Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-07-24
ORR BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.

What lovely fscesl What elegance of
feminine formsi What charming adorn
meuts rise in the mind when we think of
beautiful women And how delightfully."-
fair are the pictures to our minds eyel And
truly beautiful woman is the masterpiece of
breathing creation. "But,n said the soured
sage, "beauty is only skin deep" We're we
inclined so to do, we might split hsir with
him upon this statement, and undoubtedly
should do so, but that in so doing we should
be led into q somewhat difuse series Of
dehnitive comparisons between prettiness,
handsomeness, and beauty of form. Il is not
with the anatomy of physical bsauty that
we wish to deal, however, st present. That
we concede, and feel most respectful admi-
ration as we make the concession. Beauty
"proper" does not fall 10 the lot Of all women
though sort of mereiful dispensation often
couceGls the fact from over sensitive minds.
For sake of argument IL must be admitted
that we know one lady who does not enchant
US by her personal appearance. We have
never seen her face except in quietude, end
so cannot tell whether or not she comes
under our following definition of the beauti
full. Many so called plain women to us are
exquisitely beautiful. When over their i'll
formed or irregular features the bright flood
of intelligence flows, and the mind is sppar
ens in the pure light of the radiaring smile
then must We, willingly or unwilhngly, &C.
knowledge the very fount of beauty. II
is so truly said that personal beauty
without this vital qualification is as th,
wonderful world without the great Ia
minary of day, that our individus
lsmentation over the frequent separation
Of the real constituents Of beauty will be
quite enough to recall the fact as poin
of great psyche pbysiognomical inter
est How the beauty of natural fac'a
expression is relieved and enhau ced Jy tLt
adven titious aids of culture and Retirement
We have all al some time or other, if no
frequently, seen and felt When the nstur
ally aimabe, sweet disposition, tenn pered i
may be, with the purifying element Of sons
bodily or mental grief, becomes visible OF
the countenauce in company with the won
derfully humauizing conditions of higi
education and that nameless quality which
we term, for want Of better medium t,
explain our meaning. "good breeding" then
indeed is beauty unadorned present, and ",
can but confess il. And though il ia 81
delicious to be within view OF physics
beauty of the incl pressive order. still W.
prefer TO experience the passive de!ieh
which readily finds an echo in the fines
, and keenest sensibility within u.s. evoked b,
that beauty, so graphically the beauty Q
many plain face. How tine wonderful
J exponent of the lovely mind strikes the ful
chord of our purest capabilities, and fill
US with the ten1erest awe and the mos
elevating pleasure We would not be IN
? derstood to deny as al axiom the union O
. physical and mental beauty; we woult
merely suggest as e point for cousidera
, I
frequent. And when We consider the man
deteriorating influences to which sxterua
beauty is subject from the very moment Q
It's appearance in the world, from the subtl
or gross batteries, extravagant homage, ant
other such causes, almost always operating
Oefors the mind has had time or opportunis
to develop into its higher types, this IS no
surprising. Yet If lis difficult for vonel
10 be basuti'ul within aud without must !
lJ5 10 difficult Tor e woman 30 BE- bssutifa
within, when she sces lLag her exteruals sr'
not pleasing 80 o,hers2
In our own beau;i Vi city aad our is!slt
. of rock that stauds u the river ami stein,
+ ne current OF tas great Father q: Waters
/ We can see beauty II al las presentations
As the ladies pess down our s:-eis te5orl
she pubic gaze they little JhIGk. we lmns.u
how they axe judged upon their merits. ",
| opine that even now, III what Used 10 b.
| called 'Jhe far west there are few in col,ec
ton IN any place their peers.