The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1870-12-03
4 Girl OF the Period-AS She Appears
in the HUrse-Jar.

She stands upon the curb, with little
springy, up-and.down motion, as if she
had spiral springs i'll the soles Of her gai-
ters. As the car approaches she sticks the
point OF her closed parasol IN the direction
Of the driver with small jerk. The car
stops. She gives one Or two more little
springy movements before she leaves the
pavement and then dances to me ..r. AS
she ascends the step the conductor seems
to consider it absolutely necessary to place
one of his hands on the small of her back,
while he rings the bell with the other. She
enters the Car with the spirGls still bobbing
her up and down; and AS
all the seats are full, she stands,
holding her hands in front OF her, and
gazing off into illimitable space as if the
one idea which never entered her mind,
and never could enter it, under any posi-
bic circumstances, is, that some man will
rise and offer her his seat. But q young
man in the corner does rise, and inlmedi-
ately the fellow next TO him mcVes quickly
lnto the conner, as if the performance of
that maneuver had formed the subject OF
anxious thought during many years of his
lite. To get q corner seat, indeed, would
seem to be the chief end of man, if We re.
mark the avidity with which human be-
iDgs in street cars seek that object. When
the young man rises, the young lady
suddenly becomes conscious that there
IS something nearer to her than
the horizon, and she gives two or three
pore little bounces, and says: keep
yoHr seat" The young man Is embarrass-
sd, and says he is going TO get out soon;
whereupon the fair being dances toward
the seat, sinks into it, and pretends that
the tact OF the existence of any young
man who once occupied that seat, and who
is going to get out, has entirely faded out
of her consciousness. She smJoths down
her dress and its supplementary frippery'
tiOuDces and penpantS, and again looks
tar beyond the confines of the car into
Emptiness. She knows she is expected
by the other women OF the car 10 remain
unconscious Of their presence while
they study her clothes. They imme-
diately begin. They stare ct her dress,
her sacque, her hat, her black hair, her
gloves, her bows and ribbons, AID her
miscellaneous millinery, until the entire
costume is photographed in their memo
ries, and the price estimated, and a critic
al opinion formed, with resolution to
have bonnet of the same kind, or q
body" cut upon the same pattern. When
the young lady thinks this examination is
concluded, she becomes conscious again,
and begins TO look around and see how all
the other women are dressed. She exam
ines each one in detail, and in few mo-
ments she is in possession Of ali the usual
facts. Presently young man with whom
she is acau inted, gets into the car, and he
stands clutching the strap and trying III
vain to keep himself in q graceful attitude
while he converses with her. All
the women begin to wonder whether
she cares particularly for him-and,
as she knows their thoughts, she is
so distant that the young man
becomes more embarrassed than ever, aud
makes renewed struggles to maintain
graceful position. When she wishes to
get out she rises, smoothes down her "trip
perry again, INDUCES in two or three
springs, and dances along to the platform.
The conductor again considers it impera-
lively necessary TO press the small OF her
back. she dances down the steps, dances
to the pavement, and then dances along
the street, fully aware OF the fact that the
women in the car have all turned around
to look at her, and serenely confident IN
the assurance that she has on good cloth S,
which fl her splendidly. As she disap
pears, the conductor turns to the man who
is smoking 8 cigar on the platform, and
remarks that che is a ''crusher"