Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-04
The Fascinating Woman.

being. It is easy enough to specify
the attributes OF the former you can
only generalize upon the latter. The
charming woman has but one chord to
her Tyre, upon which she plays her sum-
mary little tune of cheeriulness and
passing sympathy the fascinating
woman suggests ondless possibilities OF
varied harmonies and interesting dis.
cords.
The facinating woman fascinates
without effort it is in her O native
power, as much part of her idiosyn-
Grassy rs attraction is Of the magnet.
Her certain spell is the witchery of
simplicity any betrayal of design
would destroy the illusion she creates.
She sometimes even seems little care
less to please. and this gentle indiffer-
ence, Joined to her attractions. slim.
ulates and exaites curiosity. There is
always suggestion OF mystery about
her, OF which she Is unconscious, the
secret of which no one can fathom, per.
haps there is no secret, only the look of
ole. She may or may not be beautiful;
her face is more frequently moulded
after an irregular than after q classic
type; it has individuality, yet it is
soft and glows with alluring charm. It
ID countenance that Ditch has a sort OF
dual expression, and almost repels if it
does not entirely entIral. Her attitude
and gestures have 1.-the expressive
ness, yet there is ever about them the
plcasantness of repose. In dress she
knows the value OF details, and the art
OF cunningly bringing out the lowell
ness or character of her appearance.
There is eyer about her something like
q haze of delightful negative qualities
thus she elicits the positive qualities of
those who approach her; they put
forth all their powers to please, and
credit their own agreeability to her.
The fascinating woman is. as o rule,
heartless, but she has thousand pretty
ways, feline and caressing. She is very
good-tempered, and always intensely
feminine winsome in manner, having
an unstudied grace, exquisite in little
things, and skilled in all the trifles of
conversation and conduct. She is al
ways absolutely natural, yet the longer
you liDger by her side the stronger
grows the sense that you do not under
stand Der. She puzzles, enchants,
throwsa glamour over you. and the
wilder grows the wish to comprehend
and win her, still she ever eludes and
perplexes you. Hers is an endless va.
riety Of moods, chameleon like power
of chaDgefulness.. She may be very
quiet, but in the repose of her manner
there is no apathy it is the calm of
concentration, the magnet stiffness of
the serpent that draws, but does not
pursue, it's victim. The calm is some
times broken by unexpected brusquer
les, by bright raillery that does not
hurt ; or the delightful retenue of her
demeanor may be suddenly exchanged
for confidential mood, o gentle famil-
iarity. She is selfish, and from this
selfish sell springs u host of tantaliziDg
ways. She always lets you feel you are
near, If il is possible but you arc
never successful enough to know you
have at last grasped her. The pursuit
is endless she beckons, but you can
never seize her.
The fascinating woman ia always
highly intelligent she has sbrowd in
sight into character, and her mobile
nature adopts itself to tho individual
tiles around her. She seldom hatters,
but she lots you taste the subtle de-
light of being understood. She is mis-
tress of the art of tactful question and
intelligent listening; and she knows
how to drop the word that gives your
secret soul the delicious thrill of being
guessed. She never makes the plumbers
the sympathetic ones OF this world
make, in their egerness to anticipate,
to round corners. She has none Of
their fits of shyness; hers is regal
self-dependence, splendid self-posses-
sion.
The fascinating woman may not talk
much !; she seldom gives birth to jeur
desprit her sayings are seldom on
record !; but what she says is suggestive
or original. She can amuse and in
terest with materials that in other
hands would be crude and bald, but
which thrown into her alembic comes
out bright and delightful, or seem to
do 80. She turns dry leaves into pearls
and gold, at least in seeming and for
the moment. She is sort of Circe,
without, perhaps, the palace. Cleo
patra, as painted by Shakespeare, had
the gift of Neutrality-suspicious., ca
PRECIOUS. jealous, selfish, clingiRg, Sc
cret, yet confding. She wound her
nets about the strong man who, had he
understood her Alright, must have cast
her aside in scorn as a toy. The gia-
mour OF facination blinded him.
Mary Queen of Scots was the beau.
ideal, the type of the fascinating woman.
None, probably, had greater attractive
powers, delighted more in putting them
forth, and wss more heartily indifferent
to the fate of her victims. OF her rer-
sonal charms it is difficult to Judge
critically. The portraits we have give
anything but lofty idea of her beauty;
perhaps this is due in part to there hav.
ing been no superlstive artist to paint
her. About forty portraits Of her were
brought together at South Kensington
some years back, all widely varying,
but none in any degree beautiful. Her
destinations must have lain in her con-
summate tact, wit and the glamour which
she knew how to throw about her. We
know that all who approached her, even
in her rugged Scotch court were moved
and influenced. Boutwell,, perhaps, at
last found her out. There were many
violent scenes between them. in which