Year: 1870

As She Appears in tho Horse-Car.


Sh. stands upon the curb, with a
little springy, up-and-down motion,
as if she had spiral springs in the
soles of her gaiters. AS the car ap-
proaches she sticks the point of her
closed parasol in the direction Of the
driver with small jerk. The car
stops. She gives one or two more
little springy movements before she
leaves the pavement, and then
dances to the Car. As she ascends
the step the conductor seems to con
slider it absolutely necessary to place
one OF his hands on the small of her
back, while he rings the bell with
the other. She enters the ear with
the spiral springs still bobbing her
up and down; and, as all the seats
are full, she stands, holding her
hands in front Of her, and gazing off
into illimitable space as if the one
idea which never entered her mind,
and never could enter it, under any
possible circumstances, is, that some
man will rise and offer her his seat.
But young man in the corner does
rise, and Immediately the fellow
next to him moves quickly into the
corner, as if the performance of that
maneuver had formed the subject of
anxious thought during many years
Of his life. To get corner seat, in
deed, would seem to be the chief
end Of man, if we remark the avidi-
ty with which human beings in
street cars seek that object. When
the young man rises, the young lady
suddenly becomes conscious that
there is something nearer to her
than the horizon, and she gives two
or three more little bounces, and
says: "Keep your scat!.' The young
man is embarrassed, and says he is
going to get out soon; whereupon
the fair being dances toward the
seat, sinks into it, and pretends that
the fact of the existence of any young
man who once occupied that seat,
and who is going to get out, has en-
tirely faded out Of her conscious
ness. She smooths down her dress
and its supplementary frippery,
tlounces and pennants, and again
looks far beyond the confines of the
car into Emptiness. She knows she
is expected by the other woman in
the car to remain unconscious of
their presence while they study her
clothes. They Immediately begin.
They stare at her dress, her sacuue,
her hat, her black hair, her gloves,
her bows and ribbons, and her mis-
ceIlancous millinery, until the entire
costume is photographed in their
memories, and the price estimated,
and a critical opinion formed, with
a resolution to have bonnet Of the
same kind, or 4 body" cut upon TIE
same pattern. When the young la
dy thinks this examination is con-
ciuded, she becomes conscious again,
and begins to look around and see
how al the other women are dress
ed. She examines each one in de-
tail, and in 4 few moments she is in
possession of all the usual facts.
Presently Il young man with whom
she is acquainted gets into the car.
and he stands clutchine the strap
and trying III vain to keep himself
in a graceful attitude while he con
verses with her. All the women be-
Gin to wonder whether she cares
particularly for him-and, as she
knows their thoughts, she is so dis
tant that the young man becomes
more embarrassed than ever, and
makes renewed struggles to main
tain a graceful position When she
wishes to get out she rises, smooths
down her frippery again, INDUCES
in two or three springs, and dances
to along the platform. The conduc-
tor again considers it imperatively
necessary to press the small of her
back. She dances down the steps,
dances to the pavement, and then
dances along the street, fully aware
of the fact that the women in the
ear have all turned around to look
at her, and serenely confident in the
assurance that she has on good
clothes, which fit her splendidly.
As she disappears, the conductor
turns to the man who is smoking a
cigar on the platform, and remarks
that she is "a crusher.r'