Newspaper Page Text
i THE'UGbY GIRL AND THEPRETTY SlSTEk'
r BY JANE WHITAKER
There was no comparison made for three years. Beth -was the first
T)aby, and first babies, no matter how snubbed sire their noses, or how
homely their mouths, or how ordinary their eyes, are always "most beau
tiful." - i
And the little ugly girl might have gone through life claiming first place
in the hearts of her parents if the "beautiful baby" had not, entered the
home three years after Beth was born.
The "beautiful baby" was a darling. She had great big1 brown eyes,
soft, sleepy;' liquid. Her mouth was a little rosebud, her cheeks had the
tint of a peach that Is ivorand pink, her golden hair Just naturally crinkled
about her fqrehead.. Nature had loved the "beautiful baby" and been lavish
in her gifts.
Mother named her Azalea, because she" was as daintily fragile as the
flower of that name. Father worshipped her. Sometimes both mother and
father felt a little guilty as they en
countered the steady, inquiring look
of Beth's small gray eyes, but a little
gurgling laugh from the swan-down
throat of Azalea drowned 'their re
morse. There is small use bjaming a child
that is idolized for being , spoiled.
Azalea could not have been other
wise. Even strangers adoredher,
told her "low wonderfully pretty 4he'
was, flattered "her childish vanity.
One day she sat looking at Beth,
a sardonic little smile on her lips.
Beth endured the stare stoically for
a while, then 'she asked: "What are
you looking at?" v
Azalea gurgled. "I'm looking at
you so pretty you are" and a ripple
of soft, musical laughter taunted
Beth.
The girls grew up through thelr
childhood Into maidenhood, n There
was nothing in common between
them .save .that neither was content
to remain fii the home nest, but each
wanted to try her wings out in the
industrial world.
Beth camet to Chicago first. She
secured a position in a department
store at the meager salary paid to
clerks. She lived. That was all. If
she had not been able to exist on the
money she earned, she would have
had to starve, for Beth was very
lomely.
' Less than a yearlater, Azalea, came
to the citytpo. She did not live with
Beth in the Home for Girls, for she
"wanted to be independent.
The story of Azalea is an old one.
Like the flower, they need such ten
der care. But we all envy azaleas
pink,, delicate, fragile. We all want
to hive them for our very own, to
greet us in the- evening and to glad
den our eyes in the morning.
The man. wjio coveted this Azalea
had no room for her in his garden.
He knew he had no soil in which to
plant lieiv That lie jnust hide her
away and see her only surreptitious
ly and h0 knew that azaleas
couldn't possibly livethat way. That
was the pity of it he knew.
Does it matter what he promised?
The story is alwayaine same, varied
only by the sincerity a man may af
fect Warm clothing forlier delicate
body, luxuries for her flower soul, ad
miration for her exquisite face. What
dbes it matter what price is offered
.if the Azalea is sold..
Of course, the Azalea withered. It
had to be taken out only in the night,
when the air Is poisoned with the
weight of. prowling vice. Ithad to
be displayed in places where, only
rank weeds grow,
Oh, yes, it withered. And the man
who owned it did just as you and I
jdo when the azealaa we
wlther-he threw it away.
u
