The age-herald., 1898-04-24
Copyright, 1S9S.l

Bless us and save us, how the dear girls are learning to sew! True? Of course it's true. They sewed hard all during Lent, and now when you make a call the tiny little workbasket with it's expensive fixings-and they cost a 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 bit of linen that you find yourself watching those white hands as they control that sharp little bit of steel, when suddenly the work stops for minute and the head is lifted to allow the eyes to look at you and ask question. Then you wonder if a woman were ever so pretty before Then you know it means a great deal when somebody masculine says to somebody feminine, "Oh, Miss Montmorenci, what a lovely sash you have oni" sash at present being a something that is much trimmed and frilled and fiuted and scalloped and made fancy in every way. Miss Mont
 
 scending air and answers, T made ev- cry bit of it myself!"
 You no longer doubt as to whether Miss Montmorenci can marry poor man or not, for a girl who can make sashes-well, what can't she do?
 Then there is that other girl whose hat is very joy. It is burdened with flowers, it is gay with ribbons, and it is cooked on one side in 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 mllSs. have cost, and when you venture to ex- press your admiration to the wearer she says.~with gay toss of that won- = derfully crowned head: "Oh, it's a mere nothing I bought the hat, and I had the ribbon so I strengthened out some flowers and got few new leaves, and I trimmed it myself. It saves an awful lot of money to know how to trim your own hats" You thought her lovely before, but you are sure she is divine now.
 It 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 mus lin frocks in view, were also talking and having for a topic that never end ing one-woman. The first one, who happened to be blond, inquired, Tn your experience have dark or light wo- men been the most faithful?" Then she kept on: Personally I never knew but three women who were absolutely true to me, and they were rather normal in
 I,of. hot e,Y,s4 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 ul- til death did us part. The second one was a woman much older than myself, in whose society I found constant en- joyment, and the third was my mother. There are hundreds of names on my visiting list, names of women who if any one of them were asked if she were my friend would say "Yes," and yet tomorrow if needed a friend I should go to the one who likes me because I am a pleasant companion or to my mother. But would much prefer to go to a 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: q 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 watever you could help one, it was a courtesy to yourself. That was the theory with which I started out into life, and while physically am not black and blue, spiritually am. The woman to whom I gavefthe helping hand usu- ally finished the performance by biting it. The woman to whom I gave a cer- tain amount of affection, consideration and kindness was invariably the one to say the most horrible things about me. who insisted had a motive in ev- erything I did and who was finally con- vinced that I was entirely selfish in my desire to assist her. My women friends? |? While very few, they are women for whom I have done nothing and with whom it is merely a question of general liking. The woman for whom you do a good deed immediately concludes that she wants to cut your acquaintance. Why do not know, except that she is like a certain kind of mongrel dog the females of which can never meet with out having a row. Faithfulness with me has not been a matter of complex ion. Faithlessness has been a 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 slow ly, and as if she had thought it all out.
 She said: Well, 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