er sister was a beauty and made a sensation when she was introduced.
The plain girl dreads the comparisons which will be made, and shrinks
from the social failure which she foresees. Her feeling would justify
her in making no attempt to get into society if she were outside the
charmed circle, but it would probably be a weakness to yield to it
since she is already within. Her objection is not to society but to the
place she is likely to fill in it. Probably the finest discipline of her
life will be in accepting her place. If she can forget herself, or, at
least, remember that it makes no real difference what others think of
her, she will soon gain the quiet ease which is sometimes even more
winning than beauty. This will be an attribute of character, and every
person's influence is needed in society who commands interest by
essential rather than non-essential qualities. Then, if she is a
wall-flower she is sure to have time to relieve the misery of some other
wall-flower, and as there are always a good many uninteresting people at
any party she will find her mission increasing upon her hands. When she
has thoroughly conquered her dread of society she will have a right to
reconsider the question and decide whether she can use her time to
better advantage. If she retires before fighting her battle she will
probably always look upon her beautiful sister's love of balls with
self-righteous pity; but long before she gains her victory she will be
likely to acknowledge that if she were pretty she would love balls too.

It is not lovely for any girl to assume that she is better than her
parents. Many girls are better than their parents, and sometimes so much
better that they would be blind indeed if they did not see it; but they
ought to be very slow to act upon such a truth.

As a general thing they are not nearly so superior as they suppose they
are. They think "Irreverence for the dreams of youth" always comes from
"the hardening of the heart." But youth has some fantastic as well as
some noble dreams, so that docility is a better quality than
independence in a very young person. If a worldly minded mother
inculcates worldliness in her daughter, the daughter certainly ought to
stand firm against the teaching; but if the daughter merely thinks she
would rather read Browning than go to a party which her mother wishes
her to attend, I think it is best for her to go to the party, even if
she is conscious that her mother's motive