The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-12-22
STANTON, VIRGINIA, THURSDAY DECEMBER %, 1870
Female Beauty.

Female Beauty.
In society men have, from time immemoria
rayed about beauty in women, and poets in
rhymes and romances have 80 sung its praises
that it would almost be pardonabe mistake
for one to conclude only beauty loyablc 10 the
sex. And the provcrb, /" Men lose their
hearts through their eyes and women through
their ears" not only corroborates the idea
but makes it appear that, in the one sex, the
intellccts predominant. Men set sufficient
store, the gods know, upon physical comliness
in woman. But, after all, it appeals to them
as an effect rather than cause, and is out
weighed by dozen other qualities.
Beauty commends, but it does not win it
attracts, but it does not hold. And if it be
not answered by some inward beauty, it soon
disappoints, and may, by constant suggestion
of disharmony, at last repel, just as fair
flower invites US, we admire its form, its color,
its daintiness, but when we pluck it and find
it scentless or of an unpleasant odor, re-
action comes that borders on disgust. We
feel that We have been cheated by counter
felt, and the flower fares worse than if it were
less fair, but then, as the author of C Guesses
at TRUTH reminds u.s. "The bright are
sometimes poisonous. but, we believe, never
the sweet" nj -
So there must be something morc-a vast
deal more--than personal beauty in woman
to make her, for any length of time, even
pleasant to our eyes, much less grateful to
the heart. What that something is it is hard
to say; but it is expressed in the word inter
est--which, to convey the exact idea, should
be iuteresedness. How or why any one in
tcrests us we cannot determine. Of the fact
we are convinced beyond argument, but we
are incapable of analysing the subtle agen
cies that produce the effect. This capacity
to interest is not necessary concomitant Of
personal comliness but, on the contrary, Is
generally independent of tat least, is SO
strong and subduing an influence, that mere
form and feature becomes either secondary or
is lost sight Of altogether.
No doubt such thing as interest, and Of
a general kind, belongs to individuals,
as it does to books-is as much part of them
as amability, courtesy, or ease Of motion
Certain men and women, without effort, with
out desire, or even without consciousness, al
most universally attract others Wherever
they 60 their triumphs follow them. We
have all Of US met such persons. We can
think Of halfa- dozen, at least, of our acq uain
tances, who interest nearly every one they
meet, regardless Of sex. This is particular
ly true of certain women; and yet how few
of such are beautiful, or handsome, or even
pretty, in the usually received sense
Nature to her sons and daughters, is tri-
file niggardly, save when she seeks to show
as in her Chrichtons, and Ahelards, and Mi
rondolas the splendor Of her bounty-being
rarely willing to give two great gifts to the
same creature. When she grants physical
beauty the mind accompanying it is apt to be
inferior. Geniuses are seldom beauties, beau
ties seldom geniuses. II happens, too, that
women of fine persons come to prize their
comliness SO much as to neglect their mind,
and not unfrequently their manners-permit-
ting the naturally good understanding to run
to waste for lack of common care and culture.
Hence it is that the very prettiest women of
society whom men OFFICIALLY admire, and Of
whom you hear so much, rarely excite any
profound emotion or win the hearts of strong
or positive men. They carry in their train
many followers Of fashion are looked at and
lauded as curious pattern of furniture would
be in the drawing room. But no one loves
them. No divine fire is burned on their al
tsrs. No elements of high poetry or grand
tragedy are enlisted in their lives They
dwell in an atmosphere of fattery and folly !;
are haunted by coxcombs, and welded to
fools.
The women who make deep impressions
who carry with them an atmosphere of their
own-who make social listeners for them
selves, and would make revolutions, if the
time were fitting, bear no badge of beauty as
an emblem of their power. Their forces and
destinations are invisible to the eye. Their
mind, their manners, their sympathes, their
instincts, their spiritual sights-somothing
of all these fix, mould and sway the nature
of others, and make or unmake fortunes and
careers. Their power for good Or evil is un-
measured, and circumstances determine which
it shall be. Strong men bend, icy hearts
take fire, breasts of adamantne melt before
them, and yet no outward shape of beauty
assists at their spiritual conjuring They
work their miracles as mystcriously to them
selves, pcradyenture, as to others.