The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-09-11
BEAUTY IN A WIFE.
Why It IL not Always Desirable.


is not joy forever. 1t is apt to de-
velop spirit of coquetry that ieopar-
dies domestic peace, and to stimulate
others than the husband to gallantry a
trihe too tender for the tranquility of
home. Coquetry, too, is expensive and
likes to array itself in beautiful attire ;
then often the one pair of eyes belong
ing to the husband are not deemed
enough for such elaborate decoration,
and the appreciation of other eyes is
sought for, and too often found. Tho
splendid woman attracts too much at
tention, and elicits too many comments,
for the husband of a quiet turn. The
trite proverb that beauty is only skin
deep is particularly applicable to the
man marrying woman with such gift
for in six months of married life the or
dinary- looking wife may look as hand
some as her more favored sister. There
is certain kind of vanity in some men,
however, that finds compensation for the
loss of their own admiration in that
which their wives produce on others,
and who are thus, to some extent, mar
ricd for the galleries as well as them
selves. The beautiful woman creates
her greatestimpression in the beginning,
and if she has not the amiable and men
tai traits essential to command esteem,
in time her beauty comes to be common
place. To maintain the first impression
requires unusually goodresources. The
ordinary-looking wife, possessing these
resources, like good wine, improves with
time. The beautiful wife is generally
too conscious of the charms of her per-
son and should she be disposed to for
get them there are always people who
never fail to remind her of them. Fa-
miliar with general admiration, if any
thing goes wrong in the family circle,
and her conduct does not meet with the
husbands appreciation, she isinclinedto
think that every one but her husband
finds her without q blcmish. In such a
case she is accessible to regrets at not
having selected one of the old and con-
stant admirers who always found her
perfect in all that she said and did Nat
ufally, the gallant choir OF her maiden
DAYS we're never capable OF telling her
that she was naughty underNany circum-
stances, but always sang the one favor
itc air about her resplendent loveliness.
The symphony of old times becomes
more melodious contrasted with the dis
cordant solo of the reproving husband,
which she listens to with ill-disguised
petulance. In word, in such moments
of chagrin she is apt to find all the world
agreeable except her husband.
There is general rule of life that the
durable should be preferred to the
snowy, and with limitations it applies to
the choice of a wife. The harem belle,
when asked what her occupation was, re-
piled that it was to be beautiful but
the requirements of the west are greater
than those of the Orient. The man soon
makes up his mind as to what he ad-
mires and desires in the physique of wo-
man, but it requires more time for him
to come to conclusion as to what is es-
sentisl to his happiness in mental quail
tiles. 1t may be pretty safely adopted
as a rule, that the woman should have
mind enough to comprehend that of her
husband, to share his plans, and to SYM
pathize with him in his daily occupation.
The absence of sufficient intelligence to
do this often leads to an estrangement,
for ignorance of the husbands occupa-
ton implies ignorance of his financial re-
sources. Familiarity with the husbands
business enables the wife to regulate the
to the incoming, and tends to
repress unreasonable demands and un-
discussion. In this respect the
American wife is behind the French one,
who is generally well acquainted with
the practical affairs of life, and is as
to protect the interests OF the
family as the husband himself, a trait
greatly fostered by the code, which
places woman on the same legal footing
rs the man. Thus, to know when the
purse is full and when it is empty, is
kind of knowledge that contributes much
to the pleasure of married life.-Gaiary.
Few persons understand what partic-
,lar advantage John Russell Young is {
10 derive from the bestowal upon him
by the King of Sweden, of the order of
EIo,hant ,r,uau him, tho |