Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-03-26
THE COUSINS;
OR TRUE AND FALSE BEAUTY

Then from bondage would 1 rescue i,
And from vile indignities. =
Nurtured, as thy mien bespeak, in high degree, =
Look up, and help n hand that longs to set thee IL
free.-WoRDswoRTH. y
HAVE you looked upon a bright, young \
creature, peculiarly the child of joy and y
sunshine, and whose every movement re- !
minded you Of " the poetry of motion! Q
Such was Ida Irving, or, as we always cal o
led her, the Tulip, for that was her %tayorite n
flower. OF her manners or her carriage, v
or whatever you please to call it, to say she l
was graceful would convey not just the right :
idea for you would rather say she was one :
of the Graces. And she had such a fond :
ness for gorgeous %colors, such an admlra- a
ton for that Oriental magnifcence OF which I
she had read and dreamed SO much and I
they became her so we'll, admirably harmo-
nizing with her peculiar style of beauty,
for there was something almost regal in
her tall form, her flashing dark eyes, and
the heavy, shining braids Of silky hair that
wreathed her finely formed head like a di-
adem. She knew what style of dress be-
came her she had been educated to it, and
if she took pleasure in exhibiting her beau
ty, whose fault was it! Her whole teach
ing from the cradle might be summed mp
In one little word-Display. That was
the goal Of her mothers aspirations, the
object for which she toiled, and lived, and
contrived, as only such ladies can play and
toll, day and night. The spirit they wor-
ship is Display. From Ida's earliest rec
objections, all her teaching. all her aims and
purposes were to appear WELL" She
sung, played, danced, because she was
admired. She was sent to a celebra-
ted school because it was the " fashi-
on" She was sent to a celebrated
school, because it was the fashion" She
was taught to avoid the sunshine and the
free breath Of heaven as if they were con-
tagion, for fear her pure complexion should
be furnished. She must not run, or walk,
or sit as comfort dictated, for the sake of
appearance and she dreaded a torn or soil
ed garment as the ultimatum Of human
transgression. 1t was no wonder, then, if
after all this toll for display, the better
qualities of mind and heart were neglected;
or if in all the pains to attract admiration,
she was graceful as the flower which was
her favorite symbol. Not that her heart
was bad, or her mind disqualified by nature
for the hottest, Hottest purposes it was on.
ly like the leaves of her costly album, fill
cd with snowy and highly-eolored pic
tures;b but the fine sentiment,the bright scin
t tillations of genius, the excellent maxims
, the outpouring of generous affection, tn
, glittering gems of Thought, were all left out
/ 1t has very often been remarked, tina
h beautiful women are rarely intellectual an
this to some extent may e true, for hos
can she who from the cradle has been pei
ted and hattered, whose wants are anticips
ted before they are felt; who sees hersel
!, from childhood to womanhood, the objet
of unmarried solicitude and care; who fnd
every silly observation listened to and &C
mired-how can she escape from the Ell
Or chanted ground, or find out before HI
beauty waues, and she is surrounded Wit
cares for which she is wholly untitled, tn
the only lasting attraction, a cultivated u
Outstanding, has never been hers ? Al
&C. husbands who have been blinded by me
in external grace, who have w%orshiped tt
it shadow regardless of the substance, a
w not slow to perceive that, when the smoof
n skin becomes furrowed and the round,
II form begins to lose its symmetry, that t
beauty they adored has departed, leavi1
on nothing but deformity.
ng Happy is that wife or maiden who is
ed rested before it be too late, and made
ng commune with her inner self, to store I
= mind with wholesome aIiment, and to Gu
vate those graces of character which
at her only passport tt, lasting favor. Su
to- were the UNDECIDED teachings of cou
Harriet Hartley-dear, good, lovingCou
irl, Harriet and yet she was neither very
nor very plain. She was always a rid
,, :; = to the Tulip !; so wise, so amiable, SO
selfish, so capable Of pleasing, and yet
- ing so little for admiration, so fond
rest domestic enjoyment, and yet avoid
to wedlock. All, Miss Tulip! had Cot
our Harriet talked half so much of herself
mn of her own affairs as some you know
anne YOU would have known ere this she
y learned wisdom of a stern but trutl
Decentralization !; that she had sal
aud treasured memories that she had
hopes and auticipations of reunio with
loved and lost which were not of this VIC
But to return to Ida. Her mother
- termined that none should outshine
ON. idol at the approaching festival and
,t;or decorations prepared for the occasion
zinc of the most elaborate and costly des,
ened tiou. She was attired as a ~sultana,
e see most superb manner ; while a troop 0
them tenlaDts, dressed in character, compl
their the illusion. A general hum of ADM
stray voices at their entrance grati6ed
. I'm, mother and daughter. Who could
upon that blooming, glittering. graz
stars creature, and not exclaim-beautiful :!
any of that gay company remember
IRE to lay to heart how transient is the tn
They glory-how perfumcless and profile
J and all that display of rainbow colors +?
81 are sure one gay c~avelier did not, VIII
y t tho sultan of all Tulipdom, continually 70
,roble ed Ida's footsteps, his eye ever EXPIRE
rsions the most p.ofound admiration, as if /
horo. lieved, unlike earth's fair blossom she v
hostile retain her freshness and bloom forev
.avens "tSic transit" whispered Cousin
rict, as she surveyed the Tulip, all g:
70 ed for conquest" "No, not sic tran
avens, laughingly replied the happy girl ; {
nd tho ria ntuRdi write for me-"
what A few days after, Ida was seized '
son of sudden faintness, not peculiarly ala,
And at first, but followed by violent feve
:; On! physician was sent for, who shook BIZ
US IN mysteriously /; and after recommend
ny, ny the tSe ~clusion and quiet, intimated that
hours would probably develop more