Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-03-02
The Girl Of the PERIOD in a street
Car

1t Will not be difficult in recognizing
the original. or one of the originals, OF
the following lively sketch. She has
been seen in 4 great many places, and
everywhere her actions are pretty much
the same. This account Of how she
looks and what she does. is from the
pen of some one who evidently has no
fear of recognition when he next meets
the damsel whose peculiarities he ridl-
cules so outrageouSly. Thus does he
photograph the fashionable girl in the
paladal horSe-car:
She stands upon the curb witha little
up-and-down motion, as il she had spi-
raj springs in the soleS Of her CATERS.
rs the car approaches she sticks the
point of her closed parasol in the dircc-
ton of the driver, with a small jerk.
The car stops. She gives one or two
more little springy movements before
she leaves the payementS, and then
darces to the car As she aSccndS the
step the conductor seems to consider II
absolutely necessary to place one Of his
hands on the small Of her back, while
she rings the bell with the other. She
enters the car, with the spiral still bob
bing her up and down and, rs al the
seats are full, she stands. holding her
hands in front Of her, and gazing of IN
to illimitable space rs il the one idea
which never entered ncrmiMd,and never
could enter it. under any possible cir
cumstauces. is. that some mau viii rise
and offer her his seat But a young
man in the corner does rise, and mme-
diately the fellow next to him moves
quickly into the corner, rs Is the per
tormance of that manUuvrc had formed
the subject of anxious thought durihg
many hours of his life. To get corn
er-seat. indeed. would seem 10 be the
chief end OF man,u we remark the avid
itv with which human beings in street
cars seek that object When thcyoung
lady becomes conscious that there Is
something nearer to her than the hon-
zon, and she gives two or three more
little bounccs, and says, "kcep your
seat = The young man iscmharasscd,
and says he is going to set out soon
whcrcupon the fair being dances to-
wards the seat, sinks into ii, and pre-
tends that TIE fact OF the existence Of
any young man who once occupied that
seat, and who is going to get out, las
entirely faded out of her consciousness.
She smooths down hor dress ana It's sup
Elemental. hippcry, fomccS and pen
nants, and again looks far beyond the
confines of the car into emptiness. She
knows she is expected by the other wo-
men in the car to remain unconscious of
their presence while they study her
clothes. They Immediately begin.
They stare at her dress, her sacquc, her
hat, her back hair, her jewclry, her
gloves. her bows and ribbons, and her
miscellaneous millinery, until the entire
costume is photographed in their memo
rics, and the price estimated, and a crit
zeal opinion formed, with resolution TO
have bOuue; Of the same kind, or a
"body" cut upon the same pattern.
When the Young lady thinks this exam
ination is concluded, she becomes con
scious again, and begins to look round
and see how all the women are dressed.
She examines each one in detail, and in
a few moments she is in possession of
all the usual facts. Presently a young
man with whom she is acquainted gets
into the car, and be stands clutching
the strap and trying in vain to keep
himself in a graceful attitude while he
converscs with her. All the women
begin to wonder whether she cares par
ticularly for him-aud, as she knows
their thoughts, she is so distant that the
young man becomes more embarrassed
than ever, and makes renewed struggles
to maintain graceful position. When
she wishes to get out she rises, smooth
down her tlippery again, INDUCES lntwo
or three springs and dances along TO
the platform. She dances down the
steps, dances to the pavement, and then
dances along the street, fully aware OF
the fact that the women Of the car have
all turned round to look at her, and Sc
renely confident in the assurance that
she has on good clothes, which fit her
splendidly. As she disappears, the con
ductQr turns TO man who is smOklnga
cigar on the platform, and remarks that
she is ''crushcr