New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-07

i
may ruffietheir feathers, and futter their
wings, and MARBLE their notes and display
their strength and courage by driving
away weaker competitors; but they are I'M
able to resort to art in any way. This
limitation does not exist in regard to the
human animal, in whom the love of
beauty and of noble qualities exercises no
less influence in the choice of mate
than among the lower animals, with the
important difference that springs from
the recognition of moral beauty. Making
all due allowance, however, for this modi-
fication, the fact remains indisputable
that men look for beauty in the women
they choose rs wives and women for
beautys equivalent, as courage, mental
superiority, force of character, dignity
and grace of person. social position, or
the skill to attain it, in the men they de-
sire as husbands.
But beauty is not the dover of
all, though the wish to obtain beauty's
tribute, love. is universal; and just here,
with the female sex, al least, steps in the
desire and practice of self-adornment
| This desire. with feminine inconsistency is
by no means confined to those whose lack
OF beauty would naturally suggest it, but
extends to every member of the female
sex, unless in an occasional case where it
i has been suppressed by the force of con-
ventional or puritanical education, or de-
stroyed by the weight of some crushing
misfortune. This uncommon condition
OF mind IN woman, to care not how she
looks, has been expressively characterized
by talented female writer as 1.-The eli
max Of female indifference"
To the general rule. however, of
woman's wishing to always look her
best, there is one important exception;
but as it consists in a morbid
state Of feeling partially unsexing its
victims, it ought rather to be Chased
as an alteration of mind than as
an exception to the general rule We
allude, of course, to the adoption of those
hybrid costumes called ''reform,"
''bloomer," ETC., in which some women
of diseased tastes have occasionally, in
comparatively recent times, affronted the
public view.
Barring these exceptional cases the de- |
sire and practice of personal adornment |
IN the gentler sex is, we repeat, as old |
as creation, and co-extensive with the |
globe. Even in Paradise it inspired the |
mother of mankind, unstimulated thereto |
by the existence of rival, to Irvine the |
rosebuds of Eden among her abundant |
tresses, as soon as the clear mirror of the |
brook had told her that her beauty was
thereby heightened. 81 wonder what |
Adam will think of me?" was doubtless
the mental exclamation with which she
tore herself away from the fair, watery
image to meet her approaching lord.
From that day to this women have
adorned themselves with the same
view, and have ransacked the
world and rifled the animal, vege-
table and mineral kingdoms for the pur-
pose. To set off the whiteness of woman's
neck, the depths of the sea must yield
their pearls; to enhance the brightness of
her eye, the river beds must cast up their
diamonds; to be foil to her cheek the
heart Of the everlasting rocks must di-
vide and deliver up it's rubies For her
the birds of the air shed their bright
plumage; the earth blossoms into flowers
and furnishes by its palmer plants the
gossamer which shields her dainty limbs;
that she may rustic in silken robes, mil
lions of industrious insects daily lay down
their lives, leaving to her the rich
legacy of their glossy shrouds. To
crafty her taste for luxury, the delicate
young kid resigns its skin, the swan its
down, the ermine it's fur. Even that
giant of the deep, the lordly whale, can
not refuse its tribute to the vanity of the
worlds mistress, but is compelled to con-
tribute its elastic ribs to aid in the sup
port of her sometimes too redundant
charms. More than half the occupations
IF the civilized world are enlisted in her
service, and almost as much thought in
private life is bestowed upon the adorn- :
nent of her person as is spent upon the
,ustatory qualification of man.
This state of affairs having existed from
he beginning, in spite of every effort
made to alter it; in spite of the denuncia-
ions of prophets, the anathemas of
'riests, the reasonings of philosophers,
he schemes of reformers, the adIurations
f strong minded women, and the plati-
udes of weak-minded men, is it not R
bout time that it should be recognized N
s a fact in nature, and that the efforts lo
'asted on attempts at its suppression
hould be more wisely directed to IT
S guidance? Women will dress more !,
,r show than for use; and, not "
occasional and isolated pro-
'sts, men practically encourage them in N
, doing; nay the ancient Church itself, -
hich inVeighs so loudly against the ex-
ayagance of woman in dress, is con-
antly setting them the example. Before G.
simplicity of attire to her
aughters, let her first strip off the costly
.stments of her priests. OH but they
something. Every robe donned o.