The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-11
Davy Jones, Junior
BY BUTTON COOK.

| RtOaotbS3 HAaco ~ oaSy
Blocks friends always said of her.
that she was certainly not pretty"
for, as they were good enough to ex-
plain, "she had not a feature in her
face" The observation was not, of
course. to be interpreted literally. 1t
was indisputable that Miss Block was
in possession of certain lineaments
which answered sufficiently we'll all
the purposes which features are pre-
sumed to serve, and are ordinarily ap-
piled to, albeit they may not satisfy
the critical requirements of her
friends, nor accord completely with
their ideas On the subject of abstract
beauty. But our friends, it may be
noted, are, as a rule, little exacting
in this and some other matters. They
are disposed to constitute themselves
our critics, and to judge US by rather
superior standards. They are fond of
holding the scales concerning us, our
mental and bodily endowments. and
they hold them up little too high
sometimes. 1t is one of their prlvil-
eyes to pronounce freely and frankly
upon our defects and shortcomings;
and the privilege, so far as one can
see, is not likely to suffer abatement
from falling into disuse. Miss Blocks
her with candor that was excessive:
almost disagreeably So For candor
is one of those good things, of which,
the proverb notwithstanding, one can
have too much. l.s
No doubt the motive of this open
ness of speech on their part was
praiseworthy enough. 'sThey did not
want they averred, 'nonsensical
ideas to get into the girls head" A
misfortune of the kind they were de-
termined, should not happen if they
could help it. And they deem it "a
nonsensical idea" that a girl should
think herself pretty. Whatever might
be the real state of the case as to her
looks, it was far preferable that She
should consider herself plain; or, a b
any rate, that she should be content
with a very inferior estimate of her
attractions. Upon this subject Miss
Blocks friends Especially those of
her own sex, who were of age and
ripper than her own, and of an aspect
which Time had probably altered for
the worse) held forth with untiring,
if,somewhat monotonous, eloquence
They were never weary of recounting
and always with especial refer
ence 10 Miss Block personal appear
ance, and for her particular benefit
that beauty was but skin deep; that
looks went for nothing; that intellect
was everything; that handsome was
who handsome did; with other value
able statements of like effect, much
crrnllnp With at o.1
QUESTIONS. Miss Block always listen
ed, or appeared to listen: patiently, or,
at all events, silently. The discourse
for time concluded, she hurried to
her chamber, and looked in her glass.
She found there mute but adequate
answer to all that had been said, and
she smiled with coquettish content
ment. Far. from her own point of
view, she teheld in the glass a refec-
ton of very charming young person
Insomuch that her friends labors to
persuade her that even if she might
be pleasing she was certainly not
pretty" were, upon the whole, in the
nature of that unprofita bile toll which |
we associate with the fable Of SiSyphus
and his stone. -Gt
Miss Nancy B ock beheld in the
glass for one thing, thoroughly Eng
lish maiden's blush-rose and milk. |
pink and white sort of complexion. |
Even her most conscientious and can |
did friends admitted that her com |
plexion was unimpeachab But |
then, they urged, there was nothing
in that The young woman was not |
entitled to credit on such account;
because it was well known that time
out of mind the Blocks had been
noted for their nice complexions.
And after all, her skin wasn't nearly
so clear and fair as had been the skins |
of certain other members of her fam
lily, who pretained to the past rather
than to the present. Moreover, she.
freckled quite dreadfully in the sunny
weather; as for her blue eyes-well, |
there they were-as blue as the blue
on willow pattern plate, for those
who cared for trifles of that nature.
Miss Block friends, for the most part
preferred eyes of any other color:
black or browa, gray, or even green
Nor did they Set greater store upon
the long silky shes, the daintily
arching brows, the coral-red lips. or
the pearl-white teeth, which Miss.
Diccn dISo udu du opportunity OF con- |
templating when she consulted her
mirror, as They preferred to pass over
these items in. the sum of Miss Blocks
looks, aud to dwell rather upon the
fact that her nose had kind OF heav-
en- ward aspiring inclihati9n about its
tip; and that a thread of golden red
was here and there woven into the
glossy texture of her tresses. They
agreed in lamentingthat her nose was
such snub," and that, her hair was
so dreadfully sandy" for in fashion