Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-11-23
N g, Quiet Girls.

! Iy expressed, is not very sweet to
girls. Extremely few people are above
i the influence Of vanity, and maidens,
as a class, are certainly not among
those who are. There is no valid
reason why they should be condemned
upon this, account. To wish to be
thought well of, is a perfectly laudable
ambition; indeed it is to be feared that
| if most persons did not desire to be
held in favorable estimation the world
would be very much worse place
than it is. The misfortune is that
many well-meaning individuals mis-
take nOtOriety for admiration, and in
so doing are naturally led to indulge
in extremes and follies of various
kinds. 1t is to be regretted that this
is particularly true SO far as regards
a number of girls who, lacking
knowledge of the world and an insight
into human nature, are contaminated
| when they are thrown into association
| with young men and women of a GER
| tain order. You will see them. in
| their desire to attract notice, unstead-
| lily balancing themselves upon the line
which separates the polite from the
unpolite, and coquetting with what
public opinion has decided to be naugh-
| ty. No doubt their intentions are in
most cases perfectly innocent, and if
they were not applauded by unprinci-
| pied flatterers, who being tinged with
badness themselves like to make 9TH
ers the same, they would not continue
to indulge in their little indiscretions.
| Unhappily, they are encouraged to be-
nyvnt hot n,~n Pow hi Il a.
| gushing themselves when they are
Outraging good taste. There are men
who like girl who talks at a great
| rate, and indulges in those descrip-
tlons of sneering and back-biting
which are, often mistaken for wit.
There are conceited snobs who love
young woman ten times as much as
they would otherwise do if they see
that she treats those whom she does
not deem it polite to cOnciliate with
something very much resembling inso-
lence. There are beauX who appreci-
ate the creature who is eSerlaStingly
glggllng, smirking, poising herself in
what she deems picturesque attitudes,
and shouting utter nonsense at the top
of her voice. Quiet girls see this.
They perceive, further, that because
| they lack what seem to be supposed to
be accomplishments, but which are
really social vices, they are ignored.
over and over again are the sweetest
natured as well as the cleVerest women
stigmatized as dull, stupid and prim,
because they are disinclined to shrek
and to show all the teeth in their head
to the first male who philanthropically
cOndescends to indicate that he is dis
posed to look with favor upon them.
Quiet girls may feel the manner in
which they are often treated, or they
may not. 1t is to be hoped, however,
that they have the good sense to per-
ceive that they will gain nothing by
attempting to initiate their faster and
more gushing sisters. The chances
are that if they have the inclination,
they lack the peculiar talent which
will enable them to do SO successfully.
Thus, if they do attempt to be noisy,
fiippant, and publicly spiteful at the
expense of their neighbors, the prob
ability is that they will make bungle
of the whole business, and end by
feeling thoroughly ashamed of them
selves. To try to do discreditable
thing and fail is, perhaps, the most
bitter of all failures and this is fact
which should speak emphatically to
those quiet girls who are contemplate
ing some audacious step in order to
escape from the obscurity in which
they hopelessly languish. 1t may as
well be stated that he a noisy, for
ward, Self-assured member of society,
it is necessary that girl shall have no
deep feelings upon any subject; that
she shall not think upon matters out
side the special sphere of her opera
tions, and that she shall have no per-
sons welfare so much at heart as her
own. In a word. she must neither
possess a squeamish taste nor tender
| conscience. Now, hosts of quiet girls
are burdened with those eincumbrances;
hence, perhaps, their constant humili-
alton. If you want to find girl who
is a treasure in the home in which she
lives; who does real, honest, substan-
tial work; who possesses the strongest
| affection of those who thoroughly
know and understand her; and who is
endowed with as noble soul as she
has pure mind, look for quiet girl.
| 1t is from the ranks of the quiet girls
that the best wives, and the truest
friends, and the hardest workers come.
Of the women who really distinguish
! themselves by their intellectual
achievements the majority are sub
dued and modeSt-yet lively and pleas
ant enough if properly approached-in
company. Often treasures, the exist
ence of which has been unsuspected,
have been revealed in quiet girls. 1t
always will be so; for a genuine
woman will never show the sterling
stuff of which she is made to the first
impertinent inquisitor, who may be
unworthy alike of her confidence and
her regard. She will continue to as
tonish those who pretend to under
stand her by rising to heights, when
she is summoned thither, which are
unapproachable to her complacent and
courted critics. Yet, in spite of all
this, it may happen that quiet girls of
the best type may lack the wit, the
adaptability to that which they have
no sympathy, the glibness and that
unlimited faith in themselves which
must be possessed by those who desire
to attract the notice of the more shall
low portion of society. The truth is
that the noisy girl is as much the pro-
duct of education and training as any
thing else, and it may as well be frank
ly admitted that in her horrible way
she is unapproachable.
/ We do not wish to be nlisunder-
stood. We have no desire to i'm
ply that all quiet girls are en-
dOWed with genius and the virtues.