Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-05-26
slight and Stout Women.


Slight and Stout Women.
The women of this Republic are general
| ly so much slighter than the women of 9th
er civilized nations that they are remarka-
| BILE and distinct from this fact alone. "As
thin as an American" is a common simile
in Europe, and its fitness is seen as soon as
our women are compared with those OF the
other hemisphere, or even parts Of this.
Europeans are constantly commenting up
or the fragility Of American women, and
are surprised that they can have SO much
nervous force and endurance. This fragil-
ity, far more apparent than real, naturally
strikes foreigner, who, accustomed to so
much ampler proportions, not TO say more
redundant contours, in his own land, is dis
posed, at first, TO think our women race
of confirmed invalids. Pale complexions,
rather sharp featues and slender figures are
TO him palpable evidences of diseases for
he has learned TO associate robust health
with high color, full face and unmstaka-
BILE stoutness. Outward signs are likely 10
be deceptive. American women are not of
the firmest, but they are much tirmer than
they look, while many women of the Old
World, pictures OF super-abundant health,
are the opposite Of what they show.
But man in general is more in the habit
of judging the other sex @stheiical;y then
physiologically. He asks himself about
their comeliness, grace, elegance, or man
ner without thinking, or caring overlnuch,
whether they have sound constitutions or
freedom from ailments. The foreigner fire.
que ntly criticises the American woman for
her meagreness, her angularity. her pallor,
bile conceding her grace, fiexibility, mo-
bile expression, ease OF carriage, intellectu-
al flavor. She would no doubt be a gamer
by an increase OF nesh-she does lack
roundness, as a rule, though there are in
Vulnerable exceptions-likewise a certain
ply ysical, not less than spiritual toning-
down. She is not ideal in her proportions,
what woman is for Nature has not fully
discharged the duty of beauty to her, nor
indeed to any OF the daughters Of the earth.
But Nature is improving; with our help,
she is slowly, though steadily advancing TO
rarer execution.
The English girl is frequently so fresh
and wholesome; has such clear, bright
~ NSs SNSh a "Cdlbn VI Dituut udlT, Sucl n
delicate pink-and-whiie complexion, that
1t is impossible not TO admire her. One is
excusable for enthusiasm, which, If he
would keep it, he should express betimes;
dreading, as he has sound reason TO, the
metamorphosis OF coming years. Not long
after she has been married, she is apt TO
change; her complexion loses its bloom,
and deepens in hue; her plumpness degen-
crates into stoutn ess she becomes a gross
exaggeration of her former self. She may
still be good-looking but she is so large
looking that her quondan suggestion of
delicacy, sweetness, and proportion is swal-
lowed up in sense of color, redundancy,
and vastness.
SO with the French woman, notably with
the Parisenne. From eighteen TO twenty
five, though less regularly handsome than
her English sister, her brunette type, with
dark eyes and hair, her clear, dark skin,
her mellow roundness-verging on, per-
haps urging, over-ripeness-are sensuous-
ly inviting, and mentally also, coupled with
her viyacity, sparkle, and flnesse. But
presently she expands beyond the repress-
ing power of corset and mantuan art the
image OF her elegance is rudely and eter-
nally dispelled.
The young Italian reminds you of the
Correggio, Guido and Bellini pictures in
face and f0rm-why should she not, since
those are but idealized copiesS-bu as she
grows older she ceases to be a subject OF, or
study for, art. Her graceful outlines are
obliteraled by expansion; the pigment of
nature is TOO thickly laid on; the tone of |
the model is totally lost. The black-eyed, |
olive e-complexioned, voluptuous Spanish |
maiden spreads into too bounteous WIFE |
hood and maternity; you no longer look |
for her supergenerous counterparts on the |
canvas or panel of Murlllo or Velasquez.
Alas, alas, all the Old World runs to flesh
With added years the Anglo Saxon, Teu-
tonic, Latin, and Sclavonic races are un-
willing that their daughters shall stop with
In the boundaries of grace. The Republic,
aged a century, alone prescribes limitations
to the material growth of her women;
keeping them 1t may be, within their best
development, their lovellest blossoming,
Nature were wise, perchance, TO strike an
average, and so benefit both hemispheres.
But since she does inot, let us be content
with our spareness and our angularity, es-
pecially since these are sensibly growing
less. We are much nearer the ideal and
the classic than the rest of the globe is. Let
our women rejoice that they are not fat
that they can approach middle life without
an overplus OF flesh. If they
need consolation, they should remember
hat adlpose matter is not given with dis
that nature ordains ii should
De too much or too little, and that, all
hings considered, the latter is far prelera-
Die.
The Greek statues, still regarded as per-
ection of form, as archetypes of beauty,
ire more like American than like other
the old masters, barring Rubens
md his reproductions Of his two huge, fab
~ wives, painted goddesses, saints, and
nadonnas without leaning to stoutness. !
rhe great beauties Of history, the faScinat-
ng herolnes Of poetry aud fiction, were {
lender. lissoms creatures whose glorious ! 4