Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-06
JUST WHAT SHE DESERVED.
BY ELSA MANSFIELD.


'Do YOU intend, Alice, to take that
sachel and lunch-basket and bird-cage
and plant and waterproof clOak-so
many things-along with you into your
car seat?
" Yes, sir, | must
"Why must you, Alice? 1t is not cold
to-day, and there is no danger of its rain
ing. You will not need your cloak, and
you probably will not unstrap it. Can't
you put it into your trunk, or manage
somehow to take fewer bundles into your
seat with your
mo, Uncle John, cannot My trunk
is crammed so full now that | fear the
lock will burst"
Well, Alice, # you must take so many
packages with you, | want to suggest to
you TO be careful how you dispose ofthem
Don't attempt TO occupy two seats when
you have paid for only one, if some one
else wants the other"
'That Will depend greatly, Uncle
John, upon who it is that wants a seat
with me" replied Miss Alice, with
naughty toss Of her head. Il certainly
shall not put my things under my feet
nor load my lap intentionally to ac-
commodate some ordinary-looking man
or fussy old woman One-half of the
young lady to do it as not They are
not gallant ut all; they ought to be
ashamed of themselves. | have heard
women-good women they were, too
say that the seat beside them was en-
gagged, when they had got their things
placed and didn't wish to remove them,
or because they didn't like the looks of
the person who wanted the seat, when |
knew that they had no friend that was
coming in to take the place. | didn't
blame them at all, Uncle John. |
shouldn't hesitate to say the same my
self under the same circumstances. 1t
wouldn't be telling an untruth. If all of
these packages were on it, it would be
taken, wouldn't it,"
6 PshaW! pshaw Alice Is that YOU
advocating such stuff as that?" exclaimed
her uncle, in surprise and Indignation.
=" !, too, have seen women and girls, and
occasionally man, who acted upon that
principle but | had serious doubts Of
their goodness. Incyer dreamed before,
Alice, that YOU were SO selfish and I'm
principled as to think of doing such a
thing. If a man ought to feel ashamed
to take a seat for which he has honestly
paid, how ought Il young lady to feelwho
would not scruplc to practice gross de
CeptiOn for the sake of retaining, for her
own convenience, 4 seat to which she has
no claim whatever If | were willing to
do such 4 thing, my respect for myself
would be about as little as it would be if
/ wished to steal from Il passenger as
much money as he had paid for his car
fare 1t will be fully half an hour, Alice,
before Mike gets here with the carriage
While we are waiting, | will tell you
little incident that transpired in the car
when your Aunt Ruth and | went to
Richmond, last fall We had a seat in
the rear end Of the car The first seat
in front of Us was occupied by a young
lady-iust about your age, Alice, judy
inc from her looks She was richly
dressed and | think would be called a
handsome girl; but there was something
both in her look and manner that was
not pleasing to me, even before | had
heard her speak, or hardly seen hermove.
If any one had asked me what | disliked
IN her, it would have been difficult FOR me
to tell; vet there was an intangible
something about her which gave me the
impression that she had no idea that the
Golden Rule Whatsoever We would
that others should do to you do We even
so to them'-Was intended for such as
she She probably thought, Alice, that
that divine injunction was given for com
mon people ordinary looking men and
fussy old women.
Your Aunt Ruth said that she be
lieved that about all Summerville were
going somewhere that morning. the cars
were so rapidly filled 1t is always
amusing to me to observe the difference
in the dispositions and manners of the
people who are seated while others are
passing through looking for unoccupied
seats. | know of no better place in
which to study human nature than in the
cars. | think that l have seen more
curious phases of it while riding in them
than | ever saw in any other place.
observed the young lady in front of me
that morning with more interest than l
did any other person, because l wanted
TO ascertain whether | was correct or not
in the opinion which / had so hastily
formed of her
" One of the last passengers who came
in was white-haired, tottering old man
SIe looked to the right and left Of him for
vacant seat, as he passed down the aisle,
leaning on his staff. | glanced ahead {;
but | could see no place where
he could get a seat except with
the young lady of whom | have
been telling you. | hoped that some
young man would give up his seat to the
poor old gentleman and ind one for him
self in another car; for l was sure the
young lady would not make room for
him, if she could avoid it. She had
about as many packages as you intend
to take with you, Alice, and she had
arranged them all on the seat beside her
with such nicely that it gave them a
peculiarly touch-me-not appearance. l
thought of asking her if she had noticed
that decrepit old man who was cooking
for a seat, thinking she might possibly
remove her packages if | should. But |
had the curiosity to see what she would
do of her own accord, so | refrained
from speaking, and intended to give him
my place if he did not secure one before
he came to me- No doubt some of the
people whom he passed would have
given him theirs if they had not observed
That there was a vacant seat beside the
young lady. As the old gentleman drew
nearer to us she turned her head and
looked out of the window / must con-
Tess, Alice, that l was rather glad, on
the whole, that no one had moved for
nm. wanted to see how far she would
let her seIhshness carry her.