Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21

small bed rooms attached were then shut Off
into bed rooms for the family which In
cluded a wee boy, and little bed room back
was converted into library and coy
might room
Other ways to get above the dead level of
mediocrity and from the exact line of liy-
ing laid down by the architect often are
found by getting off the beaten line OF
stone fronts. There are treasures to be
had in the simple little frame flats, some
of them made over from houses and pos
sessing odd windows and arrangements of
rooms. These are seemingly overlooked by
the young renter, whose thoughts seeming
ly run to entrances rather than to posi-
bilities inside.
Have
You ever thought of the possibilities for
making a little money which lie in the
complicated wicks and burners OF the erdi--
nary reading lamp?
To show how many women look far at;e!d
for chances to earn money and neglect
those that lie close at home is the case OF
a girl who has well paying business in
making lamp shades and repairing lamps.
The orders for shades did not come first,
though for years she had been longing for
an opportunity to put in practice the talent
which she possessed for making beautifully
original things in this line. With it she had
the mechanical talent which led to her
DSUlS tnt nancy man ABOUT tue ilouSt
To this she had given no consideration until
she heard Il remark made one day by
woman who started every winter by haV-
ing from six TO dozen lamps put III coy
order.
ut makes my blood boil said this wom
IN. the prices which the stores charge Tor
putting in u lamp wick, and the indiifer-
ence which they show as to whether 1t hts
or not after they get it in
q Will tiX your lamp was the prompt
rejoinder and from that time the girl went
into both plain and fashionable houses,
carving Ii small kit which soon included
a set OF lamp wicks- of every number and
make. She studied the shades of thickness
and thinness on which the right actions OF
wickS depend; she knew no" te~tiean both
burners and fountS inside and out, and she
was thoroughly familiar with every kind
and size of lamp burner known. She cut
tvated a tinsmith, where she had new TX
lures and tripods nade-d thing Tor Wmch
the stores always charge eXOrDltant prices.
This story has an unusually pretty sequel,
form this way she got the entree to houses
where she never would have been admitted
on her claims as q decorator, and it was
not long before she interested" her "a
irons by her artistic ideals for shades.
She also began to take orders for the COW
cring Of all lights In flower effects in tissue
paper for parties, either just on and above
the table or all over the house.
Naturally this is the part of the story
which has the attractive sound, but IN the
first part there may be a pretty penny to
really nice sense of mechanics by which
she knows intuitvely just what to do with
4 lamp to make it go.
Perhaps
The amount of good looks which gives to
women on the whole the most happiness
is the moderate amount which is in pro-
portion to that medium competence in
money by which the wise believe that men
gain peace of mind.
There can be no allotment of good looks
which s as safe in giving happiness as
Just that fair amount, bit above the aver
age, which leaves its pCssessor conscious
of having had her share-free to enjoy all
the beauty she sees even If it be the good
looks Of other women.
This kind of woman has had the pleas
ure that is to be gotten out of certain
amount OF good looks. She has had her
fair share. and she analyses beauty at its
true worth and does not begrudge the COM
nendations of the good looks OF other
women.
The ugly girl cannot do this from
ranking sense Of resentment at having
been treated badly by nature. The con-
vincingly beautiful girl Is also denied this
point of view, because her beauty has been
made too much q thing of extreme I'M
pOrtance To her it has been given to get
the full benefit from and to never miss
measuring the tests of her beauty, which
are sordid ones of what II will bring. All
the courtesies that men show are many
tributes TO her looks alone and in no way
connected with their individuality. She
misses altogether the point of view which
gives the moderately pretty girl an inter
esting every day insight into the men.
Il know better than anybody can tell me
how l have fallen off in my looks" said
woman who had had both men and women
at ner feet. Men don't look at me on
the street as they once did" In the miss
ing of this little sign there was d drama
of unmagined suffering.
GRACE RILEY CLARKE.