually right, because her final decisions are as carefully considered as those of the Supreme Court. Libran females don't need much encouragement to start a verbal comparison going between any two points of view. A politically active season will give her lots of chances to sharpen her rhetoric and her argumentative talents. She makes a great political worker, once she's made up her mind which side and which candidate is right.

Aside from the typical Libra penchant for weighing everything twice to make sure she didn't miss a point, she can be quite a lot of woman for a man who's interested in romance or companionship or both. Her tendency to argue is really based on a sincere desire to reach an im­partial decision. It could be worse. At least she doesn't make up her own rules as she goes along, or stubbornly resist all reason, like women born under some other Sun signs. Besides, most of her opinions are presented with diplomatic tact, which somewhat softens the blow.

Perhaps the best way to get you to appreciate your Libra woman is to give you a quick rundown on what you would face with other Sun signs in a simple situation. Let's say you're discussing the subject of calling cards. Should people use them today, is it old-fashioned, and what should they look like? Take a fast flight around the zodiac. Pre­tend you're the only man in a room with twelve women. (That should be a pleasant supposition.) The discussion would run something like this:

Aries: Don't need them. I use the telephone. Taurus: It's rare that I go calling. People visit me. Gemini: Calling cards! Who has time for calling cards?

Leo: Well, if they were really wild, and impressive look­ing-

Virgo: I'll have to check Emily Post and see exactly what she says.

Sagittarius: My gawd! You mean people stffl take time for that junk?

Scorpio: If they're not home, they miss me. Ifs their loss, not mine.

Aquarius: I wonder if it's raining outside? I thought I heard thunder.

Cancer: Cards are so impersonal. I'd rather write a note.

Pisces: I always sense when people aren't there, and I only I call on them when I get a subliminal message they want to see me.

Capricorn: The custom is perfectly proper. But there's no I point in discussing the design. If it's not en-|           graved, it's not a calling card.

Libra; Well, it all depends. If you want to do the correct thing, you should have them. It's a charming gesture. On the other hand, using them might seem pre­tentious today, and the modern woman is too busy to bother with them. Of course, you have to con­sider the reason behind the custom. Then again, there are people who can't afford calling cards. If if's a strain on the budget, they aren't really neces­sary. Looking at the other side of it, however, I can't help feeling the beauty and grace of yesterday is missing in today's frantic pace, so it might be money well spent. I suppose they should be en­graved. Yet, it's true that something different would reflect the individual personality. A creative person could design his own. But such individual cards might be misunderstood by very social people, you know? I mean, the Rockefellers would think it was gauche. On reflection, who calls on the Rocke­fellers? Your own friends would love your being original, but plain engraving is probably more ac­ceptable. At least I think it should be. But still-well ...

Now she's run out of pros and cons, and she frowns slightly, under the strain of sorting out her own arguments and trying to dredge up an actual, firm decision from the lot.

You can see the Libran female is nothing if not fair, and committed to balanced judgment all around. You may get a little bored with her digressions on mundane subjects such as calling cards, but you'll sincerely appreciate her efforts at fairness, and her ability to judge correctly by weighing all sides, when it comes to something that really matters. Other women might toss off opinions that reflect their own individual natures, and seldom care much about what you think, or about a fair answer. To a Libra woman, there's no such thing as what she thinks is right. Your opinion deserves as much respect as hers and Plato's, until the decision is made, based on the flaws in her arguments, yours and all the philosophers.

Most Venus girls work both before and after marriage. They seek cash for the lovely things it can buy. The Libra bird needs lots of fine feathers for her luxurious nest. She loves beautiful clothes, expensive perfumes, classical music and-did somebody say she was masculine? Yes, I did. One side of her. But you will barely notice her hard head when it wears such pretty hair-dos. Mostly, Libran women need plentiful sums of money to remove them from the squalor and ugliness of discordant surroundings, which can actually make them emotionally and physically ill. But there's another reason she works, another reason she wants money. Her man. If there's one thing a Libra female treasures above all else on this temporal earth, it's the man she's chosen to love, honor and manage.

She hates to play solitaire. Partnerships, in both business and romance, constitute her deepest .need. She doesn't like to work alone, and she's literally incapable of living alone. libra women who visit astrologers have only two questions they really care about. If it's not one, it's always the other. Either: "When will I meet someone I really love?" or "When will I find someone to go into business with me?" With her, marriage is a joint venture, and the rules are almost as strict as those in a corporate setup. You are the president of the association, and you're honored as such. She's the chairman of the board, who will keep you from making mistakes, in her own feminine, protective way. Her nature is built for teamwork. She'll want to participate in as many of your interests and activities as possible. She's willing to entertain in her husband's behalf, and she's female enough to follow his lead when he wants to change his career, move to another city, or cultivate new friends. That's all his department. She's only there to smooth the way and be sure he doesn't goof anything by impulsive actions and ill-considered judgment.

You really have to give her credit. The typical Libra woman has no desire to be a stone around her husband's neck. She simply wants to remove all the stones in his path. She's not nearly as domineering on the surface as she is inwardly, because the last thing she wants to do is make a lot of positive statements you can hold her responsible for later. She'll tread gently in most cases (unless she has an Aries ascendant-and if you're mixed up with a woman who had a double cardinal influence like that at birth, you have a sizable problem).

The average Libra female is highly intellectual and has amazing powers of analysis, which can be a real help in solving your business problems. She seldom lets her emo­tions keep her from dispassionate decision or a-balanced view, and she can usually give you better advice than your banker. Naturally, her abilities along these lines can cover a multitude of vices. Not only that, but if she's a typical Venus girl, she offers her pearls of wisdom on a silver platter of charm and amiable suggestion. Her iron hand wears a soft, velvet glove, and she can nudge you off the wrong track and in the right direction so gently, you'll swear the switch was entirely your own idea. An Aries, Scorpio, Leo or Taurus man will normally put his Libran wife on a pedestal and worship her. That's only fair, because she worships him, too. Outsiders who visit the love nest of a properly mated Libran and her husband may feel as though they were seeing Adam and Eve, before the snake came along and spoiled everything. (Two Librans wed to each other invariably become cooing lovebirds or snarling adversaries. They'll go to one extreme or the other, sometimes on a permanent basis, sometimes every other day.)

There are many rewards when you're living with a Libra female. She'll never open your mail. It simply wouldn't occur to her to be so dishonorable. She'll never reveal your business secrets to your friends or embarrass you in front of your boss. She'll probably charm him into submission, too, with the same smile she used to melt your heart when you first met her. There are some Libra women with afflicted Mars positions who may over-indulge in excessive emotions at times, or eat and drink more than is good for them, but they're few and far between. Even if a Venus female does occasionally trip over her own scales, sooner or later she'll gracefully achieve her normal state of heavenly harmony. There will be moments when you'll wonder if she's an angel or devil, but the angels fight on her side more often than not.

You probably won't complain of lack of physical proof of her love, because she's as sentimental as old lace, and as affectionate as a woman has any right to be. Although she's sincere about her billing and cooing, those sweet glances, tender touches, warm hugs and frequent kisses are also a pretty effective smokescreen for her hidden mascu­line drive. There's no law that says sincerity can't have a practical application.

Your home may look like one of those magazine ads for wall-to-wall carpeting. The colors will harmonize, and the furniture will be in good taste. Pictures will hang straight, and meals will usually be served on time. With most Venus girls you can also count on cloth napk^s, sterling silver, flowers on the table, good china, candlelight, wine, soft music and a balanced menu. Taking into consideration her clever mind and her sparkling wit, there's not a whole lot more you could ask. Being a woman is sort of a lifetime occupation to her, and she's bound to arrive at perfection somewhere along the line. The masculine side of her will rarely disturb you, unless you're one of those impossible males who want to go shouting around like King Henry

VIII and expecting the women in your life to behave like obedient consorts, fearful of losing their heads if they gay anything other than "yes" or "no." Your Libran con­sort will definitely say more than "yes" or "no." She likes to talk. But she'll also make a flattering listener, when you have a need for a good audience. This woman is both tough and soft at the same time, and it's not every female who can manage that delicate balancing act.

Her sweet manners and smooth ability to cool your fevered brow can lead you to think she's weak and helpless, or that she'll be fluttery and feminine when a crisis erupts. If so, you're much mistaken. That dear, womanly little creature is composed of nine parts steel. Just because you missed it when she was shrewdly and bravely planning to hook you during those early chess games when she kept letting you beat her, you shouldn't remain blind forever. Open your eyes wide the next time there's a family emergency, and see who keeps the boat from rocking. Who really does it, I mean. The truth needn't rob you of your masculinity. No one but you will know how much you need her helping hand at the helm when things get choppy. Shell never brag about it, or take anything away from you-except a large part of the responsibility. Be grateful she's so dependable. Besides, she looks kind of cute when she wears her slacks to garden or to the super­market, doesn't she? Women in trousers are all right, as long as they have enough sense to wear frilly organdy to parties and slinky silk in privacy. She does. One of her most valuable assets is her ability to hide her sharp, keen mind behind utter femininity.

The children will be loved and tenderly cared for by a Libra mother, but in all honesty, they will come in a poor second to you. They're junior partners, but you are the president of the company, and shell never forget that basic fact. They'll get a large chunk of her heart, but she'll never allow them to steal the comer she gave to you before they came along. If their play interferes with your rest, she can be pretty strict, and if they disobey you, shell be angrier than if they disobeyed her. The youngsters will be sweet and clean as infants, neat and polite as adults-unless you spoil them and she doesn't interfere because you're the lord and master. It's just another one of those decisions she may leave in your hands so she can avoid making the wrong judgment The Libra mother is normally gentle, yet quite firm when the need arises. Her children are never neglected or ignored, but the truth of the matter is that the reason she wanted to become a mother in the first place was so she could give you more happiness that way. One of the first things she'll teach them when they learn their prayers is to say, "God bless Daddy." She'll never permit them to disrespect their father. Still, if you get a little over­bearing, she's a pretty soft pillow for their tears, and she may sneak them a peppermint stick behind your back when you've put your foot down too severely.

It's true that she may nibble on sweets too often and get fat. She may linger too long at the dance or over the wine bottle. There may be times when she's a little bossy, and Other moments when she talks your ear off. But these things will only occur when her emotional scales are temporarily off balance. They will never fail to settle into even steadiness when the occasional dipping is over. Un­less somebody stands there with his foot on one of them, Libran scales always eventually balance themselves. If one side is a little low, add some affection and it will rise. If the other side drops from the weight of too much sad­ness, lighten it with understanding and her-beautiful har­mony will return.

What other woman could look like a princess when you take her to the ball, then turn right around, lace up her boots, zip up her red plaid lumber jacket, and help you saw logs for the fireplace? She has sweetness enough for the first and strength enough for the second. If her name is Peg, you'll be whistling "Peg-0-My-Heart." If it's Sally . or Mary, you'll happily hum "My Gal Sal" or sing "Mary Is a Grand Old Name." In case the song writers have forgotten to pay her a tribute, write your own melody in waltz time, with a good, strong beat, and dedicate it to your Libra woman. Fortissimo.

　 TOP

The LIBRA Child

"She's in that state of mind," said the White Queen, "That she wants to deny something-only she doesn't know what to deny!"

"My, what a beautiful baby!" Parents of October infants hear that phrase so often, they can be forgiven for feeling smug. The little Libran does seem to be a plump, pink angel, right out of the pages of a baby book. With his sweet expression and those pleasant, well-balanced Venus features, he's quite a charmer. He seldom kicks off his blankets in red-faced, screaming rage, or punches Mommy in the nose when she tries to give him his bottle. He's too well-mannered for such wild shenanigans. When he smiles, it lights up the whole nursery. "My, what a dear, good baby! So quiet and calm. So chubby and dimpled. Surely a gracious fairy touched him with her magic kiss."

I don't like to play the role of the mean old witch at the royal christening, but would you mind checking to see if he has a dimple in his chin? Most Libran babies do. You found it? Well, just for fun, you might turn to the last page of your baby record book and write a line Grandma was fond of quoting. "Dimple in chin-Devil within." (Grand­ma may have secretly studied astrology.) There will come a time in the future when you'll glance at that line and silently pay tribute to her wisdom.

It may be some morning when he's sitting at the table, slowly stirring his spoon in first one dish, then another. The dish on the right contains his poached egg, all nicely mashed the way he likes it. The dish on the left contains his oatmeal, all nicely covered with brown sugar, the way he likes it. Both are getting ice cold, and he hasn't taken a bite. Isn't he hungry? Yes, he's starved. Does he have a fever? No, he feels fine. Is he angry about something? No, not at all. Then why does he sit there so stubbornly and keep pushing his spoon-around like that? Why won't he take a bite of something?

He can't decide which to eat first-the eggs or the cereal. You just compounded the confusion by giving him a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast to try to tempt him. That was a mistake. Now he'll never be able to make up his mind. Better just forget breakfast today. Tomorrow morning, give him one thing at a time. First, the orange juice. He drinks it. Then the cereal. He eats it. Next the eggs. He loves them. Finally, the toast. As he sits there chewing happily, you'll be amazed that he ate all his break­fast in less than ten minutes. You have just learned the most important lesson in raising a Libra child. Never give him a choice. He hates to make a decision.

If there's anything a Libran child hates worse than making up his mind, it's having to make up his mind in a hurry. Don't rush him. Let's say he's learned to dress him­self and in the excitement of such an adventure, over a period of weeks, he forgot his typical indecision. Now getting dressed is kind of old hat to him. You give him a start by helping him into his training pants. You lay out his overalls, shirt, shoes and socks. He sits there. "Get dressed, Harvey." He sits there. "Hurry up and get dressed, Harveyl"  •

The next thing you know, you'll be telling people your Libra child is stubborn. That's not fair. A Taurus child is stubborn. Not a Libra child. You are trying to rush him into deciding quickly which sock goes on which foot first. The whole thing is difficult enough, but just when he had made up his mind to put the left sock on the right foot, you shouted at him, disturbed his equilibrium, and now he's back where he was in the beginning. Which sock first? You see, it's your fault, not his. How does anyone expect him to make such a momentous decision if people are always shouting and hollering and yelling at him? It hurts his ear drums, and besides, it makes him forget what he was about ready to decide.

It's the kind of thing that can make you a little trembly, especially if you're the nervous type, and you're not the only one. Someday there will be a wonderful girl he's in love with. They will be discussing marriage. When and if. Hell sit there. Should he? Or shouldn't he? The girl waits patiently. Hell have the same pained expression on his pleasant features he has right now. Finally, "Harvey, are we going to get married?" He sits there. Then: "Harvey, when are we going to get married?" Poor girl. That's the same mistake you made with the orange juice and toast fiow he has two things to decide. Not only should they get married, but when. You'll have to have a talk with her.

But that's quite a few years off. Today it's the shoes and socks. Walk over to him firmly and say, "Harvey, let's nut this sock on this foot first." Say it in gentle tones. Don't scream or be shrill. If you can, put the words to music and sing it to him. He'll love that. Now, you have removed two obstacles. You helped him decide, and you created a pleasant atmosphere. In five minutes, he's dressed. That's what the girl will have to do someday. She'll have to sing to him softly, "We're-getting-wed-on-June 26th" (to the tune of "Here Comes the Bride"). If she's the shy type, you may have to wait a long time to become a grand­parent. The happy ending to the story is this: If you train him to make up his mind, without pushing, shoving or trying to rush him, the girl will profit, too. By then, he will have mastered his indecision.

Libra children whose parents have confused their delicate balance by constantly insisting that they decide things too fast often grow up with quite a neurosis about choices. Suggest a solution to him gently, over and over again. Eventually, he'll pick up the knack and you'll have helped him overcome one of his greatest difficulties. Show him' how it's done. That's all. He may appear to be stubborn, but he's just reacting in typical Libran fashion to discordant interruption and the emotional trauma of being rushed through his careful moment of decision. He'd like to please you, he really would, but he can be efficient only' when there's harmony of sound, color and thought in his. world. Tension makes it hang crooked, like a lopsided picture. When hasty grownups force a young personality into the wrong mold, it may harden into an odd shape.

(It may help you feel less frustrated to know about my friend, a dental technician whose wife presented him with two Libra children, three years apart, both girls. You can just imagine what went on in that house every morningi Four shoes-four socks-four feet-and two confused small minds. Until the parents discovered astrology, those little Libra girls went barefoot nearly every day.

It will also help if you remember the reason behind your child's hesitancy. Libra boys and girls are born with minds that seek the truth. They're kind-hearted, and they want to be fair. Your youngster dreads making a mistake or misjudging something. He hates to hurt your feelings, but his nature forces him to seek that balanced answer before he rushes pell mell into things, including socks. Still, that Libra caution builds character and it's great for avoiding accidents and keeping out of trouble, both now and in the future. Think positive. The little Libran may take so long deciding whether or not to draw a blue turkey on your living room wall, you'll catch him before the damage is done.

If your Libra youngster is being falsely accused of stub­bornness, it may be that you keep the volume too high on the radio or TV. Perhaps the colors in his bedroom lie behind his restlessness at night. Garish, clashing tones will keep his emotional scales dipping back and forth. All shades of blue and pastels will quiet him, and it really works, too. Play music-but softly-when you want him to eat, get dressed or pick up his toys. If the sounds and colors around the Libran child are discordant, his actions will match. Being forced to be a witness to any kind of violence can destroy something deep inside him forever. Even as an infant, he'll jerk or tremble if he hears a sudden noise. The Libra child needs peace, quiet and rest in large doses.

That brings us to another problem. Libra laziness. It isn't actually laziness at all. He plays hard, for long periods, then he must rest. He isn't loafing. He's just gathering him­self together. The Libran pattern demands periods of activity-then inactivity. It's the only way he can manage to stay emotionally and physically healthy. If he's made to feel guilty about it, he'll really be lazy, in self-defense. When you see the Libran youngster being idle, don't fuss. He'll soon have his inner scales balanced again and be ready for action. He's just recharging his energy. His planets made him that way. He can't change it.

Venus children are experts at softening hard hearts. They have such charming manners, they wheedle so sweetly and who could resist those smiles and dimples? The little Libran's gentle, endearing ways can turn his parents into two large genies who grant his every wish and desire (not to mention various assorted magic elves in the form of doting relatives). Consequently, these youngsters often start their school days so spoiled they're well nigh impossible to handle. After all, you can't treat a tot like a prince or princess for years, and then expect him to take orders. Young Librans don't need discipline as much as they need less coddling.

The average Libra child, raised with the proper balance, is a delight to his teachers. Their minds are bright and logical, they're fond of debate and they have a great curiosity that makes them good students. However, once they start to read and learn facts, both you and the teach­ers may be subjected to constant arguments.

It never works to make a flat statement to a Libra boy or girl. Always give both sides of any issue, or they'll think you're being unjust. When you give the edge to one side, the Libra student will make a big issue out of defending the other side until he forces you to be fair. If you're partial to the pros, the young Librans will always make a good case for the cons, which can give them a reputation for being rebels, when nothing could be further from the truth. These children will be sticklers for obeying the rules, as long as they've convinced themselves the rules aren't loopy. The scales must always balance, or Libra feels an unpleasant tug. He'll argue away until he feels things have been faced squarely, and the scales of justice are harmo­niously lined up. October-born boys and girls always sharpen the wits of their parents and instructors, because it takes some good, logical thinking to keep up with them. They'll argue with you about everything from the news­paper headlines to who's right or wrong in a family dis­agreement. The Libra child won't like to hear grownups gossip. To him a confidence is sacred, and he also frowns on hasty judgments of character. Hell take the side of your worst enemy if he thinks you are wrong.

Never invade his privacy. He won't invade yours. Be »ure mealtimes are pleasant. The girls will coax you to use candles and flowers; the boys will want a balanced meal and will probably love sweets. There may be some problems with overweight and the bathroom scales will get a workout.

One blessing about having Libra children is that if they haven't retreated into resentment through harsh handling they'll usually be neat and clean without being forced. Most of these boys and girls hate messes and an untidy house so much they'll help to keep it neat. Since Libra is both musical and artistic, you may have a budding composer or artist in the family, so make sure he has an 1-opportunity to develop any latent talents.

The tiny Libra girl may dust your expensive powder all over her dress, pour your best perfume over her curly bead, and hate to get out of the bathtub. She's just reacting to Libra's love of beauty and pleasant things, like scents and warm water. When she's a teenager, she'll monopolize the bathroom for hours with her bubble baths and use up all your guest soap. Remember, she seeks harmony; and to her, peace, beauty and comfort equal harmony.

The Libra boy may drive you to distraction with his snoozes in the hammock, and his irritating way of always knowing more than you do about subjects that should be over his heads. (Yes, sometimes you'll swear he has two.) But those periodic naps are refreshing his energy. It didn't die, it's just replenishing itself. As for his know-it-all at­titude, he may be practicing on you for a future career as a lawyer. Take an optimistic view. The jury will someday be his captive audience, but you can always go start dinner or hide behind the evening paper. Encourage both boys and girls to write if they feel an urge. Remember that Libra rules books, too.

The teenagers of both sexes will keep a constant cloud of romance hanging over the house. There may be so many cases of puppy love youll feel as though you live in a sentimental kennel-but even this shall pass away. Those wedding bells will ring someday, and your Libra offspring will raise a nice, peaceful, balanced, harmonious, argumen­tative family. Some sunny October morning you may once again stand in front of a hospital nursery, and hear a nurse or visitor coo, "My, what a beautiful baby! So dear and good. So quiet and sweet." And you'll say, with all your hard earned wisdom, "Yes, but do you see that dimple in his chin?"

  TOP

The LIBRA Boss

"Unimportant, of course, I meant," the King hastily

said, and went on to himself in an undertone, "Important-unimportant-unimportant-important- as if he were trying which word sounded best,

If you're a man, you probably think your Libra boss if one heck of a regular guy, fair and square, always on the level. If you're a woman, you may be a little bit in love with him, whether you realize it or not. Venus vibrations are powerful.

The Libra executive is normally one half of a partner­ship since his unconscious desire is always to bring two things or two people together. Emotionally, the urge is consummated through an early marriage or a shockingly early love affair. In business, he satisfies his balancing function by combining his charm and intellect with a partner who complements his own personality, and sup­plies whatever talents and abilities he lacks. (He won't lack many.)

He may not sit behind a desk as often as other bosses. That's because he likes to sit on the fence. It's not that he finds it more comfortable. It can be quite painful. Notice his unhappy expression while he's seated there. It's a struggle, as he takes two opposing ideas and weighs them, back and forth. Once he's achieved a fair and impartial decision, he'll be back at his desk, happily swirling in his contour chair again. But while he's on the fence he can be mighty hard to fathom.

The Libra boss is extremely restless and full of outgoing activity, yet he never seems to be in a hurry, a contradic­tion few people can manage. It's like watching a skillful Juggler. With all that restless activity, you expect him to drop his poise and break into a nervous run at any moment, Just as you expect the juggler to drop one of the balls he's tossing. But neither does. Born with a natural affinity for the element of air, the Libran accomplishes even frenzied action with so much easy grace, he almost seems to be standing still. It's like a movie in slow motion. The activity never stops, but the projector is set at a peculiar speed.

In spite of his often shy, gentle manner, this man is not an island. There's always a need to express himself in some way, to communicate with others. Though most of his communicating is done through speech, he can also tell you whole volumes with his smile. He's sure to be intelli­gent, but if Mercury was afflicted by adverse aspects at his birth, he may still be trying to convince himself that he is. Many Libran bosses are persuasive talkers and great debaters who can sway a whole roomful of people effort­lessly. Even the shy Libran executive who seldom tries to grab attention can argue logically and convincingly, al­though this type will probably plan everything in his mind before he speaks. That's why he's so quiet for such long periods. He's deciding what he wants to say. Ifs usually safer to take his statements straight after he's passed through one of his silent moods. He's less likely to change his mind. If he's rushed into making a decision, hell mull it over afterwards, realize his first thoughts were hasty and do a complete turnabout.

You may find him seeking your opinion frequently. Be­fore you decide he thinks you've a brilliant brain, remem­ber that there are several motives for his flattering interest in your ideas. First of all, he wants to be fair. He doesn't want to make either an unjust or unpopular decision. Another reason he feels compelled to gather up all the pros and cons of an issue is because, without access to all the available facts, he feels incapable of making a wise assessment.

The typical Libra boss who's trying to make up his mind whether to say "yes" or "no" to an important deal will take a democratic poll of his wife, the elevator man, his secretary, the cleaning woman and his public relations man, and it can have some pretty weird results. It's difficult for a tired cleaning woman to give a logical opinion on how the proposed split might affect the shareholders of the non-voting stock. She may need some time to ponder it. (She can't think straight when her feet hurt.)

The elevator man may have a little trouble grasping the costs involved in a projected merger of two large corpora­tions. For one thing, $40,000 for attorneys' fees may seem extravagant to him. He paid his lawyer forty dollars one time for legal advice, and he felt like a spendthrift.

That vice-president who continues to draw his salary while he's in the hospital with a nervous breakdown will really throw the Libran's secretary. After all, she's been on the verge of a mental crack-up for several years, and nobody ever coddled her like that.

The cleaning woman finally makes up her mind. Forget the stock split; she's never trusted that word. It was when her old man split out that she bad to start mopping floors to support the seven kids.

The Libran's wife says, "Do what you think best, dear," but she makes it clear she privately thinks he should take a negative stand because she doesn't like the wife of one of the major stockholders.

The public relations man never changes his opinion;

"Damn the torpedos-full speed ahead!"-is his advice on all problems.

Finally, the consensus is complete. Armed with this expert analysis, the Libra boss will still manage to arrive at a more logical, sensible final decision than nine out of ten men would make. It's amazing, but he does it somehow.

There could be still another reason he seeks so many viewpoints when he's making up his mind. He may be one of those rare Librans who maneuvers to shift the blame for a possible mistake to someone else's shoulders. When things fall through, he can always shrug and say, "Well, it wasn't my idea to back away. The cleaning woman thought it was a bad move."

However, a Libra boss who's managed to achieve har­mony and unity of his mind and emotions can be a regular well of wisdom. For all I know, you may work for one. There are lots of them around, and they're nice bosses to know when you have a problem. They can come up with an answer that no one else could have thought of, taking everything into consideration and giving you an out that's both fair and smart.

The chances are that the walls of your Libra boss's office are not bare-although the picture of the girl on his calendar may be. The walls will normally be covered with pictures, trophies, and good prints, hung in balanced posi­tions, and the filing cabinets will be dusted. You can bet that there's a radio or record player somewhere around so he can tune in to melodious sounds when things get too discordant and his nerves get dangerously jingle-jangled from the confusion of daily routine. The colors in his office will seldom be wild. No exotic lime green or brilliant tangerine that hurt his eyes. However, there may be just a touch of the oriental motif. Some Librans seem to lean slightly in that direction. Perhaps it's because of the legendary quiet, gentle manner of living in the far east or the peaceful harmony of Eastern philosophy. He may not go so far as to have flowers on his desk, but if your Libraa boss is a female, she probably will.

There are more female bosses born under Libra than any Other sign, though Aries, Capricorn, Leo and Cancer run a close second. Assuming that he is a she, your Libra boss will almost surely have a big potted plant in the office, plus a large mirror. Music will be around her somewhere, too. She may not procrastinate quite as much as the men of the sign; since it's more difficult for a woman to achieve a level of command, she had to control her indecision or she wouldn't have made it to the top of the totem pole. Like her masculine counterpart, the Libran female boss will try to be fair. She'll listen to office squabbles and be able to see both sides with equal clarity. You may catch her hiding behind her door, weighing her golden scales, when the decision is important, but there's one area where she won't take long to make up her mind. Love. She's either already decided marriage is not for her, or she's con­stantly a little dreamy-eyed from a recent romance. It's a rare Libran female, executive or not, who can live without a valentine in her life. Though she's an expert at hiding her after-five activities, I can assure you she's not playing a solitary game of Chinese checkers every night. She may curl up with a good book on a rainy Monday, but most weekends will find her doing the town in a romantic haze. The haze, however, will be temporary. Her mind is too sharply logical to let sentiment completely blind her. Few Librans of either sex let the heart rule the head. Their heads are too hard and too bright to submit to the soft rays of Venus without a fight, another of Libra's strange in­consistencies.

This lady boss will probably be undeniably pretty or beautiful. If she's neither, you'll think she is when that Venus smile flits over her plain features. Her charming social graces may fool the customers and clients, but if you've worked for her any length of time, you'll be aware that her graceful sweetness covers a mind which doesn't miss a trick or a treatment.

She'll have her cross days, and she will probably con­tradict herself enough to leave you up in the air now and then. In the discipline area she's somewhat harsher than the male Libran. If you make a mistake, she'll know it instinctively, and you'll get a strong message that she doesn't want to see it multiply into daily errors. Her voice will be soft, or slightly husky, well-modulated and perhaps a little drawling, and she'll seldom raise it. (With an Aries, Gemini or Sagittarius ascendant, the air might get a little blue when she sees red.)

The lady Libra boss often looks as if she should be on the list of the "Ten Best Dressed Women," and maybe she actually is. Female employees chew their nails with envy at her wardrobe, furs, jewels and perfumes. The men employees react as you might expect. Every last one of them. Except for the lions, scorpios, bulls, goats and rams, who feel that working for a woman is like serving time at Leavenworth. The rest will succumb to her dimpled charm with nary a struggle.

When you're tempted to treat her like one of the girls, don't get too chummy. Her friendly attitude may seem to encourage confidences, but she won't tolerate powder room gossip, and she'll stamp out any signs of it at the water cooler. She didn't get where she is by having a loose tongue. Librans of both sexes treat a confidence as a sacred trust. Some of them may talk a lot, and they all adore to argue, but they're not gossips. There's a difference.

Both the male and female Libra bosses lean toward long, pleasant lunch hours. If they don't take them, you should see that they do, because they won't be their usual liberal selves when they're hungry or tired. All Venus executives would be better off if they faced up to their need for periodic rest and snoozed for an hour or so each day. You might get the employees to chip in to buy an attractive sofa for his office, if you want to keep your Libra boss balanced. He's a cat napper, but he may feel guilty about it. The day he comes to work wearing a blue expression and sporting red eyes, with droopy, gray bags under them, is a day you'll want to avoid him.

Unless he has a strongly independent ascendant hell probably believe in unions. Anything fair is okay with him. His sense of justice makes him a natural in mediating disputes. The Libran viewpoint on money is seldom neutral. He'll either be the stingiest boss in town or the most gen­erous. Sometimes, he may take turns: be a tightwad in December and a Santa Claus in July. There will always be a definite attitude at any given moment. He tips either a nickel or a five spot.

Sooner or later, you'll be invited to his home. Almost every Libran executive eventually wants to entertain his employees under his own roof, and he'll be an impeccably gracious host.

He's probably the soul of gallantry in front of women, and at the same time a man's man. The sure way to earn his disfavor is to be loud, vulgar and opinionated. Remem­ber that harmony is his middle name. Create it when you can-never destroy it or disrupt it-and he'll want you around without knowing exactly why.

His occasional indecisiveness may annoy you; he may procrastinate and his dreams may need a little push now and then. Still, there's that smile, the respect you have for his quiet intelligence, and his willingness to meet you half­way. He doesn't want you to top him, yet he won't expect you to be his slave. He's neither a pusher nor a nagger, and he'll never betray your trust. When you add it all up, the scales balance in his favor. His is a blending nature. Your Libra boss really needs your cooperation to be a complete person himself, and a man who needs you can get a firm grip on your loyalty, if not on your heart. Haven't you felt the tug?

　 TOP

The LIBRA Employee

"I wish they'd get the trial done . . . And hand round the refreshments!"

There was once a Libran designer who was brought to the west coast to do the costumes for a big movie, and he sat in his suite in a posh Beverly Hills hotel for six full weeks without making a single sketch. It wasn't because he lacked ideas. He was overflowing with them. It was the carpeting - that hideous, shrill, peacock blue carpeting. It gave him migraine nightmares. He couldn't even think straight, let alone create, and he didn't want to change his suite be­cause he liked the view of the palm trees.

For almost two months the film was held up until the producer finally discovered the problem. As soon as he was made aware of the Libran's aesthetic difficulties, the offensive floor covering was replaced by new wall-to-wall carpeting in an acceptable, subdued rose shade. If you're wondering why the producer was so understanding, he was a Gemini. Whether or not the designer's complaint was reasonable didn't concern him. The Gemini simply wanted to get things moving as quickly as possible, and he took the speediest way out. Both Aquarian and Gemini bosses are fabulous when it comes to handling the delicate Venus temperament. There's an intangible empathy between air signs. They're all floating around on some kind of cloud, but at different altitudes.

Please don't get the impression that you should run right out and find a rug salesman if you have a Libra employee. Not all people born in late September or October are irreplaceable artists with such sensitive nerves. But even the average Libra employee will work more happily if his surroundings don't distract him.

He'll also be more efficient if he isn't offended by the people he works with every day. A rough, sordid, unhar-monious atmosphere may depress him, but uncongenial co-workers will really send him into a blue fog. He's as con­scious of the vibrations of personalities as he is of the vibrations of colors, especially in close quarters. If your Libra employee has seemed confused lately, or not him­self; if he's been turning in sloppy work which doesn't meet his usual standard, he's not necessarily slipping. Perhaps he's allergic to the mail boy or the cleaning woman. (I hope it's not his own secretary. The constant, abrasive pain would be unbearable.) It might even be the blotter on his desk. Give him a nice, new, clean one, pref­erably in a baby blue, change the cleaning woman's shift and keep the mail room staff away from him. Notice how his work improves immediately? He was just off balance.

When those Libra scales get tipsy, anything can happen. Both the male and female Librans can turn disgruntled and lazy and offer no excuse for their sullen silences. Such a change from their normal sweetness and calm is bound to unsettle your own mind a little, too. How can anyone with such an attractive dimple in his (or her) chin be so dis­agreeable? It's easy. How would you like your scales to be tipped sideways? It's not a pleasant feeling-rather like being on a boat that's rolling from port to starboard on a choppy ocean. Something may have happened at home to turn him around. Whatever the cause, it's a waste of anxiety to let yourself get disturbed when the Libra scales are unbalanced. It seldom takes long for the Libran to get them swinging harmoniously again. Then peace and tranquility will reign once more in your office; your Libran's work will be as inspired as ever, and you'll return to melting as usual when you get warmed by that incom­parable Venus smile.

If there's a union of any kind connected with your com­pany, the chances are the Libran employee will be right in there defending equal rights and fair wages. In fact, lots of people born under this Sun sign make unions their life work. The most important thing to all Ubrans is har­mony. Perfect justice is their ideal. Unions offer him just too good a chance to pass up for his natural talent in settling disputes.

If there's no union to call for his fair judgment, then he's probably the one who becomes the peacemaker when office quarrels rage. The typical Libran is beautifully adept at clearing the air of disagreements. He defends both sides with a total lack of prejudice for either, makes opposing wranglers see each other's viewpoint, and finally tops it off by getting everyone to shake hands all around. The thing which may completely confound you is that he will insti­gate a few heated arguments himself. But you must remem­ber that to him, these are healthy debates. He loves nothing more than batting the pros back to the cons, then switching to pitch the cons against the pros. In his eyes, that's not fighting. A good, intelligent argument is pure entertain­ment. It's better than going to the movies. He's usually cheerfully unaware that he's creating any tension when he drives his points home with brilliant logic, and causes others to strangle on their weak suppositions. As soon as his game of brain busting reaches the point where tempers become obviously frayed, he's dismayed. Then, if he's a typical Venus person, he'll quickly pour healing balms over the open wounds, and flatter everyone out of their bad humor with the sunshine of his smile. Frankly, you could kill him for manipulating you so casually.

Soothing his hurt feelings when he's been offended is another matter altogether. It's difficult to figure just what annoys or pleases the Libran employee. What brought a twinkling laugh or a wreath of tolerant smiles one day can bring a severe frown of injured innocence the next, or vice versa. It's those scales again, of course. How can Libra tell in advance what his mood will be toward any given subject when he doesn't know himself how far he'll be dipping to one side or the other? Ask his co-workers. Does that fellow (or girl) with the dimpled grin have un­predictable reactions? You'll get answers like, "Well, the other day I asked her if she had gained a little weight, and she smiled at me so sweetly, I got the idea she thought it was becoming. This morning I called her 'Chubby' in jest, and she won't speak to me." Or you'll get a reply like, "Well, last week, he showed me a record he bought at the Colony Record Shop-one of those old Glenn Miller 78's-and I remarked that big bands are as outdated as dinosaurs. He just grinned, and said he was a student of ancient history. Today, he heard me telling the receptionist that big bands are square, and he nearly took my head off and called me a sick, psychedelic hippy. He had a great sense of humor about it last week. How was I supposed to know he collects big band albums, lights a candle every night and listens to them like he's in a cathedral?"

Libra will love you today for what he hated you for last month, and hell despise you tomorrow for what he found delightful yesterday. It's a little delicate to deal with his changeable reactions, but underneath all the ups and downs, the Libra nature remains basically fair and sane. His frowns are only skin deep. His smiles are real. Ignore the first and hang on to the second. In fact, nothing rocks the typical Venus person more than unnecessary shouting and tension. He's far more likely to avoid nasty scenes than to court them. There's never any vinegar in the Venus anger. There may be a little ice around the edges, but ice does eventually melt, you know.

Female Libran employees often remind you of a slice of whole wheat toast. There's a sort of Campfire Girl mystique about them. Of course, a few may have maple sugar spread on the whole wheat, in the form of dove-like voices and soft manners, but it's a pleasant sweetness. You'll rarely find a Venus girl who looks tough and battered with jaded eyes and blatant sex appeal. Hers is more of a fresh and mellow appeal, like the red and gold hues of Indian summer, against clear, blue skies. The Libra cupcakes who drip with syrupy icing are in the minority. You'll probably get the instant impression that this girl can handle herself nicely in a game of touch and tackle.

She may like to go on long hikes, and spend a lot of time at the library. If not, you can safely wager that she takes long walks, and belongs to a book club. The physical activity and literary leanings are always present. It's just a matter of degree. But there will be long rest periods between the walks or hikes, as she replaces energy with lassitude and lethargy. (That's when she catches up on her reading.)

Your Libra salesman may be studying for a law degree on the side, or he could have a hobby that's practically a second career. He may be a professional in some area out­side his job, and have an expert knowledge of deep sub­jects you never dreamed he would think about. One thing, however, you can be sure he thinks about: Girls. Women. Feminine pulchritude. At least ninety percent of all Libra males subscribe to a Playboy type magazine. Even if he's bashful about it, the Venus man will enjoy a few discreet glances at the pictures of curvy bunnies who are wearing little more than a dazzling, provocative smile. He likes seeing them in person even more, which is why you'll frequently find him following the nightclub circuit, though he may leave after the floor show when the noisy crowds begin to topple his harmony. The happily mated Libran will seldom carry his interest in the opposite sex any farther than obvious visual appreciation, but the single Ones can be real Lotharios.

Librans are always either married, engaged, divorced or in the middle of an important love affair. They never paddle their canoes alone. Echoing across the blue lagoon, you can always hear the stealthy footsteps of a squaw or a brave in the Libran's lodge at eventide, under the pale moon. For every Libra Hiawatha, there's a maiden, and you can reverse it.

Keep your lovely, pretty Libra girls and your hand­some, gentle Libra men happy with piped-in music while they work. Don't ever shout at them, and be sure you always give them logical reasons for doing things. Respect their intelligence, because they'll have more of it than the average person, and never subject them to tension.

If they're treated right, your Libra employees will never cause friction in the office; they'll be angels of tact and diplomacy, getting along with almost everyone. The Venus worker brings his own personal aura of grace and beauty to everything he touches. Let him help you with sales strategy, and encourage him to attend the top brass brainstorming meetings. Might as well let him get the hang of how the executive level operates, because Libra is a cardinal sign, and he won't be an employee without status forever. He wants to lead, and he's well-qualified. As soon as you can, put him in charge of something, then watch how effort­lessly be handles red tape, petty grievances, knotty prob­lems and bottlenecks. He'll dress like a man of distinction, and behave like one, too. He's great for company image. As for her, a Venus woman will get what she wants eventually, in her own sweet way. If it's a promotion she wants, let her have it. She probably won't let you down. There's quite a smart head on those shapely shoulders. Why not take advantage of it?

Your Libra employee may have a little trouble making up his mind at times. His train of thought never runs at breakneck speed when the destination is a decision, but it seldom goes off the track. After he's finally pulled into the Station, he'll probably have the right answer, even if it was like watching a two-headed giraffe do his bending exercises to get it out of him.

Librans are extremely artistic and musically inclined, with a flair for law and a philosophical bent. They bring their calming influence most often to hospitals, show busi­ness, publishing companies, the halls of science, court­rooms, gardens, politics, department stores, interior dec­orating and the ministry. But regardless of where you find them spreading harmony, the Libran thermostat will usually read about seventy degrees Fahrenheit. It seldom plunges to freezing or rises to scorching. It's like having a human air conditioner in the office, with automatic repair service when it breaks down. You don't get guarantees like that from the mechanical kind. You say machines can't talk back? Well, that's true, but on the other hand-now wait a minute-stop weighing everything I say, back and forth. You sound like a Libra!

"The horror of that moment," the King went on,

"1 shall never, never forget!"

"You will though," the Queen said,

"if you don't make a memorandum of it"