Smyrna times., 1867-06-19
Female Beauty.

The older men grow the more apt they are
o see beauty in q woman figure rather than
in her face. Your youngster will bow down
and worship before pretty face mounted on
broomstick or pair OF tongs, but so will not
your practiccd cOnnOiSscur of forty. Expert
cncc teaches so thoroughly the value ofhealtE
that its outward manifestations become more
and more valued as the eye is trained to detect
them. Thus it often happens that middle
aged man will gaze with wonder at skinny,
dyspeptic- looking girl, pcrcciving that she is
exactly what her mother was before her, and
unable to comprehend how on earth it was that
he was in love with that mother twenty years
ago. lie may be more prOsalc, perhaps, than
OF yOrC, but depend upon it he is more apprc-
ciative. His idea now would be a much more
hCathtul and harmonious creature, and pro-
badly a much better tempered one, than his
ideal was then, which is a very strong argu-
lnent against early marriages No doubt there
are other things worth weighing i'll Il wife be-
sides mere physical health; but, il for sake Of
pOstorlty alone, mere physical hcalthfulneSs
goes great way. Fow although health and
beauty may be found disaSsociatcd, their eter
nal tendency is to unite, to intcrminglc, and to
attain to ideal perfection together. SculptOrs
and psychologists know this, sometimes through
study, and sometimes through the instinct of
genius, and the more cultivated the average
man or woman, the more clear and definite the
impression in them which is intended to serve
one of the most positive as we'll as one Of the
most beautiful purposes Of the creation.
The women of America are growing more
and more handsome every year for just this
reason. They are growing rounder OF chest,
fuller Of limb gaining substance and develop.
mcnt in every direction. Whatever may be
urged to the contrary, we believe this to be
dcmonstrablc fact. We have been SO much
accustomed to hear dismal means over dyspep-
sia and the heat of stoves, bad food and bad
habits Of life generally, that an impression of
dGgcnCracy finds place in many minds, and the
proposition, therefore, that American women
arc visibly growing handsomcr may at first pro-
woke good deal of dissent. We believe, how
ever, that reflection and observation will en-
dOrs1 and sustain it. The change may be less
marked among the poorer classes, and may be
more pronounced in the chief centres of popu-
lction and refinement; but that it has taken
place is progressing, and is probably destined
iavorably to affect the community at large, we
have not the least doubt. When the rising
generation of American girls once began to
wear thick shoes, take much exercise III the
open air, to skate, to play crOquct, and to af-
feet the saddle, it not only began to grow more
wise, but more heathful and-which must fol
low at the night of day-mOro beautiful
Wenlth indubltably has tendency to produce
refinement of feature for reasons or through
cases which need no elaboration; simultaneous
ly, unless its privileges are abused 1t also tends
to induce both health and symmetry. Poor
immigrant women, whose figures and faces are
misshepen and imbruted, furnish us with plen-
ty Of sad illustrations Of the effect on their sex
of mingled poverty and toll. We have seen
some of these wrctched creatures whose very
resemblance to humanity seemed wcll-nigh
crushed out of them. or course these are cx-
ccptions. Sometimes we see an excessively
handsome girl come of people miscrably poor !;
and rice rcrsn pcering out of a sumptuOus car
rage the face of young Gorgon. But az q
rule, where wealth aud leisure and consequent
culture exist, health and beauty naturally fol-
low in the second generation. The beauty of
the women of the English aristocracy is world
famous, and descrvcdly so ; and it has been at
tanned by the protractcd enjoyment Of precise
ly these facilities.