New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-12-30

hdiy WAS d great girl. her IFle0OS
usually described her in this manner,
not referring especially to goodness or
clevernesS, only to bulk. She was tall.
just over the mark of six feet, and
generously built, with broad shoulders,
full bust and rounded hips. Mary was
not handsome, only passably good look
ing. She wore Fights in gloves, seven
and half in shoes, and realized every
inch of her SIZE The doctor pro-
nounced her at birth fine, big girl"
and she continued to grow, while her
family rejoiced in her.
Mary never forgot the first time her
inches assumed the proportions of
drawback. 1t occurred while attending
school with small companions of six or
seven summers. Even at that early
age she lowered full head above her
compeers, thus attracting the notice of
a directories.
"A great girl like you in the infant
class" she had exclaimed scathingly.
while poor Mary, crimson to the roots
Of her hair, felt forty pairs of eyes
turned questioningly upon her. as her
classmates suddenly realized how
large she was The teacher good ma
turedly came to her rescue.
But Mary is only six, and good
child"
Dreadful" commented the direct
Dress. She was slightly deaf, so as it
entailed trouble, rarely listened to
what others said. For shame!" she
to hot or no ontirn
class quivering; ''the high stool with
ounces cap for less, in my young
days" With that the self-satisfed
official swept from the room, her silk
rustling and her eyes glaring at Mary
to the very last.
Small as the incident was, it became
as the apple of knowledge to the child.
She was different to others, her size
must be lived up to. 1t became life
| under high pressure, as she struggled
to be ever in advance of other chill
dren of her age. She renowned her
former chums, playing assiduously
with girls. several years her senior.
| Next she sacrificed dolls, being too
| great a girl" to be such baby. Even
| her fears of the dark caused ridicule.
she was $50 big!" Fairy tales, which
| she adored, were devoured in secret
only: publicly her literature became
| advanced, as in every way she endeav-
| ored to equalize the standard OF her
growth. 1t was strenuous, but hardly
satisfying.
Yet with all these efforts Mary hard
| ly held her own, measured by inches,
she grew so fast. Anxiously she
sighed for the day when her full sta
ture being attained, the worst would
be known. She went into long dresses
and did her hair up on the top of her
| head. while her elder sister still
scorned such adornments. She be-
came joke in the family. Her broth
ers leased her necessarily. not under
standing the sting of it all.
When Mary actually arrived at
womanhood the fact was hard to real
ize. she had pretended so long. but
still she found small comfort She
might have turned the tables on her
brothers by laughing at them for being
under size, only that. in her eyes. was
their chief advantage. The unwelcome
gift of height was hers alone. She
was taller than any of her family
taller even than any man Sic knew.
you'll marry a fellow about five
feet two, and that will be the long and
| short of it," derided brother Tom.
The jest burned itself into Mary's
brain as warning, and she cast about
in her mind to discover how many
men would be eligible for matrimony
proyiding she barred those shorter
than herself.
Had the roll call been answered II
person, it would have proved lament
ably small, consisting solely OF JOG
Murphy. the blacksmith who stood sil