Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-11-30

men might be represented in fiction rs be.
coming violently attached to young creatures
with inky fingers and remarkable minds
But no real change was brought about in
ordinary life. Man, sinful man, read with
pleasure about the triumphs of the sandy
haired girls, but still keep on dancing with
ana proposing to the pretty ones. And at
last authoresses were driven back on the old
standard OF beauty. AT present, in the pro
ductions both OF masculine and femenine
workmanship, the former view of plain girls
has been resumed. They are allowed, if
thoroughly excellent in other ways, to pair
oil with country curates and with devoted
missionaries but the prizes of fiction, as
well as the prizes of reality, fall to the lot of
their fairer and more fortunate sisters
Champions OF plain girls are not, however,
wanting who boldly take the difficulty by
the horns, and deny IN toto the fact that in
matrimoDy and love the race is usually to
the beautiful. Look about you, they tell us,
in the world, and you will as often as not
Ind beauties fading on their stalks, and
plain girls marrying on every side of them
And no doubt plain girls do marry very fire.
quently. Nobody, for instance, with half
an eye, can fail to be familiar with the
phenomenon, in his own circle of astonish-
",
however, follow that plain girls are not ter
rlbly weighted in the race.
There are several reasons why women who
rely on their beauty remain. unmarried at
the last, but the reason that their beauty
gives them no advantage is certainly not
one The first reason perhaps is that beau
ties are inclined to be fastidious and capri
cl0uS. They have no notion of following
the advice of Mrs. Hannah More. and being
contcnicd with the first good, sensible
Christian lover who falls in their way; and
they run, In consequence, no slight risk of
overstaylng their market. They go in for
more splendid sort of matrimonial success,
and think they can afford to play the more
daring game. Plain girls are provtlentially
preserved from these temptations. At the
close of well spent life they can consci.
cntiousIy look back on a career in which no
reasonable opportunity was neglected, and
say that they have not broken many hearts,
or been sntully and dis,ructinGly particular.
And there is the farther consideration to be
remembered in the case of plain girls, that
fortune and rank are nearly as valuable ar.
tcles as beauty, and lead to a fair number
of matrimonial alliances. The system of
Providence is full of kindly compensations,
and it is u proof of the universal benevo-
lcnce we see about us that so many hciresscs
should be plain. Plain girls have a right
to be cheered and comtorted by the thought.
1t teaches them the happy lesson that beau
ty, as compared with II settled income, is
skin.deep and yaluclcss and that what man
looks for in the companion of his life is not
so much bright cheek or blue eve. as u
substantial and useful amount OF this worlds
wealth.
Plain girls again expect less, anG are pre-.
pared to accept less, in a lover. Everybody
knows the sort of useful, admirable. practical
man who sets himself to marry plain girl
lie Is not a man OF great rank, great promise,
or great expectations. Had it been other.
wise, he might possibly have flown at higher
game, and set his heart on marrying female
loveliness rather than homeIy excellence.
His choice, if it is nothing else, is an index
of contented and modest disposition. He
is not vain enough to compete in the great
race for beauties. What he looks for is
some one who will be mother of his children,
who will order his servants duly, and keep
his household bills and whose good sense
will teach her to recognize the sterling
qualities of her husband. and not object TO
his dining daily in his slippers. This is the
sort OF partner that plain girls may ration.
ally hope to secure, and who can say that
they ought not to be cheerful and happy in
their lot For character of this undeniable
sobriety there is indeed positive advantage
in plain gll as a wife. 1t should never be
forgotten that the man who marres plain
girl never need he jealous. He is in the
Arcadian and fortunate condition of lover
who has no rivals. A sensible unambitious
nature will recognize in this solid benefit
Plain girls rarely turn into risky matrons,
] on ,ic Fact
ed to be the wives of dull and steady me
! diocrity.
! Lest it should he supposed that the above
calculation of what plain girls may do, leaves
some of their power and success still unac-
counted for, it is quite right and proper to
add that the story of plain girls, if it were
carefully written. would contain many in
/ stances, not merely of moderate good fortune,
but of splendid and exceptional triumph.
| Like prime donnas, opera dancers, and lovely
millincrs, plain girls have been known to
make extraordinary hits, and to awaken
iIlnstrious passions. Somebody ought to
.ake up the subject in book, and tell us
how they did it, This is the age of Golden
Treasures. We have Golden Treasures OF
English poets, of French poets, of great
lawyers, of famous battles. of notable beau,
ties, of English heroes, of successful mer,
chants, and of almost every sort of character
and celebrity that can be conceived. What
is wanted is II Golden Treasury containing
the narrative of the most successful plar
girls. The book might be called the BOOK
of Cglincss, and We see no reason why, tC
give reality to the story, the portraits OF
some Of the most remarkable might not 1t
appended. OF course, if ever such Il volume
is compiled, it will be proved to demonstra
tion that plain girls have before now arrived
at great matrimonial honor and renown.
There is, for example, the sort of plail
girl who nurses her hero perhaps in IN
Crimea) through a dangerous attack of i'll
, ness, and marries him afterwards. There i
the class of those who have been marrieC
simply from a sense of duty. There is tn
class that distinguishes itself by profus
kindness to poor cottagers, and by readin!
, the bible to blind old women; an occupa
{ tion which, as we know from the most ordi
f nary works of fiction, leads directly 20 tn
, promptest and speediest attachments on tn
, part of the young men who happen to dro
in casually ut the time. The catalogue o
/ such is perhaps long and famous. Yet, al
5 lowing for all these, allowing for everythin
!. else that can be adduced in their favor, W
cannot help returning to the position tha
! plain girls have an uphill battle to fgh
!. No doubt it ought not to be SO. Cynic