The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-07-18
THE WOMAN WHO MEANS WELL.
'Twould be Joy if She Meant Worse
and Did Better.

| Every one knows the woman who
means well. 1t would be JOY to us if
she meant worse and did better The
well-meaning woman always tells YOU
something is wrong when it is too late
to help it or when circumstances forbid
that the wrong should be righted at the
time. She finds her opportunity on the
street, when she cO1nes joyousiy out of
her way to tell you that there is a rim
! in the back of your waist OF that your
| coat-sletve is pulled out from the Shout
der. The fact that the damage cannot
be remedied then and there cuts no fig
urc with her. The well-mcaning person
never gives herself the pain of rejecting
that, since the break cannot be repaired
unit! you can go home and take off the
injured garment, it might be as we'll to
leave YOU in the ignorance that is bliss.
The Wcll-meaning woman finds field
Of usefulness in church organization
or a club. She can always tell you how
much better this or that could have been
done-after the business has been con-
cluded. In the domestic circle she is
protigal of advice and gentle correction.
She it is who tells how much more wise
~ matters are managed in the other
schools than in the one Your children
attend. She is the first to bear you the
glad tidiEgS Of contagious disease in the
neiGhborhood when you cannot leave
home.
When the well-meaning woman comes
to YOU for visit, says Golfers Week
~. she makes herself popular by in
struction as to how your servants coula
be better directed. She has a fund of
incident and illustration at her COM
mand. The servants are not especially
pleased. to have her in the house. even
although she often extends to them her
sympathleS and points out to them how
much easier life would be for them it
the work or the house were differently
arranged.
1t is the well-meaning friend who re-
ports to you this or that naughtiness
your children were guilty of when the
occurrence is Oh the way to be ancient
history, and who recalls certain youthful
peccadilloes of your husbands or juvenile
indiscretions of your own. She has no
desire to stir up domestic discords. Moth
ing is further from her thought, but she
is not only confident of your interest in
they are things you really ought to know.
If you let her see that you are hurt or
offended she is deeply wounded. She
tells your friends that you have an I'M
unfortunately sensitive disposition.
The well-meaning woman is usually
strong on "reminiscences, and those who
know her break into a cold perspiration
ton. One of the women whose memory
is curse to any community was talking
to a friend the other day. She went
back twenty-five years.
II remember perfectly the first time I
met you,' she said "You had on green
and white silk Dress"
ut was pretty DRESS" said the other,
pleased at the woman's recollection, al
though she ought to have known better.
"a very pretty dress agreed the we'll
meaning friend. "But it was always too
scant in the skirt. noticed that the first
moment | saw it, and thought it was
such a pity"
The victim Of plain-speaking WINGED a
little. "What is the use of telling me
that now?' she asked rather tartly.
-. The well-meaning woman looked sur
prised and gneved. why, I thought
you would like to Know" she said.
And then the sufferer prayed that she
might always fall into the hands of ill.,
meaning persons so that she could guess
at what was coming and be prepared.