The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-05-03
our Young Readers.


/" "AUNTY, do you think it il wrong to
wish TO be sbeautifulp' ii' 0li-t'
Something in the earnest look and tone.
recalled an0thef question asked by this
same niece BfMfne, years before when
she was 3 weesgifl of seven. r. 's47t.s@
Then she had broken q long silence
viii with /. !" Aunt Aunsy, 8, do you think the heather
Evidently the years which made hef III
most 4 I woman, had not settaed every
doubtfuls subject to her satisfactionsE 4 ta1
+ i looked into the face no longer child
ish,. but childlike, and thought within
myself that there was small ned for
youth, and health, and innocence, 70 wish
anything Of the kind; hut like wise
woman 4 kept such thoughts to myself,
and answered latter the manner of my Ma
tion) with another Question.
.Why, May, do you wish to be beauti-
full fr sfUfSs4.4 SIS fnyT tl,ss.
q" Yes, Ido,'' frankly, and With . kind
of defiant shrug Of the shoulders" and
do YOU think It is wrongi'' isg e
Here was an opportunity; and there
upon 1 ssmade small talk, ~ as an In.
dian would say, something after this
fashion ssas ass'Sl
!" No, / do not think it is wrong; but
there are 60 many other things SO much
better worth wishing for. would great
deal rather be what is called q fine-look-
ing woman, than beautiful woman. /
would rather have beauty Of mind and Of
heart, than Of person. 49,;
"As a rule, which has few exceptions,
a beauty Is conscious, and vain, and
empty headed; the last as matter of
course, since she relies on her face rather
than on her brains. have known, per
sonally, only one beautiful woman who
was not spoiled by her own charms, and
shs had the rare grace of Inconsistencies
She honestly thought herself plain. looking.
Then, too, by one of the laws of COM
pensation, beautiful people win no more
real tru, love than homely people win.
Think ever the persons you care the most
for, and you will be surprised to find how
little your liking depends upon their looks;
or rather how fair their faces have come
to seem, because OF the good hearts which
have expression there. We always see our
loved ones through Loves spectacles. As
far back as can remember, that old say
ing was dinned in my ears, Handsome ID
that handsome does,' and / used to won
der what ii meant; now, thinking of many
lovely lives which have inumined very
plain features, I know.
1t is q common experience for persons.
going into strange places to think, How
homely all the people arc;' but kindly
fellowship nearly always changes the
opinion.
"Would you like to know, my dear,
where is the best description Of truly
noble woman have ever read?-the one
! would most like to have you resemble ?"
May frightened up with d new interest,
and her eyes said "yes," though she
did not interrupt with word and con-
tinued: ts + ei
"You will find it in the thirty-flrst
chapter of Proverbs, and you will see
there is not one word said about beauty
except that it is vain: yet / am very sure
such q woman would have q beauty of the
soul lasting hey ond the bloom of youth,
all down through years, and into the great
hereafter" 's.
There was moments silence; when
my niece drew q long. breath, Il could
not make 1t out ii II was relief at the end
of my sermon, or some deeper feeiing,l
"Well, Arnty, you have your wish.
You are not o beautiful woman, but you
are very fine looking woman
81 looked half Indignantly into the up
turned face. Could ii be May was max
ing fun of me? But no; family discernl-
BILE perched upon her nose, (that nose
which would turn up little, and onwhose
tip rested tiny freckle, which last had
occasion to know, was Mays private
(" thorn in the flesh, " were pair Of the
very "Love's spectacies'' had been talk.
ing about, and through them stood trans
figured in her eyes Vide Atooke.