The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-01


during Lent, and now when you make
a call the tiny little workbaskct, with
it's expensive fixings-and they cost Il
pot of money, do gold handled scissors
and do thimbles set with turquoise-but
having achieved this very feminine ac-
complishment every girl is going TO
utilize it, She looks so sweet as she
sits with flying fingers working over II
bit of linen that you find yourself watch
ing those white hands as they control
that sharp little bit of steel, when sud-
denly the work stops for Il minute and
the head is lifted to allow the eyes 10
look ut you and ask II question linen
YOU wonder if Il woman were ever SO
pretty before. Then you know it mea@s
Il great deal when somebody mascu-
line says to somebody feminine, On
Miss Montmorenci, what lovely sash
YOU have on!' sash ut present being Il
something that is much trimmed and
frilled and fluted and scalloped and
made fancy in every way. Miss Mont
morenci looks at you with a condo
scending air and answers, Il made ev-
cry bit of it myself
You no longer doubt as To whether
Miss Montmorenci can marry II poor
man or not, for II girl who can make
sashes-well, what can't she do!
Then there is that other girl whose
hat is Il very joy. 1t is burdened with
flowers, it is gay with ribbons, and it
is cooked on one side III Il knowing way
that is very fashionable and very be-
coming. You look at it and think what
a wonder it is and how much it must
have cost. and when you venture TO ex-
press your admiration to the wearer she
says, with gay toss of that wonderful
~ crowned head: "Oh, it's a mere Moth
ing. | bought the hat, and | had the
ribbon. so | Strengthened out some flow
ers and got few new leaves. and L
trimmed it myself. 1t saves an awful
lot of money to know how to trim your
own hats You thought her lovely be-
fore but you are sure she is divine now
1t is curious how women congregate
when they sew. A woman never likes
to sew alone She wants somebody
else, either to criticise her work or to
talk. The other morning three women
were hemming ruffies and. with divine
muslin frocks in view, were also talk
ing and having for a topic that never
ending one-woman. The first one, who
happened to be blond, inquired. I'm
Your experience have dark or light wo-
men been the most faithful Then she
kept on: PERSONALLY | never knew but
three women who We're absolutely true
to me, and they were rather normal i'll
color. One had brown hair that wasn't
quite dark. another had light hair that
wasn't quite blond and the third had
gray hair. The first one had been my
friend from the time we were children,
and the friendship lasted absolutely UNI
til death did us part. The second one
was a woman much older than my self.
in whose society | found constant en-
joyment, and the third was my mother.
There are hundreds of names on my
visiting list names of women who ii
any one of them were asked if she We're
my friend would say, Yes" and yet
tomorrow if | needed a friend | should
90 to the one who likes me because
am a pleasant companion or to my
mother. But | would much prefer to go
to man.
The girl who had listened attentively
and sewed steadily at the same time
had brown eyes and brown hair; but.
dropping her needle, she gave her ex-
perience: Il had a curious education
about women. Girls were scarce in our
family; consequently we were taught
TO think them of great value. If you
could do anything to give pleasure TO
a woman; if by words deeds or in any
way whatever you could help one. it was
courtesy to yourself. That was the
theory with which / started out into
life, and, while physically | am not black
and blue spiritually | am. The woman
to whom | gave the helping hand usu-
ally finished the performance by biting
it. The woman to whom | gave a GER
tain amount of affection. consideration
and kindness was invariably the one
to say the most horrible things about
me, who insisted i had a motive in ey-
erything | did and who was finally CON
WINGED that i was entirely selfish in my
desire to assist her. My women friends:
While very few, they are women fol-
whom l have done nothing and with
whom it is merely a question of general
liking. The woman for whom you do
good deed Immediately concludes thai
she wants TO cut your acquaintance
Why | do not know, except that she is
like certain kind Of mongrel dog the
females of which can never meet with
out having a row. Faithfuiness with
me has not been Il matter Of complex
ion. Faithlessness has been general
condition"
The other woman who had sewed and
kept quiet was neither dark nor light
but belonged to the type so common in
this country, that Of light brown hair
and dark eyes. She spoke very slowly
and as if she had thought it all out.
She said: well, l have been curious
enough to watch and with me it has
been an absolute matter of complexion
Women who are unwomanly, absolutely
deceitful. lacking in truth, with no
sense of honor whatever, were usually
women of extremes-women as dark
us Italians or as dead fair as Swedes
Betweenities did not seem to count
The blondest woman l knew upset my
life for at least six months by her wick
ed tongue. A very dark woman by her
lack of honor made me lose belief in all
womankind except mothers. So now.
adays if / have secret that / must
tell somebody / confide in a man. Ii
am in a bit of trouble where | need
the sympathy of woman, ] go to my
mother, and if ] need help in anything
] ask one of these two"
You may think that these women
were horrid, abominable and altogether
uuiikablp. They were NOT 'Fbag 4,-pr1