Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-08
A Winning Way.

THERE once lived in certain household
damsel from the green isle of Erin,
whose name was Mary Ann. To a singu-
larly ungraceful and bullying figure, a
walk resembling that Of lame and dis
couraged duck, and very marked and
Obtrusive squint, Mary Ann added the I'M
fortunate distinction of having had the
smallpox. Her face was scanned and scar
red from the topmOst bit of her forehead to
the lowermOst bit of her double chin, and
altogether she made upon one who saw
her for the first time the impression of
something at once pitiful, sad and gro
tesGue. A woman who has made an utter
failure in the line of beauty is always an
object of compassion and in a lesser de-
gree of wOnderment.
To Mary Ann, as to prettier dem0iselles,
however, there came a day of triumph
and delight. 4 youthful cOmpatriot OF
her own came a-wOOing, and to him it
was nothing that her eyes squinted, that
her hair was carroty, and that her face
was sight to behold He loved her. and
his love like an enchanted mirror trans
formed her ugliness into satisfying come
illness and grace. Sh.spleased him, and
his counting sped smoothly on.
"You see, ma'am,' said Mary Ann to
her mistress, as on her wedding-day she
came in sky-blue gown and emerald rib
bons to be congratulated, at was not my
beauty attracted Pat. 1t was all my win
ming way"
We feel like preaching little sermon
to our readers about the essential charm
there is in q winning way. Mary AIMS
observation had in it deeper truth than
she in her innocent Standardization
dreamed We have seen charming faces,
fresh in tint, and dimpling with yout hful
loneliness. that absolutely seemed TO have
been bestowed by mistake on the wrong
person, so flat and glazing was the con-
tradiction between their gentleness and
the ungentle manner of their possesSOrs.
We have seen really unselfish and noble
actions utterly marred and spoiled by the
fact that they were accompanied by a
crusty. Very often INDECENT and selfish
men and women acquire an il1-deserved
reputation for amiability in this world,
simply because they have way of look
ing pleasant and smiling benignantly, no
matter what happens, while the really
kind, good, self-denying disposition is I'M
recognized because it does not think it
worth its while to show how fair it is.
Manner is very important thing. Sim
pie, gracious courtesy, politeness to the
people one meets, recognition, by thanks
and by prompt expressions in kind, of
Obliging acts, in short winning way, is
Of the utmost value in society and in our
homes. We hate veneering and artiice,
and, in so far as manner is putting on
instead of a growth from something in
bred, it is artificial, and of the nature of
veneering The trouble with it, when it
is merely assumed, like address, is that in
sudden emergencies it will fail of its end
or crack like an ill-ftting mask, and be
tray the real nature beneath. Let the ma
ture be sincere and genial, and then let
the manner suit it and grow from it as the
flower from the bud, and we have the re-
suit that our good, plain, but lovable Mary
Ann called "a winning way.'-Hearth
and Home