The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-07-08

Special Correspondence from Summer
 Piazzas.
 I suppose that if one lives long enough meeting curious people Will seem natural events instead of unpleasant incidents. For my part I like normal people, not those who are given to criticising the ways of others and my bete nor IS the woman who undertakes to tell me the pad qualities of every person she knows rom her nursery governess to the women on her calling list. Then woman whose con- versation Is pitched on this key has such decided opinions about everything and knows so much that you have no oppor- tunity to express an idea of your own and your silence may be taken for ac- ouiesing in all that she has to say.
 It was first the governess for her chil- dren, then the trained nurse, the latter leading the woman on to speak of trained nursing as a profession, and finally de- caring that all the trained nurses she had known had determined her never to yield again to the advice Of doctors whom she said shifted all the responsibility on the nurses shoulders.
 Nurses, she went on, expected too much, upset the household, and did everything out of books instead of knowing from experience She told us of terrific ordeals with the trained nurse and finally of or dering her home and sending after her for her little thermometer.
 I was pittying this trained nurse from the bottom of my heart, when suddenly the woman began talking of newspaper women and of an experience she had with q young woman on one of the papers.
 'I was simply pursued by her" she said, "at the time of my daughters marriage, and my servants were even called up dur ing my absence. Now.' she went on, T got so tired of her inquiries that told her in plain language what I thought of her, and that I did not wish to be annoyed any longer. This woman was the most ag- gressive creature l have ever seen, and 1 hope what l said to her did her some good" and she sank back in her lux urious chair with an air of perfect satis- faction Still she had not finished with the newspaper woman She told of other experiences and said so many unkind things tbout this particular young woman that finally I felt I must say something in her defense, although personally I do not admire the aggressive young woman in any walk of life
 ''Do you mean to be rude" I asked, "or perhaps you do not know that I write on a paper?"
 She was not the slightest disconcertedl iao ,uIxt know you write but I should never take you for a newspaper woman. You are well, I should think of you more as a nun-the exact antitheses of a newspaper woman. You ought to have been born in medieval times and been an early Chris tian martyr.
 We laughed at this but the woman went on with her classification.
 And then you haven't the accessories the background for a newspaper woman. Instead of being aggressive, independent and going about unchaperoned, you are here with your family and-well would take you to be anything in the world but newspaper woman. You simply haven't any of the requirements. But with a vim pie l would soon have a little nun" And she again sank back in her luxurious chair with an air of perfect satisfaction. l felt perfectly subdued, as I always do when people tell me of my failures And could think of nothing to say in my own behalf, when I had had great deal to say for the trained nurse and the az gressive little newspaper writer
 To be told point blank of ones limita- tions at an age when It is too late to begin over again is almost terrifying.