She may have fought St. George and lost -- but any resemblance to the fabled dragon ends there.

For new Progressive Labour Party leader Jennifer Smith's style does not include breathing fire and she hides what may well be an iron fist inside a velvet glove.

And -- of course -- she made it to the rematch and took a House of Assembly seat for St. George's North at the sixth attempt in 1989.

Not surprisingly, she regards steely determination as one of her main assets.

Ms Smith said: "I guess if it's something you want ... I don't advocate people blindly doing things, though.

"I pray for guidance -- then look at the various indicators and make a decision.'' She could also be not only the first PLP premier, but the first woman to lead Bermuda.

But if it wasn't for one-time US Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, she might never have been in a position to win the leadership of her party following the death of long-time leader Frederick Wade last week.

She was on the verge of quitting the slow haul to final victory just prior to her fifth attempt in 1985.

"I did say I wasn't doing it again many times -- it was when we were attending the 1984 Democratic Convention in Atlanta when Jesse Jackson ran for President,'' Ms Smith said.

"In one of his many speeches he told the story about the person who gave up and didn't know how close they had come.

"Up until that moment, I had told the leader I wasn't running again -- then I said I've worked for that seat, I deserve it and I'm going to win it.'' But she insisted: "I wasn't giving up because I didn't think I was going to win it. I increased my share of the vote even when the party was losing votes.

It was just a long, slow haul because it was a UBP stronghold.'' Ms Smith was speaking only days after she settled into the Opposition Leader's office on Front Street.

An elegant lady looking a decade younger than her 48 years, she doesn't bother to hide the touches of grey in her immaculately coiffed hair.

But her attention to detail is obvious in her simple but stylish black dress, with only a gold PLP badge on the collar as decoration.

And the first female leader of the PLP for nearly eleven years is not afraid to use a charm offensive as a tactic in the political war.

But she stressed: "Any politician uses whatever they have at hand to accomplish the job. If he's a male politician and he's as charming as Quinton Edness, he will use that.

"I'm a woman and I will use that to my advantage -- but it's not a gender thing.

"But I don't see being a woman as a particular advantage or disadvantage.

You're either a good politician or a bad politician, a good debater or a bad debater.'' She admitted her brother always said she lacked tact -- she said she thought she had developed some, but added she could be blunt.

And she brings together much of the tactical finesse of Mr. Wade -- who was not a great orator -- with the flair for words of former leader Lois Browne Evans at her peak.

The daughter of Lillian Smith and the late Eugene, Ms Smith attended St.

George's Primary School, Berkeley Institute and Skinner Secretarial School before attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

She returned to Bermuda in 1970 and as a freelance artist formed the Liberation Dancers, an outgrowth of the radical Black Beret Cadre.

Ms Smith later moved into the media, joining the Bermuda Recorder as a reporter and leaving as editor shortly before it closed. She also worked for TV station ZBM before joining advertising agency Scott Crafts Ltd, run by defeated leadership candidate and deputy leader victor Alex Scott.

She said it was her desire to boost art and culture that propelled her into politics, as Frederick Wade cited a wish to improve education was behind his decision to fight a seat.

Ms Smith added: "There was no support for culture or the arts and all of my reading showed me that developing one's cultural side -- as an individual or a Country -- was vital to the well-being of both of those entities.

"I couldn't understand why there was no National Gallery, no galleries showing art works. None of that existed.

"The only emphasis was on sport -- I had never been an athlete. I was a dancer, a writer and an artist. There was a lot of money put into sport. My constant complaint was `What about the rest of us?''' She freely admits when she entered politics she was "very naive'' -- but toughened up fast.

And she relished being described as "intimidating,'' saying: "I took a great deal of time to develop that aspect of myself and I take great pride in it.'' She added entering what is still largely the man's world of politics was not easy for a young, single woman.

Ms Smith said: "If you can't show you're not a pushover and a dupe, you will be pushed over. I don't have that problem because I established that right up front.'' But traces of naivete remain when she speaks of art and the juvenile delinquents she taught at the Senior Training School for 10 years.

For while others call for the return of the birch, she sees the arts as a way of combating the rising tide of crime and violence.

"Violence is the unacceptable way -- let's encourage them to write, put on a play, whatever. Those are the ways to express your feelings.

"There are socially accepted ways to express anger. It's a human emotion like fear, love and grief.'' Many, however, while deploring corporal punishment, would think twice before trying to persuade some of Bermuda's teenagers to swap a flick knife for a palette.

But Ms Smith said charges of lack of experience compared to the veteran Mr.

Wade were unfair.

She pointed out she spent nine years as a Senator, being Senate spokesman on "just about everything except finance,'' as well as holding the party's deputy chairmanship in the early '80s and acting as campaign manager.

And she said: "All of that was experience -- planning with candidates and drawing up strategies.'' Never married, Ms Smith said she never felt she was the type of person to be a mother.

She added: "I wouldn't be where I am today being a mother. It takes a lot of time and there are times you've got to be there. I would have wanted to be that kind of mother -- I would have been a frustrated person, but a wonderful mother.'' But her eyes lit up as she talked of her two nieces, a nephew and 11 god-children, admitting she adored them -- as long as she could hand them back at the end of the day.

And she had a warning for political friend and foe alike. She said: "I'm a bit of a disciplinarian.

"Most of my godchildren get trained for a year before they get to meet Aunt Jennifer.'' And she added good behaviour was vital for an invitation to her annual trip to the Christmas panto with a host of kids.

Ms Smith said: "They all know that Aunt Jennifer will give you the world as long as you are well-mannered and do as you are told. Those who don't, don't get to come.'' As she spoke she occasionally glanced out of the massive window at the Opposition Leader's office, just across the street from the Cabinet Office -- the Premier's seat of power.

Ms Smith said: "I don't count my chickens before they're hatched. I believe in planning. Anything else would be speculation.'' But she admitted it was a nice view -- then smiled: "I'm sure it's a better one from the other side.'' She might not breathe fire -- but the ruling UBP should keep a very wary eye on that velvet glove.

No captions -- three large pictures of PLP Leader Jennifer Smith M.P.