The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-24
Ml1lI{h gayle
FROM MARION HARLAND.
WHAT SIZE HAS TO SAY CONCERN
ING WALL FLOWERS.

ness Of Men Who Sometimes Pass by
the Sweetest of Women,
Copyright by American Press AssociationI
The Indians call purslsy ''the white
mans foot" It follows the squatter as
surely as the domestic fly, and dies out
with the decline of civilization.
The human wall flower may be said to
sprout in the track of fashion. With the
first social entertainment among "our
best people Of the infant settlement, be
1t apple bee, quilting or sugarin' off, the
perennial plant is set against the walls
or in the outermost borders. 1t is the
same generically with the sumptuously
appareled rows that line upper ten ball
rooms in Boston, New York and Chicago.
The specimens are presumably Glow
ers'' or they would not be in society.
Weeds and kitchen herbs are not suffer-
ed TO live in show parterres. When Mrs
Il. o. Tousand or Mrs. NJ. Aire issues
cards to a ball she selects people who
will grace and enliven or add dignity to
her assembly. The wall flower does
none of the three. The neglected ranks
Of hidden guests in the background Of
the pageant that honors the purse and
position of the hostess must be an eve
sore to her, if only because they imply
unfortunate selection Of materials or
mismanagement of them when they are
collected. As point Of equity, atten-
ton and consequent enjoyment of the
occasion should be evenly distributed.
The evidence that this is never done lies
in the immutable fact that the wall
flower, like fairer thing, springs eter-
nal-and, 1t may be groaningly added,
everywhere.
While the genus is the same in all
climates and under whatever exposure,
the species vary 50 widely as to afford
opportunity for curious study.
The most common is the predestinate
wall flower. She bears the same rela-
ton to the rest that the june dog rose
does to Lamarque, Marechal Neil and
indigenous stock. She is not pretty; she
is not rich; she does not dress well; she
is only a tolerable dancer, and very far
from being tolerable talker. Usually
she is what the society man denominates
ga monosylabic girl" Why she should
always go wherever she is invited, and
most surely into the most brilliant gath
erings, where her disabilities will be
most conspicuous, Is as much peculiar
ity OF the species as strong scent pertains
to the garlic tribe and prickles to the
thistle. Stars may fall and bellies faint
by the way. She IS to De counted upon
and in as certainly rs toe caterer and
his bill "Semper parscus" should be
the legend embroidered upon her one
lace pocket handkerchief Ready TO ac-
cept, ready to go, and-poor thing! more
than ready to be amused when she is
there, if the ghost Of opportunity be
offered her. She must extract some
juice of pleasure from the husky enter
tainment Of sitting against other peoples
wainscots and b&5s5oards. looking at
other peoples dancing. and hearing the
hum of taiz not addressed to herself.
Else her motto would be reversed, and
herself suffer a home change into g.
house leek.
That this doeS not happen is one Of the
curioSities of human conduct. Our pre-
OBSTINATE wall flower Is OfteneT amiable
than captious, and cannot suspect what
a gravelly particle she is between the
teeth of the smiling mistress Of cere-
monies, and with what sinking of heart
she sees her appear in the drawing room
door, or her acceptance with thanks"
would not be a foregone conclusion.
She comes in, timidly sometimes, at
others bashfully, but never deprecat-
ingly. Generally she radiates the mild
complacency Of one who knows herself
to be welcome To this she not infre-
quently joins the benevolent persuasion
that in accepting dear Mrs. Gays invi-
tatiOn she confers pleasure upon the
sender and distinction upon the crowd
Having taken her seat she rarely
changes it. If the walter tramples her
toes she receives his apology more or
less graciously. He is a comet, hers the
steady shine Of planet. Let us hope
for her speedy discovery of the truth
that it is the leaden luster Of Uranus, so
faint and Intellectual that the world
would not miss its withdrawal from the
solar system. Dickens tells us that Mr..
Jeuyhy found comfort IN leaning his
head against the wall. The friend to
social hilarity is ready to beg for some
chemical compound with which to mix
kalsomine and treat paper hangings,
that may warn of from contact the pre-
deStinste wall flower.
To the gallant of whatever age she Is
terror One woman of determined and
incorruptIhle hospitality has habit of
telling OF relays of men to talk with
such of the species as lurk in corners OF
her well pstroled parlors. Having de-
tailed her own son one reception even
ing as one of the devoted band. she sta
toned him with the soto voce pledge Of
relief In fifteen minutes, and straight
way forgot him In the distraction of
other duties. Drifting eventually into
his neighhorhood she was swaksned TO a
perception OF hsr inhumanity by catch
ing an agonieed glance from the brave
fellow, VINO had held the post for sixty
mortal Ininuhs Since that night he
has been known among his confreres as
''Casabialca.T
The hardest part Of it all is that host
ly duty involves the endeayor TO trans
-lapA Aha wall 6o5Sar and cultivate II