The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-11-15
AnnseAnId Nnrds.
QUIET GIRLS.

ems, as 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 we'll 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 i. is. The mis-
fortune is that many well-meaniDg individuals
mistake notoriety for admiration, and IN 80
doing are naturally led to indulge in excuses
and follies of various kinds. 1t is to be re.
GREETED that this 10 particularly true SO far
as regards number Of girls who, lacking
knowledge of the world and an insi ght into
human nature, are contaminated when they
are thrown into association with Young mel
and women of certain order. You will see
them, in their desire to attract notice, un.
steadily balancing themselves upon the line
which separates the polite from the unpolite,
and coquetting with what public opinion has
decided to be naughty. No doubt, their in
tentions are in most cases perfectly innocent,
and if they were not applauded by unpriuci
pied Aatterers, who being tinged with bad
ness themselves like to make others the same,
they would not continue to indulge in their
little indScretons. Unhappily, they are en-
Outraged to believe that they are favorably
distinguishing themselves when they are out
raging good taste There are men who like
a girl who talks at great rate aud INDUCES
in those descriptions of sneeripg 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 concil.
late with something very much resembling
insolence. There are beaux who appreciate
the creature who is everlastingly giggling,
Sinking, posing herself in what she deems
picturesque attitudes, and shouting utter non
sense at the top of her voice. Qiiet girls
see this. They perceive, further, that be
cause they lack what seem to be regarded as
accomplishments, but which are really social
vices, they are ignored. Over and over again
are the sweetess-netured aS well as the clev-
crest women stigmatize1 as dull, stupid, and
prim, because they are disinclined to shrek
aud to show all the teeth in their head to the
frst male who philanthropically coudeScends
to indicate that he is disposed 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 perceive that they will gaip
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, fippant, and publicly spiteful at
the expense of their neighbors the probable
ity is that they will make bungle of the
whole business and end by feeling thoroughly
ashamed of themselves. To try to do dis
creditable thing and fail is, perhaps, the
most bitter of all failures, and this is a fact
which should speak empbatically to those
quiet girls who are contemplating some au
dacous step in order to escape from the OBJ
security in which they hopelessly anguish
IL may as we'll be stated that to be noisy,
forward, self assured member of society it is
necessary that girl shall have no deep feel
ings upon any subject, that she shall not
think upon matters outside the special sphere
of her operations, and that she shall have no
person welfare so much at heart as her own.
In word she must neither possess squesm-
ish taste nor a tender conscience. Now,
hosts of quiet girls are burdened with those
encumbrsnces; hence, perhaps, their constant
humiliation. If you want to fad girl who
is q treasure in the home in which she lives;
who does real, honest, substantial 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 intel
lectual achievements the majority are sub
dued and modeSt--yet lively and pleasant
enough if properly approached-in company.
Often treasures, the existence Of which has
been unsupported, have been revealed in
quiet girls. 1t always will be so for gen.
uine woman will never show the sterling stuff
of which she is made to the first impertinent
il qusitor, who may be unworthy alike other
confidence and her regard. She will con-
tinue to astonish those who pretend to under
stand her by rising to heights when she is
summoned thitber which are unapproacbable
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
to that with which they have no
sympathy, the glbness, and that unlimited
faith in themselves which must be possessed
by those who desire to attract the notice of
the more shallow portion of society. The
truth is that the noisy girl is as much the
product of education and training as anything
else, and it may as we'll be frankly admitted
that in her own horrible way she is unap-
oroaehable.
We do not wish to be misunderstood. We
have no desire to imply that all quiet girls
ire endowed with genius and the virtues, for
some are simply fools who would be noisy
enough if they could find anything to say.
What We do protest against is the habit which |
prevails of sighting quiet girls and speaking |
IL of them before they have been fairly tried,
md of paying sickening homage to the con-
,eited chatterboxes of little moral sense and
principle. What we would indicate is that
While noisy damsels will often turn out to
,e gaudy impoStors, many quiet ones will
amply repay the time, trouble, aud love which
my one may bestow upon them.-MtteWs
Living Age.