Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-02-03
NOT A HAPPY LOT.
MARY hARKLEY.

It is said that tall women are ai-
mired, little women are beloved. The
little woman knows this to be true.
and is usually quite content to be
small. She would not grow an inch if
| she conld.
There are times, though, when she
feels like helpless kitten, or a Lili-
putian in land of Gullivers. At such
times she fails to appreciate her ad-
vantages over her big sister; and the
Law of compensation does not compen-
safe.
One of these times is at the theatre,
when there happens to be several ex-
IRA large people in front of her. The
little woman leans this way and that,
stretches her neck until it aches, and
sees, perhaps, part IF the stage at a
.ime-never all at once. When the
''bit lady" rails es her glass, it shows
her first a mans head and shoulders,
then bonnet still couples the fore
ground. She moves, and they move
then she moves back again-and they
| 10, too. In the meantime the curtain
is going down, and the little woman at
| best catches but a glimpse of the
scene. She tries to think she is enjoy.
| IuS utIstll. DuI huONs DeIbeT.
In church on Easter, Christmas, or
any great day when every pew is
crowded, the little woman cannot see
the choir at all; and if she has occa-
sional views of the minister's forehead
and eyes it is as much as she expects.
A marriage in church she witnesses
with her ears, rather than with her
eyes. At home wedding she is often
| all Il 10 cfa ha
see; but if the tall ones are thought
less, she can only imagine how the
| bride looks during the ceremony.
These, however, are only minor
trials, compared with others that be.
set the littlo woman.
How would big man feel, if sud
denly everything we're too high for
him to reach, too heavy for him to lift,
too large or too small for him to wear,
if nothing seemed to be in the right
place for his convenience, or the right
size for his use? Would he think life
worth living? Yet this is about the
state of things with the little woman.
Everything in the home even, seems
to be arranged for the comfort of per
stance-what tales of misery they
might tell if they could speak Look
at this one. 1t is like all ordinary
closets. See how high that shelf is
None too big for you? Well, this is
the little woman's own particular
closet, and she must mount a small
stepladder or chair when she wants
lnything from the shelf If it were
only a few inches lower she could
reach it easily. The dress hooks are
too high, too. a daughter of the gods
might ind them just right, but the lit
tie woman does not. She wishes to
hang up a dress. The shelf and hooks
being only trifIe beyond her reach,
it has never been worth while to pro-
vide her with n stepladder and chair
is troublesome. So, by holding the
dress up at arms length and giving a
quick jump, she sometlmes manages to
lasso the hook at the first attempt.
She goes to the coat-closet in the
hall to get waterproof; and is happy
ii she gets 1t down without causing a
shower of hats, caps and mufflers. II,
encouras ed by tins success, she tries to
fish an umbrella out of the corner, an
overcoat is sure to give her an embrace
of unnecessary warmth. The poor lit
tie martyr, with the patient sigh OF
experience, undertakes to replace the
heavy coat. Once, twice, she dabs il
at the far-away hOok-very carefully;
once more,-and she is buried under
the things she has knocked down.
Then, indeed, patience is exhausted.
The small creature bangs the door
upon the wreck and relieves her mind
with a vicious ''dearr'
Shopping is anything but delight
to the little woman. If she looks for
gloves of certain color or shade she
never finds them in her size. The
small feet grow very tired hunting for
new shoes; and the small woman grows
very tired also, telling the dealer,
gently but firmly, that a shoe two OF
three sizes too large is not what she
wants. She tries on ready made gar.
ments, and Is lost in them-a love of
hat, and it slips down to her ears,
In piano playing the dainty hands OF
the little woman never conquer the
difficulty of striking the octIves and
full chords. How heavy the cooking
utensils are, when she is unexpectedly
called to take Biddy's place! How
high the strap when she is obliged tc
stand in a stTeet-car. How deceptive
are the inviting looking chairs and
divans that force tue wee body to Sit
upright on the edge, or with feet
dangling, if she rests against the back
It's all very well for the poet to say
that
"A little woman though a very little thing
Is sweeter far than sugar, and flowers thai
bloom in spring"
her sweetne does not save her from
intervals of feeling that the little wo
mans lot is not a happy one.-Youns
Romans Magazine.