Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-07-16
MISCELL A N Y
The True Beauty--TheOdOsia Burr.

The True Beauty-.TneOdosla Burr
The following interesting article, the sugges'
tions contained in which are well worthy OF re-
rard, is from The independents:
The influence of beauty is universal, ana az
influence to which every one will confess hlm-
selfsusceptible, whether it be the beautiiul 10
nature or in art But the beauty OF the human
face is, perhaps, the most impressive, ana ye'
there are few who think that it depends at al
>ntivation The commonly received idea Is
on o. = born good or ill looking, and cannon
that one 10 nich is a very false and injurious
help himself, Va.
notion. lnnon every face al
| There may be cultivated -;on which vii
enchanting beauty-an express. looks upor
kindle admiration in every one who.> : low,
it. which will attract attention and VIII
far more than any mere physical combination
any perfection of form and coloring.
The phyetognomist insists that the character Is
indelibly stamped upon the face-that what Que
uniformly thinks and feels, traces itself IN uh-
mistakeable lines upon the brow and cheek
This I fully believe, though there may be so many
variations that it requires long and sklll1ui prac
tice to read correctly what is written.
Aaron Burr is known to every American as a
heartless, unprincipled man, but well yersed IN
the knowledge of the world and the workings
of the human heart He had an only daughter
of whom he was very proud, and OF whom ne
was determined to make noble, high-mlndeo
woman. Yes, he said, when she was chllu, II
he thought she would grow up fashionable
wording he would prefer to see her In an early
grave. He knew well the shoals and qulcksands
on which women were in danger OF being wreck
ed. and very carefully he guarded his daughter,
that the evils he knew so well should not come
upon her.
He began in earliest childhood to cultivate
and store her mind. He wished her to be an
elegant and accomplished woman, but ne dld not
fear that knowledge, however profound or ao-
truse, would destroy her true womanly qualltles,
and he knew it would be one ot the pest sale-
guards in the midst OF temptation, dlsappoiht-
ment, and sorrow. She was familiar with sew
eral languages and was instructed IN all the
learning of the schools, which is usually thougnt
only necessary for boys, while accomplishments
considered exclusively adapted to women were
not neglected.
But bad and wholly irreligious, and immoral
rs he was himself, the father was scrupulousiy
careful that his daughter should grow up with
very different sentiments. She was not Deautl-
full, was even not handsome, but he told ner
that beauty was q thing of cultivation ana II a al
any time she was moody or impatient or lrrlt-
able she was counseled to look in the mirror and
see the effect it had upon her countenance, and
the habitual indulgence of these tempers, s,she was
told. would make any face repulsive. She was
not commanded to be cheerful, good tempered
and benevolent, for this would have been sure
TO increase the evil he was trying to remedy, ,oat
motive was given her that would be almost
snre TO influence child and a woman, besides
setting forth the Importance OF the virtues theni-
selves. he was intoxicating. 1t was thoroughly
impressed upon her. that kindness, disinterested-
ness and charity to all, would cause her brow
TO beam with a spiritual beauty more deslraDie
! than any nature alone can confer, that it was O
continual suggestion to the cultivation OF rlSh'
feelings, and the restraining of bad ones.
The wicked man, too, understood the necesSl-
ty of appearing good in the eyes OF his child, ana
SO we'll did he succeed that she honored him as
almost superhuman, and loved him with the
most earnest affection. When he was absent
from her. he wrote to her every day, and every
day expected her to write to him, thus aecus-
toming her to the expression of her thoughts
and opinions, keeping himself informed OF her
progress in her studies, and the development OF
her mind, and creating the strongest cham 70
bind him to her heart.
Theodosia was the idol and object of uneeas-
ing care and attention of the man whose Whole
life was devoted to schemes OF ambition, ana
debasing self-gratiication, and it seems strange
that he should not have attempted to be, what
he was continually attempting to seem IN her
eyes.
When she became young lady, she was call
ed handsome, and pronounced by many Euro
peans the most accomplished American woman
in her day. Her manners, as well as her eX,
preston of her countenance, were characterized
by dignity and sweetness which won the love
as well as the admiration of all who saw her.
1t may seem q foolish motive to present to
child, the desire to be beautiful, and it might be
very easily misconstrued and misapplied. To
attempt to cultivate the expression without the
Qualities of heart, on which alone it depends,
wo, I'D be very likely to stamp upon tho face a
mean, .agless simper, hypocritical smile which
would be any thing but pleasing. Our first i'm
nressions oIe person are derived from the ex-
pression of the face, and the manners We every
dav hear the expl sssion There isa good face"
s.T lilo that counter, ,snce," or "What pleasing
manners and these arr. generally very true IN
dications of character.
aHaye YOU heard that story about number
oSs % INQUIRED the facetious Mr.. C.., addressing
his fun-loying neighbor B. -,
.sNo, have not" replied B., 'let us have It,
"It IS too gross" remarked O., hesitatingiy.
"Oh, never mind, can stand; let me have It
by all MEANS" eagerly exclaimed B.
81 tell you it is too gross"
"All the better, it will just suit me; like
Jokes; Just shut the door there and let me hear
it."
Cant do that, for G. stands there listening
to hear me sell you"
''Well, if you're going to sell me, l should
like to know how you're going to do it. Let's
hear what your 2SS is that's too gross"
''You have heard it twice already, replied O.,
with grin. l tell you 2Ss, being twice IA, is
two groce."
The breed of life is love; the salt of life is
yyorlr