Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-29

NO. 76.
miscellaneous.
PLAIN GIRLS.

would he di>gracetul-almoSt criminal.
Besides we make bold to doubt whether
such an epithet is ever really and
truly correct. 4 crcatum upon whom
the freshness of youth fingers can hardly
fail 10 be rescued thereby from charge
of downright ugliness. No sign, per-
haps. 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 unani-
mously and in perfect good faith for they
speak with good faith among themselves
perfect frights." There is So much to "a
mans mind in expression. that Il viii, Of
ten if not generally, override all percep-
ton of mere prettiness of feature. Neither
can these feminine critics appreciate In one
case out Of hundred the indescribable
grace which well-bred and wcll-nur-
tured girl will display in the simplest
movement of her head or play of features.
We say nothing of the charm ofiigurc and
action. for that has strictly nothing to do
with either plain or a pretty face ; but Il
is seldom found that the health and gen
tlencss which impart a charm to the step
or the touch have not their reflex somc-
where in the facial muscles which make
Thus it is that many men. even in this un-
romantic and perhaps unchivalrous age,
are skeptical as 10 the existence Of such
monster as an ugly girl. and stoutly
maintain that though the opprobious ad.
iective may be applied to some women,
the worst that can be said ola girl is that
she is plain" For some reason or oth-
er large section of our female popula-
ton have become imbued with the some
what Oriental notion that the great merit
of woman is to be found in heriace Every
girl does not of course. think SO and the
more sensible the girl is, the less she 10
likely TO fall into so egregious an error.
Still, the proportion OF the sex aged be-
tween sixteen and twenty-one. which is
misled in that way is very large indeed.
as any one will testify who has had cx-
perience of the conversation and thoughts
of school girls and debutantes. Nor is
this idea by any means confined to this
class of gossips. Nothing is more COM
mon than to hear expressions Of wonder
why Miss Laura is so long in marrying
"a pretty girl like that" who ought OBJ
viouslv. on account of her prcttiness, Ia
have had offers innumerablc. and one at
least which could not be refused. The
astonshment is 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 Hymen and the goddess
Juno generally care for mere outward
show. So true is this, indeed, that II
list were made out on sort Of compe-
titi0n principle, and IL were possible 10 OBJ
serve by the aid of il the relative age nj
which plain and pretty girls marry. il may
be asserted almost with certainty that the
palm in the race would be carried off by
the former. The plain girl. If she marries
at all, marries man who really admires
her, and is not merely ambitious of secur-
ing her as an ornament nor rs feather in
his cap.
At the same time Il would he prepos-
ferrous to deny that beauty has a great ad
vantage in the competition. This advan-
tage is most aptly as well as most easily
described by saying that she has the ..best
start" In a ballroom or at any place
where the struggle is commenced. she is
the first to catch the eye of the man who
is disposed toward matrimony. She at
tracts attention more surely and quickly.
just as the diamond does when compared
with pearl and If she can make the most
of this first impression. she need not fear
being caught and outstrpped in the end
The only question is whether she will not
rather even use them to disadvantage.
Beauties are often vain, and--shail we
say it ?-often more inane than their less
brilliant sisters; and a few minutes con-
versatioh or at least. a few days converse.
will often exhibit the latter in the lipbt Of
tyrannous and capricious bores. A plain
girl, on the other hand. has little--or Mt
least. less-vanity. She il also much
more conscious that she should have some
ability to talk and think Being on her
mettle, she takes an amount Of trouble IN
make herself agreeable that can never be
expected from a belle; and being less
used to fiattcry and professions OF love nj
first sight she is much more likely tU
weigh fairly the real merits of anv man
who tries TO please her For the same
reason she is more disposed to sympathizc
with the feelings and aspirations of 9th.
ers besides herself, and thus to epcbaiu
the affections of men who think a good
deal Of themselves. Men are as often
vain as women. and much more often ego.
tistical. and they not unfrequently consid.
er it the chief duty Of a wife to listen and
agree. Mr.. Shandy, was inclined to mur
mur because Mrs. Shandy would never
say No when he said Yes but HI
would have been much Iflore discontcpte(
and miserable If the lady had disputed
every point with him, or tlrned dea
and apathetic ear to his moralizings. Ado
to this that the shaft Of love, when it /.
inspired by plain girl. comes with re
doubled force. because the wounded MAJ
is often quite unsuspicious OF his danger
In talking to an acknowledged beauty h,
feels-conceited wretch that he is-that h,
has his life in his hand, whereas, in hi
interviews with the less attractive damsel
he is generally off his guard. 1t is thu
that in natrimony, as in other races. th.
tortoise often beats the hare, and another
illustration is afforded Of the trite maxim
that all which glitters is not gold.