Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-04-28
MISCELLANY.
tFrom Chambers's Edinburgh Journal
Female Beauty in Old England and New
England.


1t Is generally allowed that there is more
of what is called chiselcd beauty in America
than in Europe-that the features of the wo-
men are finer, and the head more classical.
But here ends the triumph of our sisters of
the est; their busts arc far inferior to those
we admire at home, and certain attenuation
in the whole figure gives the idea of iragiity
and decay.
And this is correct. What they want is
soundness of constitution; and in conse-
quence of the want, their finely cut faces,
taken generally, are pale instead of fair and
sallow when they should he rosy. In this
country, woman is the prime Of her attrac-
tions at thirty-fve, and she frequently re-
mains almost stationary till fifty, or else de-
cllnes gradually and gracefully, like a beau
tful day melting into a lovely evening In
America, twenty-five is the farewell line of
beauty in woman, beyond which comes decay
at thirty-fye, she looks weary and worn, her
Hat chest symbolisng the collapsed heart
within and at forty, you see in her thin
and haggard features all the marks of prema-
turc age.
1t is customary to regard this as the effect
of climate /; but some think it folly to go to
AN ultimate cause, when the whole system of
artificial life in America offers direct de-
fance, as they assert, to the known hygienic
laws. This view is supported with great in
trcpidity by a woman slournal in Providence,
called the Una-not fady's Magazine, fair
reader, but II regular hroad-sheet, written by
and for women, whose leading articles are on
women's rights, and whose advertisements
are from wOmcn-dOctors, womcn-prufessors
women lecturers, women everything. ina
admits the flecting character OF her country
women's charms, and contrasts more cspe-
cially Old England with New England. yield
ing frankly the pas in beauty to the former.
. She hints, we must own, at some very pro-
blematcal causes Of the early loss of female
/ charms in Amcrica-such as, " the bounding
of lifc's horizon by the petty cares that wait
on meat, drink, and ralnent the absence ol
genial and improving intercourse, and Ol
earnest interest in the hopes and fortunes OF
the race and the little riyalrics and little
aspirations on which, for lack of better OBJ
jccts, So many IA soul is fan to waste its ener-
ges. All this is very well for the philoso-
pine ma, who pays her taxes under protest
since she had no voice IN LAYING them on
hut the implied notion, that our pretty coun-
try-wuinen have no petty cares connected with
their food no little rivaries and little aspra-
tions, but plenty of earnest interest in tn,
dcstinies OF the race--is veIy conn limontary
After iourishing little, However about tLos,
grievances, which we fear. are not mhoHy un
known to our English beauties, she proceed
to the main point. " What, she asks, A." i,
the diet of New England generally Ho
biscuit, fat pork, and tea these are tn,
staples, They are varied with preserves
made pound for pound, aud endless varietie
of cake, and the inevitable pie. Pastry
which most children in Englind are not al
lowed to touch until they get their Ion;
frocks or tailed coats ON, is here the everyday
food of Young aud old. Salt pork is cheu
that is, greasy lulsomcncss makes it pal