The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-12
The GIRL IN GRAY.


tVe otu6tuV ouAus
EfFssassfble Inpalsss which CAnsa AR -
Llfe - Raa1nciataea.
Susan earned her daily bread hy try.
ing on hats in one Of the majestic dry
goods palaces of the metropolis. Her
beautiful head, fine eyes. exquisitely re
fined expression and beautiful figure
had been the source of splendid in
come to her. She did not know il, but
nature had been most kind in making
her an ideal model for the millinery
business.
Susan was q gray girl. She was .
perfect poem in gray. Her eyes were
deep, twilight gray: her skin the cream
gray Of the white flesh about q blue
birds beak; her eye that drab gray
brown which is noticeable In the ewes
of Welsh girls, and her eyelashes such
4 tint OF chestnut gray as ornAmented
the name Of the famous race horse Sir
William.
Susan was full Of gray moodA and her
favorite position was to sit half bent
over in one of the guests chairs in the
aforesaid emporium, with Paris crea-
tion upon her fair head, and to gaze out
of the window.
People came and people went, and
they wondered that such . beautiful,
girl was not fairly carried away by
some rich and appreciative wife-hunter,
who had a taste for the fine arts. An
artist who went to the shop to sketch
hats and boanets raved over Susan,
but Susan didn't mind. To all his COM
pliments she only smiled q cold. gray,
far-away smile that could be easily in.
terpreted. Susan interested an author
one time enough to have her question
the girl and find out why she always
wore such a pensive look and seemed
altogether removed from her environ
ment.
She found that Susan was all alone
IN the world; that she came from Q
good English family; that abe was
obliged to cross the ocean to earn her
living; that she cared little for dress
and worldly things.
After becoming better acquainted
with Susan she learned that most Of
the girls female relatives had been
nuns.
Susan said to her ono afternoon, when
they were friends: II havc . perfect
horror OF ever becoming q nun myself,
but day after day the idea grows upon
e,e, and I am sure that some fine morn,
Ing shall go to the sisters and ask them
70 take me in. / truly believe that
heredity has called me to that mission.
] think SO much about not becoming
Q nun that my mind is drawn to them,
and their lives own me.
II unconsciously read all about them
In publications. follow them about
in the streets; I cast my eyes down
when meet them, and always speak to
them if have . chance. I cannot keep
away from the nun costume, and every
dress have is made as near like theirs
ns it can possibly be. Iwonder if it IA
hypnotism or thought transference, or
the effect of training, or what?
do you know much about mysti-
cism and mental science? If you do, tell
ne. Do people always feel drawn to
do what their hearts tell them not to
io?"
The author could not answer, but was
left guessing. as the girl had been
One day the author went to the shop
TO get a new hat for a swell matinee,
and of course asked for Susan and she
was told that Susan had suddenly be-
come very Pious and had given up her Po-
sition to do religious embroidery in one
of the technical shops copnected with
the church.
The author heard nothing more from
the girl until one day, while investigat-
ing charity ON the east side, she saw
familiar figure fit past. Upon look
ing intensely at it, it proved to BE Susan.
She smiled, and recognized the au-
thor, and said: And how u it with
you? 1 have answered my own ques-
ton. / have proven to myself that each
Individual is given the mental 6fe 70
perceive and enjoy those things which
bring pleasure and to bo able to sacri-
fee and give happiness to others, and
the spiritual life as an inspiration point
ing the way TO better life, where the
only pleasure Is in giving up pleasure
and the only happiness in bestowing
your cwn inheritance Of 1t upon those
who have neither mental perception nor
spiritual inspiration.
"When I fought my own soul was
nearing a point where my mind would
have become shattered because my
mind had not solved the wants OF my
spirit. Nov / love that which hated.
and hate nothing, and feel that this =
the highest state . human being can
reach"
And artists and society women look
IN vain for an ideal model in the famous
dry goods shop to anticipate their ar
tistic wants.-N. Y. Mail and Express.