The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-11-12
WHOLE NO. 1873.

. lady's appearance-above all, IL she
would observe this one grand rule Of tho
toilet, always sdvissble, but after youth
indispensable, that though good personal
points are BY no means a warrant for un-
due exhibition thereof, no point that ia
positively unbeautiful ought ever, by any
pretenss Of fashion or custom, to bs
shown.
"The other sort Of dress, which, it must
be owned, is less frequent, is the dowdv
style. People say-though not very soon
-'Ob, | am not q young woman now it
does not signify what wear" Whether
they quite believe it, is another question;
but they say it-and act upon it when la
siDess or Indifference prompts. Foolish
women they forget that if we have reason
at any time more than another to mind our
'looks,' it is when our looks are departing
from Us. Youth can do almost anything in
the toilet-mddls age cannot yet is mono
the less bound to present to her friends and
society the most pleasing exterior she can.
Easy 10 it to do this when We have those
about us who love Us, and take notice Of
what we wear, and in whose eyes We would
like to appear gracious and lovely to the
last, 90 far ss nature allows; no, easy when
things are otherwise. This, perhaps, 10
thD reason why We see % many unmarried
women grow careless and old fashioned
in their dress-'What does 1t signify? no.
body cares.'
81 think q woman ought to care little
for herself-svery little. Without preach
ing up vanity or undue waste Of time over
that most thankless duty Of adorning ones
self for nobody's pleasure in particular, 10
it not still right and becoming feeling to
have some respect for that personality
which, us well as our soul, Heaven gave
US to make the best Of? And Is it not our
duty considering the great number Of
uncomely people that are in the world
to lessen it BY each of US making herself a.
little uncomely as she can?
''Because lady ceases to dress youth
fully she has no excuse for dressing untdily,
and though having found out that one
general style suits both her person, her taste
and convenience, she keeps to, it, and gen.
orally prefers molding the fashion to herself,
rather than herself to the fashion, still,
risible nerves Of one generation by showing
up to them the out .of-date costume Of
another. Neatness ariably-hues care
fully harmonized, and, as time advances,
subsid,ng into a general unity of tone,
softening and darkeniDg in color, until
black, white and gray alone remains the
suitable garb for old age; these things are
every woman's bounden duty to observe as
long rs she lives. No poverty, grief, sick
ness, or loneliness-those mental causes
which act SO strongly upon the ex,ernel life
can justify any one TO use a phrase
probably soon to be obsolete when charity
and common sense have left the rising gen.
erstion no fifth of November inv oluntarily
making Guy Of herself.
"That slow, fine, and yet perceptible
change of mien and behavior, Datural and
proper to advancing years, is scarcely re-
ducibIe to rule ut all. 1t is but the outward
reflection of an inward process of the mind.
We only discover its full effect by the alb
sspce of it, noticeable in person 'whe has
such very young manners, who full into
raptures of enthusiasm, and expresses oudly
every emotion Of her nature.' Such char
acter, when real, is unobjectionable, nay,
charming, in the extreme youth but the
great improbab,li,y Of its being real, makes
it rather ludicrous, if not dsasreeable, in
mature age; then the passions die out, or
are quieted down, the sense Of happiness
itself is calm, and the fullest tenderest
tide of which the loving heart is capable,
may be described by those still waters
which run Deep
"To grow old gracefully'-ns onc, who
truly has exemplifed her theory, has written
and expressed it's q good aud beau tiful
thing; to grow old worthily, better. And
the first effort to that and is not only to
recognize, but to become personally recon-
ciled to the fact of youths departure; to
see, or, If not seeing, to have fuith in, the
wisdom Of that which We call change, yet
which is in truth progression; to follow
openly and fearlessfy, in ourselves and our
own life, the same law which maies springs
pass into summer, summer into autumn.
autumn into winter, preserving an especial
beauty and fitness in each of the four.
"Yes, if women could only believe it,
there 10 q wonderful beauty even in grow
ing old. The charm of expression arising
from softened temper or ripaned intellect,
often amply ntones for the loss Of form
and coloring; and, consequently to those
who never could boas. either Of these latter,
years give much more than they take away.
lifetime to get thoroughly used to this cor
porcai macnine, 10 attalh q Wnoiesome ln-
difference both to it's effects and perfections
and to learn at last, what nobody would
acquire from any teacher but experience,
that it is the mind alone which is of any
consequence that, with q good temper,
sincerity, and moderate stock of brains
or even the two former only-any sort Of
body can in time be made useful, respectable
and agreeable, as travelling dress for tho
soul. Many one, who was absolutely y
plain in youth, thus grows pleasant and
we'll looking in declining years. You will
hardly ever 6nd body, not ugly in mind,
who is repulsively ugly in person after mid
do life -