The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-08-31
PRETTY WOMEN.
By 4 PRETTY WOMAN.

have often wondered why there wer
no pretty women nova days, while ever,
past age can boast of its Helsns; our gen
GRAFTON may number many pretty faces
but is the only one among the thousand
| already counted that produces no beautie
| whose names shall descend imperishably t,
! the generations yet to come.
We cannot open a page Of history tha
does not record the fame OF some beauty
the Bible has its Rachel, SO lovely ths
twenty years Of service was deemed ligh
fee for her affections the world was los
for Cleopatra the beautiful mistresses o.
French Kings ruled that world through
the hearts Of their imperial lovers; even
down to the days of George the Fourth
there has always been some lady whose
charms have been more powerful than
monarchs and prime ministers.
But think the problem may be solved
1t is the difference of dress--costumc does
it all. Revive the robing Of bygone ages,
and you will revive all the beauty and the
ugl:ness Of those days, for there must have
been good deal Of ugliness, otherwise
beauty would not have been so forcibly 40.
prcciated. Had there been more pretty
girls in the days of Troy, Helen would
have had few suitors, and Ilium might have
been standing vet. What mean to soy
IS this; In those days people dressed so
unbecoming|y that, unless their features
were perfect, they were literally nothing.
All the minor graces which set off medi
ocre person now were totally unavailable
under that system Of costume
For instance, Helen must have worn O
loose robe, broad girdle, bare arms, sandals
on her feet, and her hair combed back in
those rich, magnificent braids, termed to
this day "Grecian Plsits."
But imagine for a moment all your &C
quan;ances dressed in this way. Would
not the majority be frigh,fnla How few
faces, how few complexions, could stand
that banding back of the black hair; how
few forms would show we'll beneath the
simple robe, without stays or stiff petit
coats how few feet would be endurable in
sandals; how few arms would bear the
noon day sun and the sharp winds which
would soon reduce them to the pattern and
form of a warsherwoman's.
Perhaps the Jewish costume Of Rebecca
and Rachel may have been a better shade;
but here was the same exposure Of neck
and arms, with the additional disadvantage
of robe that showed leg encased in
hideous boots and hose, and that refused
to sweep with Grecian amplitude around III,
limbs of their fair wearers.
Cleopatra, who is reported as being both
dark and stout, could wear only the robes
of white or purple, the heavy diadem, the
string Of pearls, that were allotted the garb
of Egyptian princesses. How dark and
how uncomely must have been the majority
of her countrywomen may be judged from
the sensation she made.
The Roman ladies' were famed for their
stately carriage and somewhat large but
noble features; and when to these charms
are added those Of regularity and delicacy
and beautiful coloring, no doubt their sim
pie pen coqustte style of dress was especial
ly becoming to them; but without these
latter qualifications how gaunt and coarse
they must have appeared.
What can be more lovely than the figure
of Agrippina, bending that steady head
above the ashes Of Germancns the robe
falls ir long sweeping folds; the bare arm,
naked to the shoulder, supports the urn
the hair braided back, the smooth brow,
the magnificent eye, in its large and mag
nticent chamber; not a ribbon, not the
CLEANING of jewel, breaks the calm out
line or disturbs the severe unity. Perhaps
among the circle of acquaintance there ar.
two cr three women who would appear t.
advantage so altired - but oh how well
for the dumpy and for the scragsy "rts
retrousse' and the nee snu5' that the,
fall upon better days.
As We descend the stream of time, the
number Of celebrated beauties decrease; thu.
We may attribute to the incr, asing knowl,
edge of dress Indifferent complexion, bad
figures and irregular features. brgan to have
something like fair play shown them; cxi
gencles Of person met with some assistance
trom costumes; and in the same degree as
plain women were made to appear less
plain were the BEAUTIES rendered less pro-
mlnent, and the distance between the par
ties leSsened
Still We hear Of some 50 strikingly lovel,
as to be known to all the world by tn,
fame Of their eyes only !; Of these we ma y
name Edith of tn. Swan neck. so Gale,
from the brl llian, whit, ness OF skin capahl
OF resisting the exposure to sun and wind
which tanned and freckl,d into irightfui
uess the que, ms and lofty ladies' Of thnSt
rude days Rosamond the fair so fair tina
it was said of her, "noHe but jealous an.
| eXaSperated woman could have harm, {
hers; Beatrice Gene, whose beauty make,
one shudder, so mysterious seem the l;gh
| IN those large untr ublrd eyes, soon aI"u
to close bcnsath the pressure ot so awu
a fate; Lucrt zia 3nryia, an arg, in face
| IA demon in heart Mary of Scotland, WHOM
ssnn osf n pv h .h.1i ,rit h,,,, ~
Sunle few others, until We reach that ia
nous trio recorded in the letters Of Il"rac,
Walpolt, as the loveliest women Of then
time, the Misses Cunning
| One Of tn ST, the Dutchess Of Hamilton
was 20 renowned tor ber charms tt,a, he
fame spread far and near, insrmuch tha
when travelling once from the North t.
town, the mon, IN the places where sb
rested at nights, assembled around the h~
tells, nor would they depart until she ha,
appeared ON the balconies TO display {,
them her wo, fa,ned face.
| And there Is something Stang2ly sad il
the account of the death of another Of lh,
sisters, Lady Coventry, who periShrd o
consumtion while in the highest pride o
youth and beauty. She is recorded n.
| P"e'"'y """''' tbS "ppip"Sh W
n.r looking glass her constant crmpan,or
AS scarcely ,ver removing her eyes trru
the IT, Il ction If her own face, aud as be-
wall,g only the too early EXTINCTION OF .
beauty worthy OF immortality.
AT later time, when the names of some
tavorite beauties are again r, corded, tn,
costume totally diff rent, was SD hideou,
t.at no one could wear it with impunuy-
hence the high reputation for beauty oi
Pauline BonaparIe and Madame Rccanier
The former Is described as appearing "a, a
party given by her mighty broth~r in a
tunic Of white muslin, reaching little be.
low the knee, and commencing far below