The Tupelo journal., 1905-04-07
BEFORE THE PUBL|C|
WOMEN CALLED UPON THUS
SHOULD STUDY MATTER
OF APPEARANCE.
elf-Possession Comes with Practice
A Good Secretary's Report
Marred by a "Dowdy" Delivery
hen You Speak to Make Others
ugh or Cry Do Neither Yourself.
BY KATE UPsoN CLARK.

BY KATE OHSON CLAIM.
(Author of Bringing Up Boys etc. Pres
i9ent of the Wheaton Club, New York;
Copyright. 1906, by Joseph B.. Bowles.)
In these days, especially in our col
leges for women, much attention is
paid to the study of parliamentary pro-
cedure. One of them is SO noted for
its excellence in this respect that sew
eral distinguished people have been
heard to remark: Il can tell a gradu-
ate Of - college just as soon as l
see her presiding ove a meeting"
AS many of the greatest charities in
the land are entirely under the man
agement of women, whose conduct of
them must depend largely for it's sue
cess upon their knowledge of parlia-
mentary forms, the significance of the
matter is conceded by the most con-
sentative. When we add to these the
vast number of women's clubs and 9TH
er organizations of women, it is seen
that no woman is really equipped for
life who has not mastered at least
the ground-principles of the conduct
of a public meeting.
In this matter, the girls who have
been brought up in what is called so
ciety" have a great advantage over
those who may have had a more
thorough scholastic training, but have
attached comparatively little impor-
lance to the details of their carriage
and appearance. Self-possession comes
with practice in either case, but the
girl who has been methOdically taught
to carry herself erect and neye for
one instant make a poor appearance,
no matter how she may be swayed by
her feelings, gets a hold IN her au-
dience, which, other things being equal,
adds greatly to her power.
In a recent gathering of a most use
full and successful guild for charitable
work, the women who presided and
who reported for committees and other
purposes had evidently never been i'm
pressed with the necessity for carry
ing themselves to the best advantage.
The president, a good-looking and
clear-headed young woman, stood be-
hind a table. AS she became interest
ed in her opening speech, she pressed
closely against the table, and the out
lines of her figure were thus present
ed most awkwardly and ungracefully.
This is a common blunder that all those
who appear in public should especially
guard against.
When the secretary read her report
she lounged; stood first on one foot,
and then on the other; let her rather
high shoulders project forward, and
her head sink down, until she resem,-
bled a turtle.
Was she embarrassed? Oh, 40. mo
more fear than Pallas vexed
her forehead clear" The girl-for
she must have been in her early
twenties-simply had not been taught
to hold herself properly. Her report
was a model-terse, well-expressed-
but 'frumpish" and "~dowdyish," ugly
as those ~adjectives are, describe her
appearance as she delivered hat ex-
cellent statement. 1t may not be ir-
reverent to remark that though she
did well her main duty, she should not
have left the other undone."
1t has been said that every man
thinks that he can manage a hotel or
run a newspaper-whereas the quail
tiles required for success in these two
sorts of business are perhaps rarer
than those employed in any other.
In the same way, every woman OF
xy4ra,o ptnl1itrApn onh n6Yrootinn
thinks that she can make a committee
report, or any sort of a speech, with
out any preparation beyond the think
ing out and arranging of the matter
to be presented. A clever oma has
said that the way in which the re-
port or the speech is presented-the
tone of voice, the way in which the
head and the rest of the figure are
held--is quite as important as the style
of the report.
This is probably an exaggerated
view. AS applied TO men, it is a great
ly exaggerated view. But, among
women, appearances are held, properly
or improperly, to be more important
than among men, and they must be
most carefully considered by the girl
who is ''going into" any sort of char
liable or club work. Even a common
'hall' or "dormitory" prayer-meeting,
such as is often held in u colleges
and boarding schools for girls, may
be made twice as impressive and eff
fectiye, if the girl who has it in
charge will try to learn and to remem-
Der the dignifed and quiet way of
carrying her body, which should go
with the performance of such an Of
fee, even among her intimates and
informally. A proper carriage is the
result of habit, and of habit only; and
habits, in order to be successful, should
be formed in youth.
Men are often graceful in gesticula-
ton. 1t is rarely that women are SO.
Probably this is due to their mode of
dress. 1t is a pretty good rule for any
woman who has to appear in public
to keep as still as possible. To play
with a fan or anything else while
speaking is an exhibition OF bad taste.
You may smile-but never laugh. Be-
ware equally of tears. Remember that
it is your business, when you speak in
public, to make others laugh and cry
and that if you allow yourself to do
either you will probably become more
or less hysterical. And form the
habit of doing all these things in
your gatherings while you are young.
A habit is a vast. help toward the
right doing of things. But even a
habit needs constant looking after, and
must be kept in good repair.