Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-04-14
Pretty Women.

gentlemen and ladies' --Ohrtsttdn Union.
Pretty Women.
MAN, II may be urged, is perpetually
talking of pretty women, rs If prettiness
were the sole quality in them worthy of
consideration. The truth of this cannot
be gainsaid pretty is his pet adjec-
| tive; he applies il to all the daughters of
the earth in the way of encomium ndin-
quiry. He says, She is very pretty" as
though iancying he had exhausted eulogy.
lie asks, g Is she prctty?" as if deeming
any other question suporfluous. But docs
nc mean pretty in the generally.
sense? Does he mean only fair, at
tractive exteriOr2 Docs he wish to con-
vey that he feels no interest in aught but
certain winning material combinations?
Not in the least. Ask him, and he will
tell you as much. Prettiness is vague
sort of substantive, very loosely applied
to womankind in manner generally de-
signed to be indefinitely complimentary.
He employs il, though he may be unaware
of it, not so much TO interpret any physi-
cal quality us to express an agreeable ef-
feet produced upon him by agencies he
does not, perhaps could not, aualyze
The term is merely conventional. A
pretty woman, in the private lexicon of
masculinity, signifies a woman interesting
from whatever cause. Who has not known
women to be called pretty that could hard
| ly boast OF single handsome feature?
Who has not been acquainted with those
enjoying wide reputation for pretliness
that had almost any other than physical
charm? She who has a distinctly grace
| full manner, or an elegant air, or fine tact,
tala
pathies, or cordial ways, or the art of list
ening well, albeit plain in face, and of or
dinary figure is frequently styled pretty,
and the adjective is repeated until it is
| fastened upon and constantly associated
with her.
They who speak of her as pretty use the
accepted word TO say that shc is agreeable
to them. That is all. They know that
1t will convey their meaning at once,
while, if they attempt to paricularize, or
| go out of the beaten path of social Ian
guage, they may not be understood.
Men seldom have any, much less clear,
conception of the cause OF their liking for
this or that woman. They feel the fact,
but know nothing. This is in entire ac.
corlance with the romantic theory which
AYERS that our mastering afiinlties should
be independent of our reason, if not posi-
lively involuntary. Fancying that good
looks are the chief source of attraction in
woman, men are prone to believe that she
to whom they are attracted must be good
looking. Consequently they call her so,
whether she be or not, aud thus help to
misrepresent themselves in respect to the
other sex. MOI are they without liberal
share of the idealizing power presumed to
belong exclusively to their sisters and
sweethearts. They see in the face and
figure what is behind these; the light they
detect within shines through and illumi-
mates the whole exterior. They are likely
to believe q woman handsome il they are
fond of her, for beauty is 50 associated
with affection that il might almost be de-
fined as the thing we love.
We do not wish to underrate feminine
beauty in the least 1t is a very i'm
portant factor in human life, in the
destiny of the race. But TO be command
ing, TO be continuously Influential, il
must be sustained and coordinated with
something else. Apart from mind, man.
ners, culture, character, it is a poor pos
session, and only proclaims the lack of
what, by natural law, should be its ad-
juncts. Altogether too much stress has
been and is laid upon it separately. Its
Overestimate docs harm by inducing those
who have il to neglect the attributes which
should accompany it, and which serve to
embellish 1t as rich setting embellishes
a stone not precious in itself. They who
are devoid of beauty are also hurt nv its
undue appreciation being discouraged
thereby from cultivating social, spiritual
or intellectual gTaces or charms that
might more than compensate for its alb.
sence.
A merely pretty handsome or boau,i.
fuI woman in aii'that ionds attroct;o, 10
her kind, is no match for one who is
plain, even homely in person. nroyided the
latter has tact, delicacy of instinct elegance
and cleverness. The former may, prob.
ably will, make decidedly agreeable i'm
preston at first; for personal comeliness
is like letter of Recommendation But
the impression will be removed, and a
certain reaction will set in, unless the
pretty woman can prove by some other
and higher means her full right to her
physical favor. She will soon be regard.
ed as counterfeit, having nothing inter.
nal to answer to the external, at once SO
! prepossessing and SO deceptious.
The plain or homely clever woman. on
the contrary, will be a pleasant surprise
| since she promises scarcely ANYTHING and
contributes much. She has the hest in.
side, instead of the best outside: she adj
vances, while her fair sister retrogrades
7 she expands, while the other shrinks, anC
graciously rounds out the circle of he
being.
Who are the interesting, the attractive
! the charming women of society in thi.
country and in Europe? Are they uni
formly beauties?. DO their persons out
rank their minds Is their enchantmen
in their faces and fguresY Are the,
! ! bodies more than souls?
! Ysu may depend they are not. The,
may be named bellies: t1ev are doubtIes
pronounced lovely. YET their bellehood
: their loveliness. springs NOT from tbci
corporeality. Ii comes from their man
J ners or their understanding: from villa
! they feel or think; from what ibev are
! : not what they seem.
If you question IT, look in your own cir
Gle OF friends and acquaintances. Do yo,