The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-11-24
Dainty Clothes Gipe Girl
POiSe and SeH-c0nfIdence
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

by JULIA CHANDLER MANZ.
This is the story of the Lonely Girl.
call her that because II is the way ]
thought of her the first day met her
at little party to which she had been
asked for some reason which I have
never known, 1t certainly was not be-
cause her hostess could ever have been
so far of the track as to have thought
the Lonely Girl would add anything to
the merriment OF her feast, for a more
silent and pathetic little figure I have
! never seen. When any one of the happy
group of a couple OF dozen young women
present addressed her she blushed and
shyly essayed an answer so that she
was soon deserted by all save an occa-
sional attention from her hostess.
As soon as the chance came to me
/ went to the side of this Lonely Girl
who watched the little party through
eyes which told so much OF the longing
in her heart that I knew very well that
she was the one quiet guest at the feast.
1t wasn't an easy matter to draw her
out, and risked many subjects before
found one which loosened her tongue
and brought a light of interest to her
eyes, and after q little, when had won
her confidence, she told me something
about herself.
I found out among other things that
there was scarcely girl in the room
whom she would not like to number
among her friends IL she only knew
how, and I also learned that the Lonely
Girl was In maze concerning the ease
with which so many of her acquaint-
ances attracted folk to them without any
apparent effort, forming a host of friends
who extended all sorts OF pleasant in
vitations to them.
Cant Find Missing Link.
The Lonely Girl is attractive with just
that wistful sort OF prettiness which
means charm il a girl knows how to
bring 1t out. She is intelligent. well edu-
Gated, and would be a good taIker IL
once she could be made to forget the
painful fact that she is not quite con-
nected up to the world in a friendly way.
/ think she realizes all this herself from
the half-confdences l gained from her,
but she has no idea of either the nature
OF the missing link between her and
friendships nor where to find it.
II is because there are so many lonely
girls who seem to just miss being well
liked that I am going TO tell you just
what seemed to be the matter with the
one I call the Lonely Girl.
As Bob Acres put the matter, Dress
do make a difference" and the Lonely
Girl does not dress attractively. which is
the outward and visible sign that she is
letting herself drift in other ways. A
girls clothes need not be expensive. but
they must be dainty and individual, If
she would attract other folk of either
sex toward her, for you see one gets the
idea that-she is indifferent about many
things If her clothes show, lack Of
thoughtful attention.
An illustration.
once knew a young girl who came
from her country home to live with an
aunt. Her clothes were good enough,
cost enough. but lacked chic and charm.
Her aunt could not account for the con-
tinued shrinking OF her niece from other
girls with whom she brought her in con-
tact. nor did the girl herself know why
she was so i'll at ease with other girls of
her own age.
One day the aunt decided to give her
niece a party and to fit her out in
brand new frock, with all of its pretty
accessories for the occasion. 1t was
dainty little gown and brought out all
the good points of the girls personality
and made her feel so lght-hearted and
happy that she quite forgot that she had
not liked the idea of a party; quite for
got that she was a stranger to the city;
even forgot that she was shy, and quite
amazed her aunt by the ease with which
she met and entertained her guests. The
incident opened the older woman's eyes,
and the girl in clothes that compared
favorably in daintiness and becomingness
with those of the girls with whom she
came In contact was soon on friendly
terms with them all.
/ am sure there are many girls like
this little country maid and the Lonely
Girl whom I met at a party. No girl
is at ease in the presence of other girls
when she is conscious that her personal
appearance does not compare favorabIy
with theirs.
Gives Girl SeIf-conhdenee.
Feeling oneself properly attired gives
one a mental poiSe; a certain ease of
manner; a certain charm of personality
which are impossible to the girl who
may be well dressed but not suitably at
tired for the specific, occasion.
You will almost always find that the
girl who is Indifferent to her dress is I'M
gracious of manner and uninteresting in
speech. The same qualities OF character
which make the one possible make the
latter unavoidable.
The girl who wants friends, who de-
sires TO be liked, must give folk some
thing TO like. 1t isn't the cost of her
clothes that count so much as their
charm. 1t isn't wealth or hack of it that
makes the difference, but the gracious
ness of the girls manner, her ability as
conversationalist; that indefinabIe
something which We call magnetism.
And these things can all be cultivated.
Made Most of Herself.
I read of young woman who had
neither beauty. a great amount Of edu-
cation, nor money, but she was exceed
ingly popular; the possessor Of a host
of friends; her presence much desired
everywhere. And the reason of her hap
py social relations with the rest OF the
world lay in her genuine interest in MAX
ing the most OF herself. She was neith-
er a deep thinker nor a great reader,
hut CHI errA7 tot oh -