The Feliciana Democrat., 1859-03-12
WHAT IL is TO BE A BELLE.
3y A BELLE.

iE = st'i1t 'Fbh liliIuCGS are NV WY 49, ~
ci'her is great beauty alone, though ,ha'
onita ncaycs than any thing else but doh
;ou know what people call tone IN pictures!
II isn't thc color nor the drawing OILY, u Is n
sort ofu somethin9not to be described; at least
| have asked n great many OF the ong'hnlred
bad.hatted gentry who paint pictures, and the,
never agreed what it was. 1t isa sort OF mel
low complexion over the whole thing, and is rs
different from mere color as the bloom upon a
rich grape or plum is from the crude positive
hue of the nnripe grape--or didn't You ever
notice the difference? No? Well then, come
to Nahant, and you can study every variety
of blush and bloom upon ripcning fruit in Mr..
Tulor's gardens, behind those thick.palcd fen,
ces, that strain these rough sea winds into soft
zephyrs before they touch his trees, very much
as a fine tooth comb would transform the rum
my breath Of any old sailor on the coast into
kind of music before it polluted the baby's lungs
All this means tact. To be II belle it Isl
necessary to be handsome, well made, OF great
good manners, and Of consummatc tact Now,
every Girl can have almost any thing hnt the
chief thing. If you are not positive Sqiint-
eyed or dcformed, resolution and Mandame-
well, the freshest French womnn-will make
YOU handsome and of good figure. Manners
vou must manage for yourself ! have found
the best rule perfect kindness; mean, OF
course, kindness of manner Most men are
little bashfu with women. Ionng men get
over it bv bravado; older men with n kind OF
silent superior. condcsccndinF air. Now, If
YOU study never to take advantage OF tins
shyncss, which makes men douhly sensitive
50 that many clever man is conscious of being
perfect fool with womcn--fyou never wound
them by look or word, or inSinuation, or inn
pcation, and never seem in league with any
one man against any other; why, little judi
cious hatcry Of manner only, not of words,
does the whole businrSs--hc man is yours.
Have vou never noticed that very "smart"
women are never bellies? There are, of course,
what may he called, cloud" young ladies from
some Western cities, and from New York,
sometimes, who smoke and drink sherry cob.
hlers at night, and call the gentlemen hy their
Christian names, and who are always very
conspicuous; bnt there is the same difference
between such people and bellies that there is
between notcricty and fame.
The difficulty is, that tact is not to be taught.
1t is the sublimcst sympathy, constantly on
the alert lis aim is to plcaSe-postively by
saving and doing what is agrccab aud neg.
ativcv. hy emitting all allnSions that are not so.
"Ncvcr speak Of hemp to man whose
father was hanged" is the negative way Of
stating tact "All things to air men, is the
positive way There is no need of asking me
about the morality of this. / am treating on
bellies and manners, not on saints and moral
philosophers
One thing, however, ! am free to say to you
. in strict confidence and that is. good manner;
are not ALWAYS indicative Of morals ! mean
of course, using the word manners in the uSnn
sense If you see n man or woman every day
YOU would naturally presently discover thr
sympathics and tastes They would b ira,
them involuatarily For instance, if MAJ
cared nothing for childrcn--if he were impa
) tient or i'll tempcrcd--he could conceal it fo
, some time, but not for u long time, unless ht
has some very desirable end to serve by play
ING huge and difficult game.
. But for all that, if the great D. shonl,
!, ever come to Nahant, or Newport, or SaratO
= GA, which of course he never docs: for whcr
;. could he stay, what could he do? and, entering
; his name upon the book as the Rey MIR Lam
, should mingln in the charming groups tina
= swarm along the piazza, or sit so amicably il
the parlor think the manners of the rcvcr"n'
:, gentlemen would be so winning and entertain
inc that the young men would view him with
:, ont jealousy and the old without cynicism Th
= young women would consider disparity Of year
: nothing, where hearts were truly united; AM
the old ladies would seriously ponder hoy
much they might reduce the necessary figure
: for their daughters, in consideration Of ccrtni
advantages in the husband. Old and youu
q would 90 to bed charmed with the manners Q
their new acquaintance; nor, among the o'he
!, dreams Of the night, would the fancy obtrud
itself that, when the Rev. Lamb went off, h
: disappeared in smoke, and that the gentleman
+ ly companion of the evening could snch n
h awful tale unfold. On the other hand. sur
= posed DR.. Johnsons morals were good, bu
: his manners were certainly offensive.
). You are surprised that speak of Dr. JOIN
q son! You have seen me whirling in the polk
n with Tom Dycc at the Hotel; or racing owe
. the beach with him in his wagon? Very vel
], it is true, I am that young lady | wear tw
). bracelets and ear rings, and these very hoop
: skirts, I bowl, battle, dance, dine, nirt, drive
G sigh, smile, pick up MOSES, and wander owe
J., the rocks in broad brmmed hat and yer
$ becoming morning dress, which the girls her
l. aoW call pesynor, apparently not knowing tha
10, I Il, u,h; all