Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-03-21
A &c al
Utility Girl.
900

DORA -FIFER had none of the &C
~ conplishments of her three Sis
ters, which was a 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 a genius because of
her skill in painting on china, velvet
or anything that would retain paint
Then she had dashing air and was a
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 a great
fondness for dress, and some OF her
admirers would have been surprised if
theye could have known how unpleas-
ant really -disegreeable Rose could be
when compelled to give up the pur-
chase of a dress or hat on which she
had set her heart. Rose could make
a greater variety of embroidery than
any other girl in MILFORD. She learned
all of the new 'sfancy 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 embroidering.
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
too
garet. She had no end of small talk
at her tongue's end, and the people
of Milford regarded her as a phenom-
email 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 MILFORD, and no So
eiety 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 clash" of
May. She was not clever with her.
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 beautiful hand, and
because, as they were sometimes
generous enough to admit, she always
put things so nicely in note" She
oknew nothing about Roses fancy
Stitches" but when Dora sewed on a
button it stayed as her father de-
clared. 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 soiled 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 ga
good-natured little thing and that
she had really good manners" Some
times it was said that she had ga 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, if
not exactly stylish"
1t was true that Dora had abundant
good nature, and that she did cheer
fully great many things for her sis
tiers and the whole family that less
kindly girl would have declined doing.
She was handy" ut doing many little
things. Some of them were not real
ly agreeable duties, but Dora often
said:
ssSome one must do them if the ma
chinery of the household is not to get
all clogged up, and T may as well do
them as any one"
Mr.. Fifer did not have a large in
come. In fact, it was so small that
it required great deal of contriving
and good management to make both
ends meet, and it was Dora who did
most of the contriving. for Mrs. Fifer
was too much of an invalid to take
upon herself any household cares.
Dora's sisters confined their house
hold duties to some perfunctory
sweeping and busting and the care
of their own rooms. May sometimes
made a cake and Rose occasionally
attempted fancy dessert that was in
most cases a failure.
The fact that it required every dol