Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-30
For the Voter.
WOMAN'S BEAUTY.

Abcxc - u klCdt OCdA Suiu NoVus Jul
beauty-a great deal done to make US
beautiful. How? In spirit? Not at
all. To be physically beautiful is our
aim. For this we don the costly
bonnet, the dainty boot, friz our hair,
and paint our faces. TO this end we
devote our lives, sacrifice health,
mind, heart and strength. From the
cradle to the grave we IRE taught that
we must be beautiful. We are shut
up In the house, away from the glad
sunlight and pure air, to protect our
complications; dressed in corsets and
crinoiines to improve our forms; gait
cred and thinly hosed in the dead Of
winter, that our feet may be petite
and attractive. Our brothers run,
laugh loud, get tanned, wear stout
boots and warm clothes; but we do
not; IT isn't "lady-like."
they grow strongin the gymnasium
or at,the wood-pile, while we crochet,
practice the last song, behave with
propriety, and sometimes make a
cake.u eas5H -
Our brothers go to college, grow In
dependent, go out into the world, and
make their mark; we who do not
teach school, make bonnets and dress
ca, and fade out. Some Of us live in
the country. In that case We milk
cows, make butter and cheese and
help send our brothers to school;
learn how to work, and get a husband.
Sometimes we ore ambitious, and try
tc study aud investigate for ourselves.
Twenty-three asked admittance to
Wabash College, Indiana, but were
refused, because they were women!
At Oberlin they have a "Gcntle-
mems Course and Ladies Course, I"
because we have nothing TO do in life
but to get married, II we are not too
ugly; while our brothers, you know,
must be lawyers, doctors, ministers,
editors, &c. Two or three of rs make
speeches, but our brothers. and church.
members say that we unsex ourselves,
that We are out Of our sphere, that we
are blaspheming God for making US
women. The majority Of men admire
US for our physical beauty alone, and
then wonder why we aim at nothing
else. Many an intelligent man, ut
terly ignoring priceless soul hid by o
exterior, has unconsciously
welded a yirago, because the adjoining
was pink and white. There are
many wives and mothers who sit by
their ,hearthstone tonight bewailing
the lost charms, which once held him
who promised to love and cherish;
and there are fathers and husbands
plotlding their weary way from the
solitary board to the counting-room,
without sympathy, honse having no
longer any charms for them, because
their wives and daughters will have
the admiration which fashionable
beauty demands. We love admira-
ton; we seek 1t, court II. We dress
three times a day, enter society, spend
q hundred thousand and settle down
on broadway; We take aummer trip
that we may be the most elegantly
dressed lady at Saratoga, or the most
beautiful lady at Niagara.
Our beauty lifts US up, and drugs us
down. 1t lifts us mp by securing
wealthy and influential husband; III
drags us down by this rule: 1.-THE
greater the beauty the greater the
prize, and the greater the SNARE" We
cannot protect ourselves, for various
reasons: we are weak; we know moth
ing but to please and be admired; we
treat all men alike; and It degradcs
us to entertain q suspicion of evil.
One OF us started from st. Louis
alone few months SINCE; she was
bewildered by different trims, and
enquircd which she should take for
Indianapolis; she was told, and entered
the cal designated, when she found
herself locked Into an empty car, with
him who directed her tllither. Her
Giles were heard, aud she was saved.
a young Indy went to Denver City
for the purpose Of teaching, taking
With her the highest recommended
tons. She began teaching, but pupils
were few and board high. There came
ons wearing our coantry's inMgnia,
who called himself : friend; aye, and
q gentleman. She was alone. No
woman extended = helping hand. No
1pyine fathers o. mothers heart bled
tof her, No Christians hand was
reached ONT to her: they passed BY on
the other side. She y now An out.
cast. z eie,l lsiS her fcv when woman
falls tlfe.e IS aonc Int God to pity her,
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