The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-02-21
TWO SOCIETY QUEENS.

Ono Attempts to Rule Beyond Her Time.
While the Other Gracefully Abdicates
Two Of the prettiest girls in n town where
pretty girls are by no means rare have re-
Gently passed the point beyond which they
cannot with propriety be spoken Of as s'girls.''
Both OF them once possessed unusual beauty;
both were considered, though in widely diff
ferent ways attractive. They were spoken Of
as "brlles" in the circle in which they moved,
One Of them, who, with u little touching
up Of the checks and eyebrows and the as
sistance Of Il skillful dressmakcr, is vet hand
some, still considers herself .sbelle,n and
makes her desire for admiration and social
supremacy uncomfortably evident. She is
1lnmerciful in her criticism of the Younger
girls who are just entering her set; she likes
to snub and Gisconcert them; she speaks of
them as "chits' and schoolgirls She has no
feminine friends, and as her old admirers
marry Or desert her, she finds her native
place growing more aud more dull, and finally
gets out Of it us often possible
Every summer, with many huge trunks
filled with gorgeous clothes, she goes to u
large hotel at some gay resort and spends the
season in showing Off" Some people laugh
at her, but there are some who admire, and
She will be able, doubtless, to play at being
belle a few years longer.
The other belle belongs to a family rich in
children beatty, health and good temper
Her dresses have never been costly nor espe.
clally elegant, but no ono ever stopped 10
think what She had She is still pretty,
without touching up, but the first fresh bloom
Of her beauty has departed, and people are
beginning 70 lament that She doesn't marry
Not that they make i'll natured remarks
on the subject, but they say she is not the
Kind Of person WHO ought to be IAN old maid"
She Is 81 capable, 50 domestic, 50 sweet
tempered, SO fitted TO hn a wife and mother,
that she nugh; certainly to be the mistress Of
home
ltis rumorcd moreover, that she has had
a great many offers; and it is known, though
not through he, telling Of them, that she has
had several. 10 be sure, in talking over her
suitors the Gossips agree that they were nice
enough young men, but none OF them half
good enough for her It seems to be on gen
ernl principles only that they wish she had
married
Meanwhile, before any one realizes what
she is doing, or that she means to do it, still
less to think it is time for her to do it, it is
follntl that his belle has abdcatcd! There is
no formal announcement Of the fact, but 50
it il,
She goes seldom to parties. She ceases to
act il thaatrlcals CT pose in tableaux she
manages" instead for those who d. At
church fairs she is found no longer as flower
gir, or peasant waitress, OF gypsy fortune
teller iii coins and gay scaris; instead, she
smiles at you across the apron table, or
shares the distracting labors Of the supper
committee, VI is placel in charge Of the chill
dren's march. ...s.r&a ..{3o gs5o .15u.0 =Ba.a5
As sweet, serene and gay as ever, she
shares the enjoyment OF every fcstal occu
sion, and adds To- its charm. But people
come 10 her NOW with compliments, not for
herself but for her sister next III age, just
budding into wonauly beauty; or for the
little brother, who played the page so well:
or the younger sister, who WIS so quaint and
graceful i'll the minuet, She f'ushcs with
pride aud pleasure as such pleasant things
said 70 her
She is yet more pleased when a gracious
word is spoken concerning the other sister,
the Shy and awkward one, not blessed with
the family beauty, and takes pains herself to
mention, wien tho rest are praised, how sweet
tempered that one is. and how helpful ut
home Whit She herself is at home only the
tired housewife whose burden She lifts and
The little flock to whom she is 4 second mother
will ever know.
One cannot beu belle for u whole life The
tlncconcs when If II girl would not be pushed
down, she must step down, unless indeed She
will step up instead. That it is always posi-
bl> to 10, ard sLn wio does it loses nothing
and gains much. Even her beauty often does
n@t vanish, hur merely changes i'll kind.
People may not say 50 often, How pretty
She laois!" but they viii be moro than ever
!lkelyt" say. How lovely size is!H-Youtll's
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