The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-08-19

Auu eSAOs ''Ao0 pO0tS S0Al "
Life 10 like . river:
Shall ws not its waters awest,
Always drink togethesf'
Many year. have passed ~ b.,
Like the flowing water,
But drink lifs's stream to-day
With Kate, the farmers daughter.
Imperishable Beauty.
BY r. s. Arthur.
1t was very plain face. Ny eye rested
upon 1t, for moment or two, and they wan.
dered away to the countenance Of smother
maiden whose beauty ravished the eyes of
every beholder; and as gaz.d with feel.
ing Of delight, upon its transcendant lowell
ness, an impulse OF thankfulness stirred in
my observation-disclosures to the Creator of
beauty. The first maiden sat alone; around
the other stood a group Of admirers. So
marked = contrast between the two; As well
in features as the impression made thereby,
exciting first, something like pity for her
whom nature had endowed so poorly; and
l turned to look at her again with kindly
feeling in my heart. ...-.
There she sat all alone. Yes, her face
was very, very plain, but it did not strike
me as repulsive. The mouth, which had
nothing Of the ripe fullness that gave such
an enamoring grace to tho other maiden,
was placid though not encircled by per.
petual wreath Of smiles, calmly enthroned
the gentle spirit Of content. Her eyes were
small, the lashes thin and the arch above
them faintiy visible. Archp can scarce.
ly give it that graceful designation. I had
not sean the expression of those eyes. As
looked toward her, with that strange con.
sciousness of observation, which all have
marked, but which few can explain,
she turned her eyes from one part Of the
room, and looked at the. They did not
fash brilliantly, nor strike me, at the frs,
glance, ~ having anything peculiar. They
were the common eyes We meet at every
turn no soul in them give my arst ;".
preston. Ny second was different. had
turned my eyes away but something had
.een turned them almost involun,al lily to
the maiden's face. A friend whom high
ly r.garded-a young man Of more than
common worth-had crossed the room and
was standing before her. She had lifted
her eyes to his face, and there was . new
light in them-not dazzling, but soft,
winning light, that purity and love made
almost beautiful.
They were conversing, and watched for
s,me time, the play OF that unattractive
countenance- unattractive no longer.
"Ah!" said I, "thcre is a beautiful soul
within that casket" ..-
And as spoke thus in the silence of my
own thoughts, l looked towards the Other
maiden, who was still surrounded by q
crowd Of admirers.
"EIer beauty is wonderful!' could not
help the utterance of this tribut0 to her
charms. Yet scarcely had | spoken the
words, when she turned to. one of the group
which had gathered about her, slight cur
Of unlovely scorn upon her lips, and threw
at him an arrowy word that wounded as i,
struck. She saw that it hurt, and CLEAN
of pleasure went forth from her brilliant
eyes.
A flmy veil came between me and tina
countenance, which little while before
he'd shown with loveliness that was abso
lutely enchanting. turned again upot
the other maiden. My friend still stood
before her, and her eyes were still lifted t
his face. She was uttering some senti
ments - what, l did not hear-but they
must have been beautiful in conception, I,
have filled every lineament with such ,
winning grace. t-@ - .-
"Ah! said |, the real truth dawning up
on my mind, ''heIe is the inner imperisha
bls beauty. TIE beauty, which, instead 0
losing its spring time freshness, forever ad
vances towards eternal youth"
A few weeks later and my friend commu
nicated to me the intelligence. that his hear
had been won by this unattractive maiden
Once he had been . worshipper at the othe
shrine-the shrine Of beauty; and l knew
that only . few months before, hand ant
heart were ready to be of, red. Accepte.
they would have been. ior he had persona
brauty, attractive manners, wealth, an,
above al, manly spirit. "
| For al had sten, was scarcely pre-
pared for all this. Tho maiden might b
good-I did not question that-but she wa
so homely and this homeliness would b
only the more apparent in contrast with hi
elegant exterior. 1t was almost on my liz
to remonstrats-to suggest this thought t,
his mind. But proudly forebore.
You know her well ! hope" coult
not help the utterance Of this caution.
'.Shs is not thought to hs beautiful" h
replied, seeming to perceive my thoughts
'.indeed, Is TO features, she is plain; yet il
person, she is tall. graceful, dign'fied. ant
with carriage that = queen might envy.
This Was true to the letter. had no
thought Of it before. Nature had given
least this compensation. ......- 3D.. "a.
''But the higher beauty" he added, Il
Of the soul. All else is soon diminished
Scarcely has tho blushing girl stepped
through the opening door Of womanhooti
ore the lus.re Of her blcssoming cheek beki I
to tarnish in the social atmo>phere. or Il
pale from disease. But the souls bsaut,
dims not, dies not. 1t is as imperishabll
rs the soul ITSELF Our bodies die but tn
soul is immortal"
"If she posses. es this beauty!"
| II know that she possesses it." he an
swered warmly. IL have seen it looking
forth from her eyes, wreathing about hel
lips, and giving to every iineament heaven
ly charm. 1t is musical in every tone Of hel
v0ice."
"Goodness alone is beautiful" said.
"And she is good" he replied. II never
met one who SO rarely spoke Of herself, 0,
who seemed to take so loving an interest in
humanity"
That is God like"
lis not God the very source Of al beau
ty? To be God.liks, then, is to be beauti