Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-13
EVENING STAR.
WOMANs DUTY TO LOOK PRErry

W0MANs DUTY TO LOOK PRETTY.
"a French author has recently written a
book on the The Duty of Pretty Woman is
| to look Pretty Such a work, doubtless, has
| its uses: but it is of limited application. We
| should have rejoiced in title of more extend
ed significance, with contents corresponding to
the title. The subject should have been, in
| effect-word it as you may-the duty of every
| woman to look as pretty rs she can. Some
women are unfortunately not pretty; but there
| are few women who cannot impsrt something
| Of comeliness even to an ill-favored face and q
misshapen figure, if they will only take the
| trouble
1--WE speak very gravely when we say that
there are few relations in life, or rather that
| there are few relationless conditions, in which
| this is not duty. That cleanliness is virtue
| is seldom denied. A pretty woman, doubtless,
| looks prettier when clean, and an ugly uglier
| when dirty. And there are duties beyond per-
sOnal cleanliness. Neatness, tidyness, follow
close upon it, But something more may still
| be needed, and something more clearly seen
| and properly described, is the least possible
| spice of cOquetry.
"A well dressed woman, however little she
may be favored by nature, ceases to be plain
| 1t is difficult, indeed, to limit the extent to
which woman, by due attention to dress, may
| improve her natural attractions, or obviate the
disadvantages with which she was born. And
well or il-favorcd, is something more than a
maxim Of mere wordliness. To endevor to the
utmost to please those with whom we live is
unquestionably duty.
"A man marries indeed, for the sake Of
the domus ct ptacens uzor. He does not take
woman to his hearth because she is a philoso-
pher, or an arthmetician, but because in
hOmely language, there is something nice
about her 1t was, doubtless, the design of
| the Almighty, in giving man a helpmate, that
she should satisfy his natural craving after the
| beautiful, the graceful and the gentle. For
! this was woman formed:
For softness she and sweet attractive grace,
The woman who forgets this, ignores one
| OF the great objects of her creation The wife
who forgets this violates one Of the primal
conditions of the cOnnubial contract
THAT some women are naturally more beau
tful and graceful than others, is a fact which
makes not against, but for our argument
Dress is common to all. 1t is a consolation TO
those not naturally gifted, that there is a point
at which nature yields to art, and the work Of
men's hands is potent to supply the adornment
not vOuchsafed by Providence. 1t is surpri-
sing what very little way mere personal
beauty goes.
1--WE may confidently appeal to the expe-
riencc of men of the world in support of the
assertion that the efforts Of art are often more
pleasing and attractive than the gifts of nature
In other words that well-dressed women are
more admired than merely beautiful ones.
Accident is beaten BY effort in the great Olym-
pies Of society.
1t may be agreed that taste in dress i.
scarcely less "A natural gift than personal beau
ty. And. to some extent, at least, the fact
must be admitted. One woman has naturally
an eye for color and form, whilst another has
neither the oue nor the other But there are
few women who have not, or cannot acquire,
sufficient knowledge of the becoming in cos
tune for all domestic purposes 1t NAV be
doubted indeed. whether the plea of iuccm-
potency is ever set up. The real sec ret of in
attention to dress Is carelessness-indifferenc
-idleness 1t is not worth the trouble Wo-
men do not always consider that what il is
worth their while to gain, il is worth their
while to keep. 1t is no uncommon thing for
women to become slatternly after marriage
They say that they have other things to at
tend to, and dress is habitually neglected
except, perhaps, on great occasions, when
there is display Of inery and bad taste
abroad, to be followed by greater negligence
at home. Great respect is shown to what is
called company but apart from this, there is
a sort of cul bono abandonment, and the COM
pllment which Is paid to strangers is with
held from those who have the best right to
claim and are most likely to appreciate it.
This is fatal, but too common error When
woman, with reference to the question of
personal adornmcnt, begins to say to herself,
1t is only my husband she must prepare
herself for consequences, which, perhaps, She
may rue TO the latest day Of her life
The effect, indeed, OF attention or inatten-
tiOn to dress-and we include in the one little
word whatever contributes to personal come
illness and attractiveness-upOn the domestic
happiness, especially Of the lower and middle
classes. cannot easily be overstated The
ptacenS n.rOr, as We have said, is no small part
of the totality of home. If man finds that
he has not secured what he believed he had
married, he has u right to feel disappointed
We do not say that he has right to retalia;e.
The obligations of the connubial contract are
not conditional, but absolute. Negligence on
the one side does not excuse negligence on the
other but it will very surely induce it, When
there is nothing attractive at home, a man,
however inexcusable such conduct NAV be.
will seek it abroad, whether at the alehouse.
the club, the theatre, the gaming table, or |
only in what is called society We do not |
mean to say that dress alone is the agency by |
which the erratic propensities are to be re-
strained, but that it is highly important psr RI
oft. Indeed, it may be asserted that the ab. |
sence of attention to this matter pre-supposes
the absence Of almost all other gentle kindly |
and attractive qualities"