The San Francisco call., 1913-10-22
Slang the clon of Conversations There's No Place for oci
Perversity
By BEATRICE FAIRFAX

"Yet I am not more sure that my
soul lives than j am that perverseness
is one OF the primitive impulses of
TIE human heart-one of the indi-
visible primary faculties, or senti-
ments, which give direction TO the
character of man.'-Edgar Allan Poe.
acts.
A girl who has been trained in
ways of wisdom and discretion knows
she should not use slang; she knows
a slang word is the clown of conver-
eation. and there is no place for the
clown in polite society; she knows
that to use certain words will dis
gust her hearers and weaken her
statements; yet with this knowledge
restraining her the little imp of per-
she should not say.
She knows It IS a mark OF vulgar
ity to chew gum In public. and mex
cusable to chew It In private. yet with
a perversity that is almost inexplic-
able she will give every one the right
to call her i'll bred by keeping her
jaws going on every occasion.
She knows when she applies powder
and rouge that she is transgressing
the border of good taste. yet every
plea that she desist causes her to
apply a deeper coating on her face.
TO venture from the retail 10 the
wholesale.
Her family demonstrates because
she does her hair, and perversity
leads to greater exaggeration.
A MOTHERS COMMENT
TT sometimes seems to me-" said
q mother recently, that have more
influence with my daughter when 1
attempt to have none at all. She is
so perverse that If I tell her she is
on the wrong path she takes another
step farther, and If 1 want her to
turn back / must urge her to go for
ward"
The mother laughed when she said
IT, but there was sigh back OF the
laugh and the look in her eyes was
troubled.
What could she dor she asked.
There is nothing more she can do
than she had done.
1t is a matter in which the daugh-
ter must work out her own salvation.
Her mother has pointed the way. II
girls look in the direction their
mothers point and then turn their
lay the blame of the mishaps that
follow on their mothers shoulders.
The little imp of perversity is SO
quick to suggest. so speedy to act,
that IL is almost as il it is something
real and tangible, sitting first on q
girls tongue. next at her elbow, or
perching on her ear. or hiding in the
corner of her eye. Her first impulse
is TO do the right thing, and the little
imp of perversity is quick TO suggest
the wrong thing, and she acts upon
his suggestion.
There is only one thing to do, girls,
and that is 10 give sober second
thought a chance to strangle the
little imp the instant he appears
A GOOD ADAGE
Think before you speak" is the
best way to conquer him. Think be-
fore you act; think before you reject
the good counsel OF your mother;
think how many times you have acted
on the impulse and been punished for
It; think over what the little imp of
perversity suggests and weigh his
suggestion.
You wifi find it has its origin in
selfshness, in stubbornness, in self
will, in thoughtlessness and in reck-
less disregard of the effect on others
"Perverseness is a primitive i'm
pulse of the human heart" In the
degree that you yield to it, my dear
girls, you prove your primitiveness.
your lack of self-control. and your
weakness of will and character.