Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-08-22
SWEET Righteousness.

"Nym Crinkle.' writer Of much
sprighthneSS, thus discourses on sweet
helpleSsness.
Eight or ten years ago young
woman came suddenly into public view
here rs an actress. and grew, in an in.
credlhly short time. to be great favor
ite. She had 4 hony frame, u thin and
slightly freckeled lace, with pair Of
zinc-colored eyes, and almost invisible
pearl-tinted eyebrows. She WAS also "
little round-shouldered, and her voice
phthislcky. On the night of her debut
she shook like n jelly, and those who
We're i'll the front seats could mark the
beating of her heart by the pulSing Of
her tlaNen and frizaled hair. Once or
twice the audience thought she would
faint. She seemed to have no vitality
no blood, no physical energy But
once in the play she came down to the
footlights, and III nervous murmur re-
cited Il sohloquy full ofthat sexual and
senhent misery which the modern
society play delights IN. Then a strange
thrill went through the assemblage
Her tones were freighted with subtle
sadness that was inarticulate, and rs in,
describable ms the odor of jasamine; her
zinc-colored eyes grew soft and wet
and pititul, and her frail body shook
and bent itself into strangely eloquent
tones of tenderness. All nj once this
uncomely young woman melted into
n picture such rs had not been seen be-
fore ON that stage. Afterward She un-
tAeSAt,AI lk., In n
tumhled down in wavy cascade halt
way to thc floor. II was the thin,
floating kind OF hair that belongs To
delicate organizations, and il spread
round her like yellow aureole or
cloud, every fiber tremulous with some
of the emotion that seemed To stream
through it.
Then her audience began to think
she was beautiful. They carried away
new impression. Somehow it was
like phantom impression; too inn
palpablc to Toe described or even under.
stood.
A month or two later met the young
lady in parlor, There were present
all grades Of elegant women, sumptous.
~ attired III every device that heightens
the fascination of form and makes vivid
the beauty Of the face. My freekled
and phthisicky girl stood in corner IN
n plain cashmere dress, domure, pale
and pathetic-the picture Of humidity
and weakness. But her naxeu hair
tumblod down in involuted luxuriance
swept round her narrow neck in wavy
grace, and fell in yellow cloud on her
black dress. Placed there in the cor
ner against the dark maroon panel OF
the fresco, she stood out like the Sistine
Madonna. Her hair was like an ir-
radiation Of light, and into this flame
all the male moths Of the company fell
Demurely the damsel captured all the
attentions. Innocently she drew to her
self and away from the real beauties all
the idle alteration of the fashionable
worshipers
don't think one of those fellows who
went mad over the girl, and raved for
months about her III spite Of the con.
tempt of their sisters and wives. ever
found out what it was that fascinated
them.
afterward heard that rival actress
tried to cut her nalr oil one night, and
was caught in the act
But her hair was only one expression
Of her character. There would have
been a good deal left OF the same wavy,
mellow, tremulous magnetic charm in
her face, her limbs, her toncs--if she
had lost her hair.
1t was long time before | found out
what the secret Of her fascination was.
And when found lit was this.
The adroit management Of secret
helplessness.
found that the first impulse Of man
was to praise her with mans pity, then
to defend her with Il mans magnanm-
ity. And she made her appeals always
to men. Women she did not care for.
She made the veriest milksop feel like
champion in her presence. She
touched every mans instinct with her
soft receptive meeknrss. She was al
WAYS melting and OVERLOOKING him, and
he had no escape from the inundation
Of her hair. | never saw anybody who
could do the ivy round the oak business
with half her tendril and clinging gentle
ness and softness. She was indeed a
moral anaconda; before you knew IT,
you were EMBODIED and your judgment
crushed out Of you.
And the Joke Of il was, you liked il.
She seemed 10 know in,uitively that
all those fellows who pretend 10 like
Amazons manage to slip away unseen,
and marry consumptiye saints.
SO she tIiumphed, and what is more,
she became the type Of the emotional
woman that the stage Of to-day desires.
The rugged fullblooded AmazcEs Of
other days, whose impules mounted into
passion. and exhausted themselves in
physical action, have disappeared. All
the women who come TO the stage from
society are nervous. thin-haired, anemic
murmurers, who can feel acutely, but
have not got the strength 10 manifest
yehemently. Morphine, in many cases,
has taken the place 81 genius. Inspi.
ration has given place 10 hypodermic
injections. Invaldism ID called magne-
tism. But they all lack the sagacity Of
the freckled nymph Of the past, who
made her weakness silent boast.
They all deny that they are weak at all
They DO not cling. They never let