Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-09-22
TO MISS VIOLET MABY,
AT SARATOGA
AsToR HOUSE, AUG., 1S'

AbTOR IIOUSES AUG, 1Ofo.
Start fair, my sweet Violet! This letter
will be on your table when you arrive at
Saratoga, and it is intended to prepare you
for that critical campaign. You must know
the ammunition with which you go into the
field. | have seen service, as you know,
and, from my retirement ION half pay,) can
both devise strategy. and rcconnoitrc the
enemy's weakness, with discretion. Set
your glass before you on the table, and let
us hold a frank council OF wal.
You never were called beautiful, as you
know and at homo you have not been a
belle-but that is no impeachment. You are
to be beautiful now, or at least to produce
the result Of beauty, which is the same
thing +; and Of course you are TO be a belle
the belle, if | mistake not, Of the season.
Look in your mirror, for a moment, and re-
fresh your memory with the w%herewithal.
You observe that your mouth has blunt
corncrs-which, properly managed, is a
most effective feature. Your complexion is
rather darkly pale, your forehead is a shade
lower than is thought desirable, your lips
are full, sweet and mdolent, and your eyes
are not remarkable, unless well handled.
The lids have a beauty, however, which a
sculptor would understand, and the duskinoss
around them may intensity, exceedingly, one
particular expression. Your figure is admi-
rably perfect, but in this country, and par
ticularly among the mcr you are 10 control,
tins large portion of female beauty is neither
studied nor valued. Your hair is too pro-
fuse to be dressed quite fashionably, but il
s- n hnr,tt, s,nt a., hD I.et 80 s,,nek IN
coiiled a Fabandon-a very taking style to
IA man once brought to the point of studying
You.
There are two phases in your character,
Violet !-earnestness and repose. The lat
ter shows your features to the most advan-
tage, besides being a most captivating quail
i,y in itself. l would use it altogether for the
frs, week. Gaiety will never do. A laugh
on a face like yours is fatal. II spreads, into
unmcaning platitudc, the little wells in the
corners of your mouth, (the blunt corners |
spoke of above,) and it makes your eyes
smaller-which they cannot well bear. Your
teeth are minion and white, it is true, but
they show charmingly when you speak, and
arc excellent, as reserved artillery, to follow
an Introduction. Save your mirth till the
game is won, my dear Violet!
OF course you will not appear at breakfast
the morning after your arrival. The mental
atmosphere of the unaired hours is too cold
and questioning for a first appearance. So
is the hungry half hour till the soup is re-
moved. Go down late to dinner. Till
after the frs, glass of wine the heart Of man
is a shut book-opened then for entries, and
accessible till shut again by sleep. You need
no tablc-lesson. You eat elegantly, and,
with that swans neck wrist, curving and
ivory fair, your every movement is ammuni-
ton we'll bestowed. But, there may, or may
not, be a victim on the other side Of the
table.
After dinner is the champ de bataiM !
The men are gal!ent, the ladies melted out
impulses atop, the key of conversation SO.
prano, and every body gay and trivial. So
be not you! 1t is not your style. Sea-
yourself where you will have a little space
for a foreground, lean your right elbow or
your left wrist, and support your cheek Ian.
guidly in the hollow Of your gloved thumt
and forcfnger. Excuse the particularly
but try the attitude as you sit, now. Pretty
lis it not
Look only om at the tops of your eyes
If women's glances we're really the palpablt
shafts the poets paint them, the effective one!
would cut through the eyebrows. Stuplt
ones slide over the under lid. Try this! How
earnest the glance with the head bent down
ward-how silly the eyes with the chin sal
lent And move your eye indo!ently, M,
charming Violet 1t traverses the fripper.
gayety-woof of the hour with "A pretty threat
of contrast that looks like superiority. Mel
have a natural contempt for themselve
when in high spirits, and repose comes owe
them like star left in heaven after the turf
of a rocket.
Nothing is pret,icr in woman than a lean
ing head. Bow without removing the sup
porting hand from your cheek when IA man
introduced to you smile TRANQUILITY. an
look steadfas,ly in his eyes and hear wha
he has to say. Lucky for you it is his de
u0ir to M conversation ! and !
whatever tone he speaks, pitch your reply
note lower! LITERALLY swce, IS the CONTRA
to tone Of m and the voices of NV
persons, conversing, are like the plumme'
of their hearls-the deeper from the deepe
J so felt, and so yielded. IL you think
| worth while to harmonize with his tone al
: forwards, either IN argument or tenderness
h the compliment is only less subtitle than owe
towering.
There is a great deal of promenading
o Saratoga, and natural instinct will teach yt
y most Of its overcomingnesses; but | W
venture a suggestion or two. If you al
! bent on damage to your man, lay yo'
wrist torpard to his, and let your hand Dire
over it, when you take his arm. No mort
is eye would think it particular, nor would
- but there is a kind of unconscious affe
tionateness about it which is electric. I
course you would not resort to mantle
pressure, or leaning heavily, except y
we're carrying on the war a Ioutrance.-
Is Walk with your head a little dropped.
YOU wish 10 walk more slowly, tell him
but don't hang back. 1t is enchanting
&c have a woman " head you off," as the sa
tn ors say, as if she were trying TO wind arou
re you-and it has the charm, too, of not loo
ing particular.
As to conversation, the trick is born "
re woman. If her person is admired to bel