Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-08-18
DECADENCE Of AN
OLD Time GREETING
Has the Old Time Smile OF
Welcome Become a Thing
of the Past?
SUPERSEDED BY THE GRIN
The American Girl Of Today Seems
to Have Entirely Forgotten the
Pretty Little Trick OF Her
GRANDMOTHER.

IF ] found myself suddenly forced &c
earn my living l would start Il class N
smiling. The American girl Of today MAJ
forgotten her grandmother's pretty tries
of smiling, and / believe l could make .
fortune ii | opened a school.
So sand a charming old lady VINO hal
not tempered with her hair when IL began
TO turn gray, and whose cheeks were hhs
the petal TIPS of a bridesmaids rose-Jusf
the sort of a woman who would not think
of wearing anything but real linen lawn
or a soft silk in the afternoon.
Facing the assemblage of women-lt WA
an afternoon reception called by the mas
leading title of a tea-a study in smiles
brought strange results. There was ths
hostess, with a thin, drawn, polite express
sion about the corners of her mouth, an
expression that somehow said that, whllS
she was very glad TO see you, she was
wondering in her heart of hearts whether
the desirable guests would all put in an
appearance.
Then there was a smile OF a woman just
beyond, the president of a noted Womans
club. Hers was the smile of the absent
minded. You could tell by the blank ioos
in her eyes that the smile she bestoWeo
on her companion merely cloaked hef
thoughts regarding the program for the
next meeting.
lust opposite stood a really beautifW
girl whom an obviously young man was
trying to entertain. She smiled, too, the
smile of bored belledom- Yonder was q
stately dowager whose cards for dinners
and dances were in great demand. A
pretty young matron basked for a mo-
ment in the dowager's smile, but IL was
the smile of the patronage, Irritating, rath-
eF than soothing.
Two rival beauties met at the punch
table and they both smiled the same smile
call 1t ''catty" If you like, for somehow
you seemed to see their teeth, and you
knew that each was taking mental inNen-
tory of the others points, good and bad,
notably bad.
A bender, why little creature hustled
across the room to greet her hostess and
aer smile was the smile Of WEAKNESS that
follows on the quest for social recognition
when the seeker is hampered by lack OF
funds or family. And not less than half
a dozen women were smiling that self
sufficient smile that made you wonder IL
your hat was on straight, or your gown
lad gaped at the back,
And yet there are smiles which every
woman can acquire If she goes to the
school that Dame Nature teaches; the
smile of welcome that makes you feel glad
that you nave come unto this wornaH's
house; the smile of genuine pleasure as ii
1t were just good to live today; the shy,
gentle smile of the young girl whose en-
gagement-a love affair and not a mar
riage of co~rvenience-has just been an
nounced; the radiant smile Of motherhood
which illumines a woman's face when she
thinks of the little laughing eyes in the
cradle at home; and, best of all, a contag-
fous smile of the woman who is growing
old gracefully and keeping her heart
young. And always lips and eyes smile
together.
These smiles are rare, so rare that the
dear little lady of the school is justified
In thinking that the American woman, no
matter what her social rank, makes a bus
mess and not a luxury of her social rcla-
lions and pleasures.