The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-07
CHARMING WOMEN.
Rrom the Saturday Review. ]


There are certain women who are invariably
spoken of as charming. We never hear any
other epthet applied to them. They are not
said to be pretty, nor amable, nor clover,
though. they may be all three, but simply
charming; which we may take as kind Diver
bal amalgap, tho concentration and concre-
tion Of all praise. The main f9ature about 'heso
charming women is their intonse femina!ity.
There is no blurring OF the outlines here; no
confusion of qualities admirable enough IN
themselves. but slightly out of place consider
ing the sex; no Amazonian virtues which leave
one in doubt as to whether we lave not before
us youth in petticoats rather than soft and
tender woman. A charming woman IS woman
all Overcome who places her glory in being
woman, and has no desire to be anything else.
She is o woman rather than human being,
and lady rather than woman. One OF her
characteristics ls the softnoss and exquisite
grace Of her manner, which 30 sweetly repre-
sents the tender nature within. She has not
an angle anywhere. If she were to be e1-
pressed economically, Hogarth's Line OF Beau
ty is the sole figure that could be used for her.
She is flowing, graceful, bonding IN mind as in
body; she is neither self-asserting nor aggres-
sive, neither rigid nor narrow; she is crea,
ture who glides gracefully through life, and
adjusts herself to her company and her Cir
cumstances III o manner little less THAI mar
yellous; working her own way without tuDult
or sharpness, creeping round insuperable OBJ
stacles, and quietly wearing down more friable
opposition with that gentle persistency which
does so much more than turmoil and distur-
bance. Even if enthusiastic-whlch she is for
art either as music, as painting, or as poetry
she is enthusiastic III such sweet and grace
full way that no one can be offended by fire
which shines and does not burn. There is no
touch of scorn about her, and no assumption
of superior knowledge. Sno speaks to you,
poor ignorant Philistine, with the most fat
f1,afv har in oil q
FIGHTS; and when she comes out, quite natu-
rally. with her pretty little bits of recondite
lore or professional technioalties, you cannot
be 30 boorish as to ask for an explanation OF
these everyday matters, which sho makes 30
sure you must understand. Are you not an
educated person with soul to be saved, and
can YOU then be ignorant Of things with which
every one of culture is familiar? She dis
courses conldontialy Of musicians aud paint
ers unknown to fame, and speaks as il she
knew the secret doipgs of tho Conservatoire
and the R. A. councilchamber alike. The
models and the methods, the loves and the
hates, OF the whole artistic world, are to her
things OF everyday life, aud you cannot tell
her that she is shooting her delicate shafts
wide of the mark, and that you know no more
of what she means than it she were talking in
the choicest Arabic. II she has been abroad
and she generally has been more or less-she
will pour out her tender little rhapsodes about
palazza and vile of which you have never
heard, but every room Of which she assumes
YOU know by heart; and she will speak Of the
out-of-the-way churches. and grim old castles
perched upon vinc-clad mounts, as if you we're
ms well acquainted with them as with your ma
two hamlet; eDd she will bring into her dis
course all manner Of Italian technisllitics, as
if YOU understood the subject as well as she
herself understands it; though your learning
is limited to knowledge OF how much Was
done in jute and talow, or how maay pockets
of hops went off in the market last week. II
she has liking for high life and titles-and
what charming woman has not ?-she Will men
ton the names OF all manner of counts and
dukes and monsignori unknown - English So
cety, as though they were her brothers; but
il YOU were to interrupt the gentle ripple Of
,,er speech with such rudo brelkwaters as
'who?" and ''what!" the charming woman
| would think you horrid bore, and no man
would willingly face that. One may be rhi
noccros in ones own haunts but, as the fable
tells US, even rhinoceroses are ASHAMED OF
their parcntaSe when among gaZeiles. Never
se!f-asserting, never contradictory, only sweet
~ aud tenderly putting yOl right when you
blunder, the charming woman nevertheless
always makes you feel her superiority. True.
she lays herself as 1t We're Ut your feet, and
gives YOU u thousand delicate hlttcries-in-
deed, among her speciallticS is that of being
able to set you on good terms with yourself,
and rer art Of subtle Hattery; but despite her
own establishment and your exaltation you
cannot but feel that she is your superior. and
although she is to) charming to acknowledge
what would wound yodf pride, yet she feels it,
too, and tries to hide it. All which has the
effect of making you admire her still more for
the grace and tact she has displayed.
Tie charming woman is generally notorious
" in love with her husband. who is almost al
ways inferior to her in birth, requirements
only shows her feminine qualities OF sacrifice
aud wifely devotion to greater advantage, aad
makes other men envy more fcroclously the
lucky fellow who has drawn such prize. The
husband OF cha ming woman is indeed lucky
III tho worlds esteem; no man moIe So
Though he may bc one of the most ordinary
,crhaps unpleasant, fellows you know, with
| sonr sacc. an underbrol air. and by no mean;