St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-21
HUMAN SIEVES.
Women Who Work Like Sleeves
Because They Are Made That
Way

Way.
Written for the GLOBE
If any one should be so reckless as to
remark that there is a startling resem-
blance between certain women and
sleeves, the c. W. would probably feel
hurt. And yet ii seems that the apology
for such comparison should be made to
the sieve. 1t is of some practical use
in the world. 1t subseryes the purpose
for which it was created. and if it were
suddenly wiped out of existence a large
portion of our feminine population
would feel that something desirable
had passed from their lives. For the
human sieye-the eXasperating. soul
disturbing woman who goes through
life allowing the personal affairs of her
friend 10 leak out every time she opens
her mouth. no such claim can be made.
The object OF her creation is a mystery.
and the only effect of her removal would
be the intense relief experienced by her
associates.
The woman sieve is not maliciOusly
disposed in fact. the most trying thing
about her IS the really loving manner i'll
which she betrays the secrets of your
SOai. Ii she is conscious of her action
aU all. she believes that she is showing
her friendly interests in yOu when she
tells your dearest foe all about that late
unpleasantness between yourself and
John. or eutertainS her with the account
of your household cares which you. n
the fullness of your heart. had poured
into her willing ear on the occasion of
her last call. Naturally. you never pour
more than once.
She has some redeeming traits, which
accounts for the fact that she fiOurisheS
as long as she does. She is intensely
sympathetic. and listens to what you
say with the most absorbing interest.
This is very effective. especially in
these DAYS. when the average woman
counts the time during which her com
paniOn SpeakeS Just so many minutes
lost. After she has let cut all she knows
about everybody else she allows you to
dothe talking; and you supply her with
material for her next conversational
blow.
The consequence is that you and your
affairs are more or less known to all
who have met her. Her warm friend.
Mrs. A., passes you with an I-know-all-
abOut-yOur-trialS-pOOr-thing expression,
while her StrOng-mipded neighbor,
Mrs. c.. surveys YOU with an I-cOuld-
sOon-teach-yOu-how -tO-break-John-in air
that to a sensitive person is em5arraSS-
ing to say the least. Mrs. BIS pitying
glance tells you that she has heard of
that miserable bargain on curtains,
while it is only necessary to see Mrs.
d.. eye fall on your new silk dress to
know that she is informed OF the fact
that it cracked the third time you wore
it, Through it all the sieve is sustained
by the most sublime innocence. If you
venture to remark that such and such
a matter was for her private ear and
should not have been divuiged. she
looks at YOU in mute reprOach and racks
her poor little brain for hours trying to
remember to whom she mentioned You.
Take her all in all. she is infinitely to
be preferred to her sister. the Semi-eon-
scious sieve. who keeps letting out Just
enough of your affairs to Till the minds
of her hearers with dark suspicious.
This style of sieve realizes dimly that
something is wrong-w7ti her-that she
was evidently not made to retain any
thing. She makes heroic efforts to
change her nature. and succeeds in
preserving an impassive air until a
name Is mentioned. Then she speaks
impulsively. suddenly remembers her
self bushes. looks uHutterable things