The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-09-21
THE CRITICAL
GIRLS FOLLY
Her Weakness For RidicuIing or
Finding Fau.t With Others the
Secret of T Icr Lack Of Genuine
Social Success.
- HE other Hay | was talking
to 6 friend We mentioned "A
Il pretty and bright girl WHO


do you ever see her any more?
| asked
oh. yes. the friend replied "Shr
| persuaded her mother to move to the
| town where her married sister lives.
but she didn't like that. and then they
| went somewhere else Now they We
moved again. Really don't believe
the New Jerusalem will suit that girl.
You know she becomes unpopular ev-
erywhere in time" -..-..
| Now, she is really a very nice girl.
but she is naturally critical and. like
all critical people, more or less con
ceited. She began by giving way to
tempta ton to be critical Of her friends.
No sooner did Il friend say goodhy
than she would have some fault to find
with her. The departed friend would.
in her opinion. lack taste in the seIec-
ton Of her hat: her clothes would he
slightly out of date or too expensive
for her means. She criticised clothes,
manners and actions Of friends in
way that was both unnecessary and
unkrd Very often the absent one
|
would resent these remarks or repeat
them to her Then. of course. the girl
/ had made trouble for herself.
Sl'. had Il great idea of the i'm
! prrt.ti,ce of her own opinion. for she
/ vDllin never hesitate to express it free
l. Her friends never acquired any
| lew things tiut she could not have i'm
,,i., Nf.Il ON, tho Snlnrtinu If St1n h)l hpnD
consulted She always deIcatey con
veyed to them the intimation that their
selection did not win her approval.
The books they selected were either
old things she had read long ago and
found tiresone or trash that she would
not waste time on.
If any other girl learned q new song
she could always recall having heard
some one else sing it much better or
could suggest how its rendering conld
he improved
People began to grow tired of her.
She never had anything pleasant to
say to them unless she wished to use
them in some way. Her policy In pos
ing as a superior person had quite the
opposite effect from what she intend
ed Instead Of making her sought aft
er, she became so irritating that people
could not stand her and simply stop.
ped inviting her anywhere.
She couldn't understand it at all. She
never dreamed that it was her own
mental attitude that was driving all her
friends away from her.
Really very kind hearted person in
some ways. she has allowed herself to
get into the habit of picking people
apart and discussing them with others.
This is never profitable work.
This may seem to be an exaggerated
case yet there are many such. We
are all more or less vain. and it is the
pin pricks to vanity that hurt the
most
The girl who gives her opinions of
others in this way is herself most
unpleasant example Of conceit. There
is such wide latitude in good taste
that. though her friends may widely
differ from her in everything. yet the
friend may be quite as correct rs she is.
A tempest in teapot was stirred up
lii little town recently because two
pretty girls appeared In bathing cos
tunes which did not meet with the APP
prevail Of certain other young women
of the town. The wearers of the bath
ing suits could quote many excellent
presidents for their style Of garments.
and as their bathing was done in the
river at the back of their fathers
house it would seem that what they
| wore was no ones business but their
own Yet it started the gossip Of jeaI-
GUS girls. and sides were taken until
the male friends of the girls and the
male friends of the gossips came to
blows. and Il lawsuit was the result.
It's SO easy to get into the habit Of
criticising others. but it's one of the
worst habits Il girl can acquire If she
wants to be popular. Very naturally
every girl hesitates to lay herself
open to her sharp tongue. and when
one hears her friend mercilessly pick
to pieces all the little faults Of mutual
friends it is only to be expected that
she will think that she will be under
discussion when her back is turned.
OF course this doesn't mean that a
girl must never notice things or have
any opinions Of her own. Every girl
should cultivate her powers Of obser
vation but not in order to make I'M
kind remarks.
It's always a good plan. too to re-
member that if other people seem to
have funny ways it is quite possible
that we. too. have many little manner
ismS that they might laugh at.
Some one has said. There have been
fewer friends on earth than kings. ;"
Then why ieopardize so valuable a
possession as Il possible friend TO graft
~ whim for saving something smart?
Life is too short for such things. and
as surely as you indulge in them you
will find yourself in that exceedingly
undesirable situation Of being unpopu-
lar. HELEN HARDING.
Those troubled with rats or mice
can get rid Of them very quickly II