Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-22
MIS- G Ell N Y.
IMpERIsHABLE BEAUTY.
nv rs. ARTHUR.

den. who's beauty ravishcd the eye of evory
boholder. aud as galed with foelns os
delishl upon its transc'ndont loVliness, an
impulss oi thankillno,, stirred my heart
thauklulnsss TO the Creator Of beauty.
Tie Grst maiden at all alone, around
tho other a group Of admirers. 81 marked
u contrast between the two, rs well in lea.
turcs a. in the Impression made thereby. eK'
cited Gr.i, something like pity for her whom
natuIo had endowed 80 poorly. and ! turned
TO look at her again. with kinder feeling
IN INV heart. There she sat. all alone. Yes
her face was very, very plain but it did
no, strike m, as repulsIvc. The mouth 4.
which had nothing Of the ripe iullnc's that
gave such an enamorin; gracs to the other
maid n. was placid aud though no, encir-
elcd with perpetual wreath Of smiles
calmly cnthruncd the gentle '?iri; OF c1u-
tent. Her eyes were small, the la'hcs thin,
anl the arch above them family visible
Arch! can scarcely give it that graceful
designation. bad not yet seen the express
sion Of Ctho., eyes. A. looked towards her,
with that strange consciousness Of obsgrya'
,ion which all have remarked. but which
few can explain, she turned her eyes from
another part OF the room ani looked at mo
They did m, Hash brilliantly, nor strike at
the hr-t ~ having ia them anything pccu-
liar. They were the common eyes we meet
at every turn, no .1ul in them. My second
was different bad turnci my eyes away {;
but something that | had sccn CAUSED them
almost in,oluutarily % wander back 10 tho
ma.icn's face. \ Trend whom highly re-
elrlcd, - young man Of m0ru than COM
mon worth. had eros ed the room anil was
standing before her. She had lifted her
eyes to hIs taco. aud there was a new light
IN ihem-uct dazzling, bat a soft, win
ming light. that purity aud love made al
mos. beautiful. They were eon'srsing, and
| watched iOr some time the play OF that
unat,aeiiyc couuicnanec, though unattrae-
ti,c no longer.
AN said |, there isa beautiful soul
within that easkc,"
Aud as spoke thus, in the silence OF my
own thoughts. | looked towards tho other
maiden, who was slill surrounded by q
crowd OF admirers.
" Her beauty is wonderful" could no,
help the uttcrancc o thi. tribute to her
charms. Yet | had scarcely spoken the
words. when she turned 20 ono OF the group
which had gath, rcd abou, her, a'llghs curl
Of uuloyely scon upon her lips. and throw
at him an arrowy word that wounded As It
struck. She saw that it hurt, aud a glance
Of pleasure wen, forth from her brilliant
cyes.
\ ilmy veil cane between my eyes aud
that e.untcnancc whlc'. li.,lc whl!o before
had .houe upon me with a lovIincss that
va, absolutely enchanting. turned again
u the other maiden. Ny friend VI. 80,
before Der. aud hcr eyes woro lifted to h'S
face. She uticrins ,sut'nccs,-what, did
not hear. bat they must have been good
aud b,autilul IN conception. TO have filed
every linclmrnt with such winning grace.
All ." said the real truth dawning
upon my mind, "there is the inner, 'mPer.
i.hahlc bcauty-,he beauty which instead
Vi dosing its .pringtIme freshness, forever
advances toward eternal youth"
A few weeks later, and my friend com.
municated to me tn, Intelligence that his
heart had bcceu won by the charms Of thus
una,traetivc maiden. Once he had been a
wor,hipper at the other shrine Of beauty.
and knew that only a few months before,
heart and hand were ready 20 DO offered.
Accepted thry wuAld have been, for ho had
personal beauty. attractive manners, wealth
and, above all. manly, honorable spirit.
For oil had seen was scarcely prepar-
ei for this. The maiden might be rooi-i
did no, question that-but she was 80 home
ly, and this honliness would bc only the
more apparent in contra', with his elegant
exterior. II was almost on my lips to re-
mons,ratc-to suggcs, this thought to his
mind. Bu, pruden,ly forbore.
"You know her we'll, | suppose '"-i
could not help the ut,crance Of tins eau'
tion.
"She snot thought TO be beautiful" he
replied, seeming to perceive my unuttered
thoughts. =" indeed, as TO features she is
plain, yet in person she is tall, dignided,
and with a carriage that queen might en-.
Wy"
This was true to the letter. | had not
thought Of il before. Nature bad given, at
leas, this compensation.
But the higher beau'y," be added. lis
all of the soul. All else Is soon diminished.
Scarcely has the blushing girl stepped for
ward through the opening door Of woman.
hood, ere we see the lustre of her blooming
cheek beginning to tarnish in the social at
mosphere, or to pale from hideouS disease
but the souls beauty dies not. IL is i'm.
perishable as the soul itself. Our bodies
die, but the soul is immortal"
= ~