Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-07-15
FOR THE PLAIN GIRL
ADVICE TO ONE WHO WOULD
SHINE IN SOCIETY.
The Heart and Mind Count for Fully
as Much as an Attractive
Personal Appearance
Would.

A girl writes me plaint1vely:
Il have great ambition to shine In
society, but though my figure is good,
my features are very plain, and, like
all ugly persons, l am extremely SEN
sitive. Then 1 am afraid that l
haven't the kind of way that is needed.
Do tell me what to do, for 1 am very
unhappy"
There are good many plain people
In the world, if they only knew it, for
a great deal of the lack of charm comes
from the inside. Irregular features
and the Indifferent color1ngs which
stand for absence Of beauty are by no
means the whole thing. The heart
counts, as do the mind, dress, extreme
fastidiousness in personal habits, etc.
The plain girl must want to please in
every way, and she must get some fun
out of her efforts if she hopes to be
an entire success. She must not only
like the little amenities of society;
she must love them.
Let me consider the qualities of my
correspondent for social brilliancy
She has, to begin with, a good figure.
Way down under her tormented self
consciousness she has the wish to
please. SO, If she will only stop think
Ing Of her good points she will be
able to do wonders.
A girl who can write such a frank
and simple letter Is no fool, and her
self-depreciation shows she is Of mod
est nature, two excellent qualities for
coDquer1ng the bland artifcialities OF
social life. For no woman with good
figure Is ugly when she Is well-dressed
and society sees nothing but charm in
the modest figure who, without osten-
tation, does the right thing at the
right moment every time.
So the first thing to do is to strive
with might and main to Danish self
consciousness. When the plain girl
listens she must think Of the talker
and not Of herself. She must en-
deavor to be interested and to give
such sympathetic answers as will i'm
med1ately endear her to the speaker
There Is point to keep ever before
you-the good and sympathetic listen
er is a power in society. Every little
act OF graciOusness In the way of con-
sidering the comfort and vanity of an
other before your own adds one more
figure to the total of charms. The girl,
plain or beautiful, who would shine In
the world cannot afford to take always
the best chair and biggest piece Of
cake at the drawing room tea any
more than she can afford to interrupt
talk with irrelevant gable. Her heart
must be open to the foible OF the other
"critter," man or woman, and she
must have at her finger points q per-
feet knowledge of all the small polite
nesses that constitute human decency.
Tact must be her sword and genuine
liking for humanity her armor. So let
me advise all girls who fancy them
selves plain to practise, first, the gen.
tie art OF pleasing; for this constitutes
the very foundation of success in So
c1ety, and without 1t one is nil. And
OF course this recommendation in
cludes the little arts and graces. for
If you don't know when to call and
when not, and think it not worth while
to answer invitations, or do some 9TH
er thing equally annoying to others,
you will fall far short of being tact
full. A knowledge of every social re-
qulrement, however small, Is absolute
ly necessary
PRUDENCE STANDISH.