The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-01-11
WOMAN IN JOURNALISM.
The Groove to Which She Is Too Often Con-
fined in Newspaper Work.

The Groove to Which She Is Too often CON
fined in Newspaper Work.
"The pitifulIy narrow groove to when
women are 100 often confined in news
paper work. namely, the society report
ing, is, oddly enough" writes Mrs. l..
P. Stelle to the Washington Post, the
one thing in which she shines pre-eml'
nently, and it is safe to assert that this
especial line is the one thing that she
most heartily dislikes after she has
tried it season or two.
'sTo be an all around newspaper
woman and to handle the larger topics
of the worlds life as men do has for her
the fascination that belongs to the I'M
attainable. and her one ambition IS to
enter this world and keep abreast of its
currents, that seem SO invigorating, SO
| inviting by contrast to the circumscrlbed
limits of her own particular sphere.
The prevailing fashion of mutual puff
ing and manipulating is to woman OF
brains like interchanging substance for
froth and ability for weakness.
"Yet, even in this line there is scope
for variety and room for originality, if
she is willing to study both. Difficult
as it seems to avoid being SLOPPY and
dull, in the regulation verbiage of news
paper folk, there is play for the new
forces that are developed by work, even
if it is of the most continued routine.
There is enlarging of vision that belongs
to this as we'll as to any department OF
artistic study; for it requires artto draN
we'll the picture of modern society
event, with all its finish of design and
appointments that the fashion of the
day demands, then to illuminate the
whole with crystallized knowledge of
men and women, the wit that flashes
light and passes on, is not more easy
attainment than the study of chiaroscuro
in pictorial art.
1.-THE artist who does not acquaint
himself with routine and study the mix
ing of colors, and the value of accessories
will surely fall short of the higher
achievements, therefore the society re-
porter who would attain perfect success
should study the accessories of her pic
ture, so to speak.
''She will do well to familiarize her
self with the proper names of fabrics
and laces, so that she may be accurate
in the naming of them; she will also
train her eye for the instant perception
of tones and tints that she may detect
the difference between Pompeiian red
and terra Gotta, nor will she neglect t.
visit the uphOlster and paper-hangel
that she may learn the difference be
tween frieze and dado. She will dc
we'll to visit the florists and find GU
what new plants the evolution of flora
culture has brought into existence OF
what new name has been bestowed upor
an old one. These little details seen
trivial in themselves, but the modern
realism of the modern press demands it
eff the secret history of books coul(
be written, and the authors private
thoughts and meanings noted dow1
alongside of the story, how many insipit
volumes would become interesting, ant
dull tales excite the reader So wrote
Thackeray, and this could be writer
relatively of newspaper work. If thu
difficulties and the failures could be
come as notable as the successes, thu
rude closing of doors and the hauteur o
the high-bred dame, how few would er
ter this arena. For those who succee
do so through combination of tact an,
knowledge by no means common"