Harper's Round Table, October 29, 1895 Part 10

This Department is conducted in the Interest of Girls and Young Women, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor.

Gwendoline writes that she wishes to know the secret of being popular.

"I'd like to be a popular girl," she says, "a girl beloved by everybody."

This is a natural wish, and in itself not wrong. There is a temptation to wrong in it if the desire be carried so far that, in order to become popular, the girl sacrifices valuable qualities of character, as, for instance, independence of judgment and sincerity.

But there is no need of this. The girl who chooses to be popular needs first to be unselfish. She must not consider her own ends first nor chiefly. The atmosphere enfolding her must be that of love and kindness.

You know how some girls always try to have the best things, the best places, the pleasant things, while they do not try to pa.s.s the good times along to others. These are not popular girls. n.o.body can be fond of a selfish person.

Again, a really popular person must have courage. Courage enough to be a leader. There are only a few leaders in any city, or school, or other corner of the world. Most people are followers. I heard of a leader this morning. She went to a boarding-school a long way off from home. Among the teachers there was a little shy Miss Somebody whom the girls did not like. They made fun of her prim manner and her queer tow-colored hair, and a sort of mincing walk the poor lady had, and they did not see that she was really a very learned woman who could teach them a great deal if they would attend to her. Maria Matilda observed the state of affairs, and decided that it was unjust, so she championed the little teacher.

She sent flowers to her desk. She listened respectfully when Miss Diffidence was in the preceptor's chair. She began to be very fond of her, and discovered that Miss Diffidence was really a dear, only frightened out of her wits, among a crowd of unfeeling girls. Before long Maria Matilda changed the whole situation, and, she being a born leader, the rest followed her willingly. I need not add that Maria Matilda is popular, _very_ popular.

Another requisite for the popular girl is _savoir-faire_; she must know how to do things. Any one of us can have this power. It is a mere affair of paying attention, of will, and of considering it worth while to be able easily, in whatever place you are, to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.

Charm of speech, charm of look, charm of manner belong to the popular girl. Do you know how she acquires charm? By simply being genuinely interested in those about her. When she talks to you she looks you in the face. She has nothing to conceal. When you look at her, you see a good heart s.h.i.+ning in her eyes.

Now that I have said all this, I must add that you would far better be unpopular your whole life through, than to make a study of the thing merely for the sake of ambition or vanity. He that saveth his life shall lose it, says the best of Books, which means that one who does anything for purely selfish--which are always purely low--motives, will in the end be sadly disappointed.

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MONEY FOR TOADS.

It is said that boys living in and about San Diego, California, are making money catching horned toads for the Hawaiian government, which is said to be importing them to destroy an insect which is ruining many crops in the island. The government want 5000 toads, and is paying the boys $1 a dozen for them.

HOW TOD GOT INTO THE HALLOWEEN GAMES.

Tod Forrest was one of those kind of boys that, when asked to exhibit the contents of his pockets, could produce the oddest lot of trash.

He stood one afternoon lazily hanging on to a split rail fence, gazing idly over the fields at a distant wood. "Well," he muttered, "I reckon I've got to gather some of those 'ere nuts, after all. Let me see.

'Holly eve' comes to-morrow, and the boys won't let me in on the games unless I do, so here goes."

Heaving a sigh, he climbed over the fence and made for the woods. He penetrated deeper among the trees than usual, and after going some distance he found himself on higher ground and in a new spot. A large chestnut-tree thick with burs stood near the centre of a small knoll. It was the work of a few minutes, and he was safely perched in a fork of the branches, breaking open the burs with his knife and filling his pockets with the nuts. He had filled two of those capacious maws, when he was startled by a deep growl. There beneath him, nosing around among the empty burs, was a good-sized bear. It frightened him so that he nearly lost his seat.

Tod could always find the humorous side of things, however, and it seemed that one of the burs he had thrown down had lighted on the bear's nose and stuck there, tickling him.

It made the bear snort and growl in the most ludicrous fas.h.i.+on. This was a short-lived matter, for through an incautious giggle on Tod's part the animal discovered him, and started for the foot of the tree. Now a bear can climb a tree about as good as any one, and Tod knew it, but lazy as Tod was, he had a mind for emergencies, and seizing a handful of chestnuts, he threw them at the bear. This second interruption attracted the animal's attention, and he began devouring the nuts, evidently something he was exceedingly fond of. After that to keep the bear out of the tree Tod was obliged to throw down handful after handful of chestnuts, the meanwhile despairing of his situation. He searched his pockets, and, lucky thought, there among the trash were two small rifle cartridges.

Selecting two of the largest nuts, he bored a hole in them and inserted the cartridges. Waiting until the bear had finished his last handful and stood greedily eying him, he gently threw the loaded nuts to the ground.

Anxiously he watched as the bear nosed around in search of them. In a few moments one of them was found, but before the greedy animal munched on it he secured the other. Now it was funny, but the bear seemingly wanted to tantalize Tod, and lifting his head, stood looking at him without attempting to chew the loaded chestnuts. Tod was scared, and tears came into his eyes. The bear made one or two steps towards the tree, and then hesitating, sat back on his haunches, with his eyes on Tod, and commenced chewing.

Suddenly a very comical look of surprise came over that bear's face, and almost instantly an explosion took place. Tod claims that the bear jumped six feet into the air, and when he fell back on the ground again he never waited an instant to learn what happened him, but scampered off in the funniest lumbering fas.h.i.+on. Tod waited till he thought it was safe, and climbing down, made tracks for home. The boys let him in at the games on Halloween to hear him tell his story again, as they had by that time substantiated it by the blood tracks of the bear.

HUBERT EARL.

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal Baking Powder]

[Ill.u.s.tration: If afflicted with SORE EYES USE Dr. ISAAC THOMPSON'S EYE WATER]

=CARDS FOR 1896.= 50 Sample Styles AND LIST OF 400 PREMIUM ARTICLES FREE. HAVERFIELD CO., Cadiz, Ohio.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BICYCLING.]

Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much valuable data kindly supplied from the official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.

Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L. A. W. the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with members.h.i.+p blanks and information so far as possible.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Copyright, 1895, by Harper & Brothers.]

The map this week is of Boston and its vicinity, and the reader in using it on the road must remember that a great many streets in the city have been omitted here, and in many places it is impossible to put the names of streets, owing to the necessity for covering so much ground on a small map. Every macadamized or asphalted street is, however, represented on the map. The object in publis.h.i.+ng this map is not so much to tell a rider how to get about in the city, _i.e._, in "old Boston,"

as to give him an idea of what roads to take in order to reach certain suburbs and to follow certain bicycle routes which we intend giving in the Department in the next few weeks. The city of Boston is eminently suited for bicycle riding owing to the beautiful parks which are either finished or in course of preparation at the present moment. As a usual thing, the starting-point for a trip in the vicinity of Boston will be laid at Copley Square, which is at the intersection of Boylston Street and Huntington Avenue. The best way for reaching any of the suburbs or towns to north and west is to run through any street from Copley Square to Commonwealth Avenue, proceeding thence to Ma.s.sachusetts Avenue, turning right and crossing the Harvard Bridge, thence proceeding through Cambridge out North Avenue to Arlington, Medford, Malden, etc.

To reach Chestnut Hill, Brookline, or Brighton, Commonwealth Avenue should be followed across Ma.s.sachusetts Avenue to Beacon Street, thence out Beacon Street. Any of the suburbs further westward, such as Newton, Wellesley, Jamaica Plain, etc., can be reached over one of the best roads that was ever made for bicycle riders, _i.e._, through the new park that has been built along the course of Stony Brook. To reach this you proceed across Ma.s.sachusetts Avenue on Commonwealth Avenue and turn left into the Fenway, and follow what has been named "The Fens" by keeping on any of the roads inside the park, such as the Riverway, Jamaicaway, through Leverett Park, around Jamaica Pond, thence out through the Arnold Arboretum, and from there taking what direction is desired on the country roads. This run through "The Fens" and Leverett Park, which in time will be extended from the Arboretum over to Franklin Park, and thence to South Boston, will make one of the pleasantest short afternoon bicycle rides in America. It will have the advantage of never being monotonous, because there are many variations to the route, allowing you to wind about in the park, cross different bridges, and leave or enter it at many different points.

To reach Milton, Dorchester, Quincy, etc., there are many routes, the shortest of which, though not perhaps the best, being to leave Copley Square, to Commonwealth Avenue, to Ma.s.sachusetts Avenue, turning to the left and proceeding thence straight across Boston, out Ma.s.sachusetts Avenue to Five Corners. From Five Corners the rider should turn to the right, proceeding by Boylston Street to Upham's Corner, thence by Columbia Street to Franklin Park, turning to the left on Blue Hill Avenue, whence he can either run to Hyde Park or Milton, or, turning into Was.h.i.+ngton Street, and proceeding by Milton, to Quincy. Probably the best road, though somewhat longer ride, is to run out over the Fenway, Riverway, and Jamaicaway, across Franklin Park, and thence to Milton.

NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted streets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut, in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.

Brooklyn to Babylon in No. 815. Brooklyn to Northport in No. 816.

Tarrytown to Poughkeepsie in No. 817. Poughkeepsie to Hudson in No. 818. Hudson to Albany in No. 819. Tottenville to Trenton in No. 820. Trenton to Philadelphia in No. 821. Philadelphia in No.

822. Philadelphia-Wiasahickon Route in No. 823. Philadelphia to West Chester in No. 824. Philadelphia to Atlantic City--First Stage in No. 825; Second Stage in No. 826. Philadelphia to Vineland--First Stage in No. 827. Second Stage in No. 828. New York to Boston--Second Stage in No. 829; Third Stage in No. 830; Fourth Stage in No. 831; Fifth Stage in No. 832; Sixth Stage in No. 833. Boston to Concord, 834.