Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-13
The Girl of the Period.

WE nave sketched, IN tie following,
the Young Woman of the Period as she
appears in the street car: She stands upon
the curb, with little springy, up-and-
down motion, as if she had spiral springs
in the soles of her CATERS. 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
motions before she leaves the pavement,
| and then dances to the car AS she as
cends the step, the conductor seems to
think 1t absolutely necessary to her safety
to place one of his hands in the small of
her back, while he rings the bell with the
other. She enters the car, with the spiral
springs 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 which never could enter it under an
possible circumstances, is, that some n an
will rise and offer her his seat. But a
young man in the corner does rise, and
Immediately the fellow next to him moves
quickly into the corner, as if the perfor-
nance of that vancouver had formed the
subject Of anxious thought during many
years of his life. To get corner seat,
indeed, would seem to be the chief end
Of man, If we remark the avidity with
which human beings 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 more
little bounces, and says: keep your
seat! The young man is embarrassed,
and says he is going to get out soon;
whereupon the fair being dances toward
the seat, sinks into it, and pretends that
the fact 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 smooths
down her dress and its supplemental "trip
perry, founces and pennants, and again
looks far beyond the confines of the car
into emptiness. She knows she is ex-
pected by the other women in the car to
remain unconscious of their presence
while they study her clothes. They i'm
mediately begin. They stare at her dress,
her sacque, her hat, her back hair, her
jewellery, her gloves, her bows and rib
bons, and her miscellaneous millinery,
until the entire costume is photographed
in their memories, and the price esti-
mated, and critical opinion formed,
with resolution to have bonnet of the
same kind, or body cut upon the same
pattern.
When the young lady thinks that this
examination is concluded, she becomes
conscious again, and begins to look
around and see how all the other women
are dressed. She examines each one in
detail, and in a few moments she is in
possession of all the necessary informa-
ton. Presently ayoung man with whom
she is acquainted gets into the car, and
he stands clutching the strap and trying
in vain to keep himself in graceful atti-
tude while he converses with her ALI 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, and makes renewed struggles
to maintain graceful position. When
she wishes to get out she rises, smooths
down her frippery again, indulges in two
or three springs, and dances along to the
platform. The conductor again consid-
ers it imperatively 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 round to look at her, and serenely
confident in the assurance that she has on
good clothes. which fit her splendidly.
AS she disappears the conductor turns to
the man who is smoking cigar on the
platform, and remarks that she is a
"crusher Mae Adeler.