leased 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 pass the good
times along to others. These are not popular girls. Nobody 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 s