St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-05-06
BEFORE THE PUBLIC
WOMEN CALLED UPON THUS
SHOULD STUDY MATTER
OF APPEARANCE,
self-Possession Comes with Practice
- A Good Seer etary's Report
Marred by "Dowdy" Delivery
hen You Speak to Make Others
ugh or Cry Do Neither Yourself.

hen You Speak to Make Others
ugh or Cry Do Neither Yourself
BY KATE UPSON CLARK.
| (Author Of Bringing Up Boys" etc. Pres.
i6ent of the Wheaton Club New York;
Copyright, 1905, 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 fol
Its excellence in this respect that sew
eral distinguished people have beef
heard to remark: Il can tell gradu-
ate of - college just as soon as
see her presiding over 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 its 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 public meeting.
In this matter, the girls who have
been brought up in what is called so
ciety" have great advantage over
those who may have had 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 never for
one instant make poor appearance,
no matter how she may be swayed by
her feelings, gets a hold on her au-
dience, which, other things being equal,
adds greatly to her power.
In a recent gathering of 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 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 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 turtle.
Was she embarrassed? Oh, no. mo
more fear than vexes Pallas vexed
her forehead clear" The girl-for
she must have been in her early
twenties had not been taught
to hold herself properly. Her report
was a model-terse, well-expressed-4
but 'frumpish" and "dowdyish,' ugly
as those adjectives are, describe her
appearance as she delivered that ex-
eellent statement. 1t may not be IT.
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 hotel or
run 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
average intelligence and education
thinks that she can make committee
report, or any sort of speech, with
out any preparation beyond the think
ing out and arranging of the matter
to be presented. A clever woman 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
IF the report.
This is probably an exaggerated
view. AS applied to men, it is a great
y exaggerated view. But, among
women, appearances are held, properly
,r improperly, to be more important
han among men, and they must be
most carefully considered by the girl
Who is 'going into" any sort Of char
table or club work. Even a common
'hall' or "dormitory" prayer-meeting,
;uch as is often held in our colleges
md boarding schools for girls, may
,e made twice as impressive and eff
ective, if the girl who has it in
barge will try to learn and to remem-
,er the dignified and quiet way of
arrying her body, which should go
With the performance of such an Of
ice, even among her intimates and
A proper carriage is the
esult of habit, and of habit only; and
e formed in youth.
Men are often graceful in gesticula-
ion 1t is rarely that women are so.
this is due to their mode of
ress. It is pretty good rule for any
roman who has to appear in public
0 keep as still as possible. To play
nth fan or anything else while
peaking is an exhibition of bad taste,
'ou may smile-but never laugh. Be-
,are equally of tears. Remember that
is your business. when you speak in
ublic, to make others laugh and cry
and that if you allow yourself to do
ither you will probably become more
: