The herald., 1914-09-17
The IDEAL GIRL
BY AMELIA THONEY.


Does a man ever marry his ideal
girl? This is the question asked by
"a mere" man, and he continues, in
the following entertaining manner:I
can't quite remember the date when
my ideal girl first began to stand out
distinctly in my mind, but / think
1t was when l was twenty-five. She
was a heroine of a book | had read,
or, rather, girl made up Of virtues
and graces of dozen heroines. She
was the most adorable creature that
ever was pictured. Her hair was a
golden bronze, fine, silky, glossy, and
long. No hair but this kind ever ap-
pealed to me. At first her eyes were
gray, but l changed them to a sky
blue, because l discovered that that
sort is the most innocent and girl
ish. She was very tiny, just lit
tie armful that l could pick up. Her
hands were small, slender, and very
pink, and her feet were just big enough
for baby shoes.
In other ways she was very won
derful creature. She could be child
like and pleading, tender and wom-
anly, cheerful and Industrious, self
reliant and strong, Joan of Arc and
a baby by turns. l imagined her in
time of plenty sitting at my feet like
a child-wife; in times of hunger, turn
ing out a huge beefsteak pie; in the
springtime, securing the house from
top to bottom; a ministering angel in
sickness, the fairest of the fair at a
dance; timid when l felt strong,
brawny when my confidence was low
That's the sweetheart chose, and.
having thus set her up-a creature Of
beauty, wit and work-the next thing
was to find her and marry her.
l met girl with golden-bronze hair,
but she was tall; SO, without con-
sidering her further, l tried again.
Soon l was introduced to one with
just the slight figure and appealing
blue eyes of my ideal. Unfortunate
ly, her hair was rusty red, and when
/ imagined her at my freside closed
the acquaintance.
Strangely enough, within a week l
met a girl who might have been the
twin sister of the last, with this diff
ference: she had the exact golden
bronze hair of my ideal. / was over
joyed. l loved her as soon as / set
eyes on her hair and face, but hesi-
tated when saw her hands and feet.
They were large-huge! How could
kiss and fondle hands like those?
Since then l have met many girls
who were nearly like my IDEAL but
not satisfactory. Those who were ten
der and childish, could not cook, OF
mend; those who could cook and
mend were big and practical One OF
them I nearly became engaged to-
She was pretty, slight, all l wished
but for one thing, or, rather, two;
her eyes were a pale red. Many times
l looked into them, trying to make
up my mind II could accept them in
place of blue. If l never looked into
them, excepting at twilight we might
be happy. thought; but suppose some
time In the morning sunshine I took
that small face between my hands and
looked for two blue eyes, to be met
by pale red ones! My love would
surely die. I dared not risk 1t.
Does a man ever find his ideal? And
II he does, is she the sort that would
make him happy? have my doubts
At twenty-nine my bronze-haired, blue
eyed ideal is but memory; and I'm
afraid II l met her now, radiantly per
feet, should not suffer heart throb
Another has taken her place. One
day q medium-sized girl came along
Q girl with brown hair, brown eyes, q
CHEEKY, good-fellow laugh, and hear
bursting with affection. She ha!
laughed me into liking her very much
What the next step will be / canno
tell. but I doubt II man ever mar
ries. or wants to marry his ideal girl