The National tribune., 1910-12-29
SENORA SARA.

Sweeter than 4 bright wholesome girl.
She need not be at all pretty, but if her
hair is clean and well kept, her skin
clear and soft, her gown neat and well
fitted, her boots and gloves in perfect
repair, her eyes sparkling with good
health and her face quick to express
the emotions of a kind heart. people
are going to like and admire her, no
matter whether she receives dollars
over the counter or diplomats in her
own drawing room.
/ know a girl of that kind in one OF
the big stores in Washington. I squan-
der half my pin money at her counter,
lust because ] like to talk to her. She
is dressed in black always. because, she
told me, il is less expensive and less
conspicuous than anything else. Some
times it gets almost threadbare-just
now, for instance, for that one CASH
mere is now doing its second Winters
service-but il is always eXquisitely
clean. free of dust and grease spots, and
wit: not a bow or ruff1e on the skirt
to catch and tear or to hold lint. When
2 little lame brother is released from
his suffering and a worn-out mother no
longer needs her loving care, she can
afford new gowns oftener, but 1 know
there will be more heartache in the
smile with which she greets me.
The day before Christmas ] saw wo-
men standing five deep at her counter.
and among them a lady prominent in
official circles. All were in a hurry, but
all waiting TO get the attention in turn
of my little friend. The floor walker
undertook TO palm off another clerk on
the official lady, but she stood her
ground and expressed her desire to be
waited upon by MY clerk, because, you
know, she is SO very obliging and so
charmingly interested in getting you
pleased, and she is SO wholesome"
Now, 1T that same counter is girl
whom l greatly dislike. She is tawdry.
Her dress is always cheap imitation
of the latest fad in dress goods. 1t is
lows on it for a ball gown, and about
the second wearing the bows and lace
and ruffles are usually pinned on. She
rouges to the limit, and wastes lot of
powder in her efforts TO even up the
surface of muddy skin that is dying
for soap and water. / know that in
two or three ways, and one of them is
because ] have never seen her yet with
clean neck and ears. Then. she is
devoted TO the use of triple extract of
heliotrope. and her fingernails seem
never to have met n manicure file, tho
they are loaded down with cheap rings.
A girl like that is one of the hopelessly
tawdry type, and ! must frankly say
she is not common among the working
girls.
| think there are more of them like
my little girl in black. They are most
of them self-respecting and hard-work
ing, with an ambition to improve and
quite sensible enough to reject the spu-
rious in both dress and manner, but
lacking the insight to character and
motives that will lead them to under
stand that the niceties of life are as
much the property of the common peo
pie as they are of the favored rich
classes, and that they are more to be
priced than the costlier luXur:ss, for
rags cannot disguise the true gentle
woman, any more than the velvet gown
will cover the mistakes of the woman
ignorant of the common courtesies of
life.
Then, 7 would read good books-just
a few-that would widen my knowledge |
of history and of the world of men and
women, and l would read at least one
good daily paper to keep myself in
touch with the times. A study of the |
daily press is an absolute necessity in /!
this age, when we are making history |
so fast, and nothing so thoroly stamps
one ''up-to-date" as n perfect under |
standing of what is going on in the
world.
Above all things else, I would be a
woman. A recent writer has
defined her as one who is gentle, ten
der and considerate: Il woman with suf-
ficient strength of character 10 allow |
neither her head nor her heart nor her
home to be disturbed ny any claims 9TH
er than those belonging to her woman
hood and wifehood."
guess. after all is said and done, |
that If you just try to be a womanly
woman, you will pretty nearly fill all
ISABEL WORRELL BALL.