The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-12-11
A Gle eral
Utility Girl.
40

DORA FIFER had none of the ac-
~ cOmplishments of her three sis
ters, which was matter of some
surprise to her family and friends.
May, the eldest daughter, was not
only beauty, but she was regarded
as little short of genius because of
her skill in painting on china, velvet
or anything that would retain paint.
Then she had dashing air and was
brilliant conversationalist. Rose, the
next daughter, was almost as DASH
ing and gifted as her sister, and she
had great deal of that somewhat
indefinite thing that some people call
"style." She confessed to great
fondness for dress, and some of her
admirers would have been surprised if
they could have known how unpleas-
ant really disagreeable Rose could be
when compelled to give up the pur-
chase of dress or hat on which she
had set her heart. Rose could make
n greater variety of embroidery than
any other girl in Wilford. She learned
all of the new fancy stitches as
soon as they came out, and she spent
more money than her father could
really afford to have her spend for
floss and other kinds of embroidery
silk and stamped mats of every de-
scription, some of which she was two
weeks in cmbroidering.
Dora was the third daughter, and
then came Margaret, who had her
first visiting cards printed "Margue-
rite" Margaret was fond of society,
and no one could pour at an after
noon tea with more grace than Mar
garet She had no end of small talk
at her tongues end, and the people
Of Wilford regarded her US phenom-
enal singer, but those qualified to
Judge would have said that her voice
was little more than an ordinary So
prano of limited range, with one or
two serious defects. Margaret was in
great demand as a singer at the local
concerts given in Wilford, and no So
ciety event was regarded as a perfect
success without her. She was one of
those girls who always "look pretty"
and she was witty in a way that was
not always pleasing, because there
was often "a certain sharpness in her
witty sayings and unmindfulness of
the feelings of her friends.
Dora had none of the traits that
gave her sisters the reputation of be-
ing "such bright, smart girls" and she
lacked their beauty of face and form.
She lacked "style," she had none of the
"air' of Margaret nor the dash" of
tongue, but it would have surprised
some of her sisters friends to know
that 'Dora's reading was of the high
est order, and that she sometimes
wrote her sisters notes for them be-
cause she wrote "A beautiful hand, and
because, as they were sometimes
generous enough to admit, she always
put things so nicely in a note" She
knew nothing about Roses fancy
stitches" but when Dora sewcd on a
button it "staycd," rs her father de-
clarcd, and it was admitted in the
family that no one could mend or darn
like Dora. She cleaned gloves for the
whole family because none of them
could take soilcd pair of gloves and
make them look as Dora could make
them look. And she could take an
old dress skirt that almost any one
else would have regarded as hopeless
and turn and sponge and press it, and
add little touches here and there
that made it look "as good as new
Although some of the friends of
the Filters thought Dora $50 common
place. they said that she was "a
goodnatured little thing" and that
she had 'really good manners" Some
times it was said that she had "a real
wholesome look" and I suppose that
this remark was prompted by the fact
that Dora had fresh, rosy cheeks and
pair of honest brown eyes, and that
she was always exquisitely neat, il
not exactly stylish"
It was true that Dora had abundant
good nature, and that she did cheer
fully a great many things for her sis
tcrs and the whole family that less
kindly girl would have declined doing
She was "handy" Mt doing many little
things. Some OF them were not real
ly agreeable duties, but Dora otter
said:
"Some one must do them if the ma
chinery of the household is not to ge
all clogged up, and l may as well dc
them as any ono"
Mr.. Fifer did not have n large in
come. In fact, it was so small tha
it required great deal of contrivins
and good management to make botl
ends meet, and it was Dora who die
most of the contriving, for Mrs. Fife
was too much of an invalid to talk
upon herself any household cares
Dora's sisters confined their house
hold duties to some perfunctor.
sweeping and busting and the car
of their own rooms. May sometime
made cake and Rose occasional,
attempted fancy dessert that was il
most cases failure.