The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-13
Human Beauty.

How much foolish thinking would be
avoided by the simple ezpeqicnt of defining
the terms we employ: We recently read q
brilliant sermon on the Church, when the
whole argument rested on shifting quick
sand, just because the preacher used all the
meanings of the word indiscriminately. as
cribing to building what belonged either
to believing congregation, or to an eccle-
siastical diocese, or TO the entire body Of
Christians on earth and in heaven.
Our attention has been called to an arti-
Gle in the Round Table characterized by the
same defect. The author, commencing hui
man beauty, confounds physical, intellec-
tual and moral beauty-treating them as
one. He ventures to assert that, taking the
average of humanity through, the hand
some are usually the best, and r'ce rersa that
the best are usually handsome. He is car
ried into extravagances by the desire to
promote physical training among the males,
and taste among the females of our country.
Now, we may admit freely that exercise
and dress are helpful 10 beauty; but they
certainly do not create or even explain 1t,
If the arts and manly games of ancient
Greece cooperating with its benignant eli
mate and fine landscapes, gave the perfec-
ton of face and figure, 10 what must we
attribute the beauty of the ancient Britons,
whom Pope GREGORY likened to the angels !:
Or how shall we explain the beauty that
flowers out, nowadays, in certain locali-
ties, as in the Caucasus, in Poland, IN Bo-
hemia, in Rhode Island, in Maryland. 1t is
easy TO devise general theories upon the
subject but it is not SO easy to explain the
facts. And it is impossible to come to any
intelligent conclusion upon the subject when
all sorts of beauty are confounded as in
the article to which we have referred.
A very limited acquaintance with @sthet-
les and ethnology sutfces to show that moral
and intellectual beauty is quite distinct
from physical proportion. Physical beauty
is usually the outward expression of perfect
health-it is the beauty Of form and color.
Spiritual beauty consists in expression.
The type of the one is the Greek Apollo;
that of the other may be u ilat-nosed, stun
ted SocRATEs-the noblest philosopher and
moralist of the heather world. The one is
represented by the Caucasian; the other by
the European. The one may be found in
an antique statue; the other finds 'its best
expression in the modern civilized and
| Christianized man. The features and figure
of the one could be worked out by ma
chine; those of the other are as plastic and
variable as the moods of mind. The body
yields to the mind as the tree to the winds
and climates; but no two minds are alike.
If we cultivate health we shall attain
beauty of form if we cultivate intellect and
practice virtue, we shall attain beauty OF
expression.
But besides these kinds Of beauty, there
is the beauty Of dress and fashion. This
has no law except that Of modcsy and pro-
priety. Within these limits the range i:
wide enough. Beauty of face and form i:
enhanced by variety Of manifestation-now
by easy yet not bold display-now by teils
and half conccalments-now,e even by angu'
larcon;rasts rs the soft bloom arises from tho
rough calyx Of the moss rose. All that is
necessary in fashion is the avoidance Of any
prostitution Of natural beauty, such as at
tends the exposure Of The person, or the
use of powders tor the hair and skin, paints
for the face, racks and lorturcs for the waist
and foot The last Two requirements need
to be insisted upon in America. i full waist
such as all the fine statues Of antiquity dis
play, is essential to beauty. y good sized
foot corresponds to 4 well developed figure
1t is painful to observe with what pers!s
tcnce many Of our fair country wofaen strive
to convince US that they are crippled anc
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