Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-03-25
Plain Girls.
fIondon Globe.

We never call them ugly; the word would
| be disgraceful-almost criminal. Besides
We make bold to doubt whether such an ep-
tibet is ever really and truly correct. A
creature upon whom the freshness of youth
fingers can hardly fail to be rescued thereby
from charge of downright ugliness. No
sign. perhaps, can be more conclusive TO
show the truth of this than the fact that
scores of girls about whom men rave the
most are condemned by other women unan-
mously and in perfect good faith for they
speek with good faith among Themselves
as perfect frights." There is so much to a
mans mind in expression, that it will often
if not generally, override all perception of
mere prettiness of feature. Neither can
these feminine critics appreciate in one case
out of a hundred the Understandable grace
which a well bred and well nurtured girl
! will display in the simplest movement of
her head or the play of features. We say
nothing of the charm of figure and action,
for that has strictly nothing to do with either
PLAIN a pretty face; but it is seldom
found that the health and gentleness which
impart charm to the step or the touch
have not their reflex somewhere in the facial
muscles which make up half the character
of the countenance. Thus it is that many
men. even in this unromantic and perhaps
unchivalrous age, are skeptical as to the ex-
istence of such a monster as an ugly girl
and stoutly maintain that though the oppro-
bious adjective may be applied to some
women. the worst that can be said of girl
is that she is plan For some reason or
other a large section of our female popula-
ton have become imbued with the somewhat
Oriental notion that the great merit of
woman Is to be found in her face. Every
girl does not, of course think so, and the
more sensible the girl is, the less she is
likely TO fall into egregious an error.
Still. the proportion of the sex aged between
sixteen and twenty -one, which is misled in
that way is very large indeed. as any one
will testify who has had experience Of the
conversation and thoughts of school girls
and debutantes. Nor is this idea by anv
means confined to this class of gossps.
Nothing is more common than to hear ex-
pressions Of wonder why Miss Laura is so
long in marrying-"a pretty girl like that"
who ought obviously, on account of her pref
tiness, 10 have had offers innumerable. and
one al least which could not be refused.
The astonishmcnt i almost natural and is
even shared by many men who ought by
this time. If lessons in love and matrimony
were not forever new, 10 have found out
how little the god llymen and the goddess
Juno generally care for mere outward show.
SO true Is this. indeed. that if list we're
made out on sort OF competition principle,
and it were possible to observe by the aid
OF II the relative age at which plain and
pretty girls maESl it may be asserted almost
with certainty That the palm in the race
would be carried off by the former. The
pam glri' sne hafIleS al all Matre'
man VINO reMI! aiih'res hef' an" Is NOT
mereI! ambitious oil securing her as an orha-
men' or leather IN ms cap.
At the same time it would be preposter-
ous 10 deny that beauty has great adv ant
age i'll the competition. This advantage is
most aptly as well a. most easily described
b, saving that she has the best start" In
ballroom or at any place where the strdg-
gle is commenced, she j. the first 70 catch
the exc OF the man who is disposed toward
matrimony. She attracts attention more
surely and quickly, just as a diamond does
when compared with pearl and ii she can
make the most OF this first impression, she
need not fear being caught and outstripped
in the end. The only question is whether
she can make the most Of these favor, Of
fortune, or whether she will not rather even
use them to disadvantage. Beauties are
often vain. and-shall We say it?-often
more inane than their less brilliant sisters
and few minutes conversation er at least,
few DAYS converse, will often exhibit the
latter in the light Of tyrannous and caprlc
ious bores. A plain GIRL on the other hand,
has little--or at least. less-vanity. She is
also much more conscious that she should
have some ability to talk and think. Being
on her met,le, she takes an amount of trouble
to make herself agreeable that can never be
expected from belle; and being less used
to iattery and professions OF love at first