Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-01-03
LOVES BLUNDERS.

1t was her latest fad, perhaps the
most absurd-the wearing of glasses
She had enjoyed the brief pleasure OF
many voluntary and unnecessary ex-
periences. She was young, to be sure
-preposterously young to wear a
gown that came to her ankles. Her
youth may be urged in eXtenuatiOn of
her tendency to indulge in caprice.
That is, if perfunctory explanation is
| desired. A girl having an erect young
form nodded in the prescient curves
of gracious womanhood, eyes the blue
of ragged robins" and hair which
| like that of Miles Happiness Jeanette,
was
"a silken and beautiful snare!"
surely needs apology no more than
the wine of which Rosalind makes
mention in her delicious epilogue
needs bush.
She begged the family dentist to
| find place in one of her perfect
front teeth where he might insert
gold, because it looked so pretty"
| She had taken up many new modes
of dress-perhaps because she looked
we'll in anything. She had gone
through successive stages of physical
exertion socially considered-croquet,
tennis and other mild designations
She wore her hair la Chinois, a la
POmpadour and la the Acknowledged
damsel of the land of the cherry bios
som. When it was just the thing to
wear jaunty glasses, having a slender
gold chain attached to the bodice, or
| Topped back to merge itself securely
in ones hair, the chill of exclusion
possessed her. She couldn't wear eye.
glasses. Her sight was too ridiculously
good. No one would believe her-not
even her credulous mother, for whom
her daughters every whim was a
fresh delight. But it was too bad!
The glasses were distinctly becoming
Mary McCrea was twenty times better
looking since she had found it advis
able to affect them. They gave one
a literary look-at all events, look
of aloofness-an air of distinction
| Why wasn't she far-sighted, or near
sighted, or afflicted with astigmatism
or in any way so fashioned that a pair
of rimless glasses adjusted over hel
straight little nose would add to hel
attraction? She preached her diff
Guilty to her mother.
I'VE put off wearing glasses as long
as we could in our young days." re
turned her confidant. 1--WE thought
doing so indicated age. My great
grandmother could thread a needle
with hair from my head when she
was TO-"
The accomplishment of this vener
able ancestor failed to interest Lor
aine Apart from her fancy for fads
she was very sensible girl. The re
mark of a famous wit and playwright
to a certain lovely lady might have
referred to her: For such a we'll
dressed woman you have really some
sane ideas" She did the work Of
stenographer in a law office, where
acumen and critical judgment were
required. Her pen-and-ink and char
coal sketches found admirers and buy
ers. The management of the house
hold, while nominally in control o.
her mother, lay in her own slender
capable hands. And even the neigh
bors admitted that the way she kept
her three small brothers on an allow
ance remarkable chiefly for it's dimin
utive proportion, was extraordinary.
Il haven't been to the matinee once
icir T ~ 4o Dol ~
to the Athletic club" she assured her
self. "And as for gloves-I haven
any! Sol think-Tl buy a cheaI
pair"
She meant glasses-not gloves. She
covered guiltily when the saleswomar
offered to test her eyes.
Haven't time" she explained, hasti
ly. She picked up pair at random
They were rimless, jaunty, with
slim, dangling, golden chain. She wa
quite breathless when she found her
self on the street with her treasure
When she boarded the open car 70
home she adjusted the aids to vision
she had purchased. She fancied ever.
one was looking at her. AS this i'm
preston grew, her air of studied non
chalance became more profound. Sh
bought an evening paper. She stare'
hard at the printed page. But tn
letters merged in one purple blur
Even faces took on grotesque AM
! perplexing outlines. When she reach
ed home her young brothers guye,
her. Her mother only was as dis