Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-16
Plain Girls.

tom ttt i-'utoi ''ln'if.l
We never call them ugly; the word
would lie disgracoful-alm criminal.
Besides. We make bold 10 doubt whether
such an epithct is ever really and truly
correct. \ creature upon whom the
freshness Of youth fingers can hardly fail
to be rescued thereby from Il 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 con-
demned by otLer women unanimously
and III pericc! good faith for they speak
with good faith among themselves
perfect frights" There is So much to Il
mans mind in expression that it will
often, If not generally, override all pre-
ception of mere prettincsa Of feature.
Neither can these feminine critics appre-
ciate IN one case out of hundred the in
dcscrlbablc grace which IL well-bred and
well-nurtured girl viii display in the SIM
plest movement Of her head CT the play
of features We say nothing of the
charm of figure and action, for that has
strictly nothing to do with either Il plain
or pretty facc bat it is seldom found
that the health and gcntlencss which im-
part charm to the step or the touch have
not their reflex somewhere IN the facial
muscles which make up half the charac-
ter of the countcnancr. Thus 1t Is that
many men, even i'll TINS unromantic and
perhaps unchNalrous age. are skop:ical
as to the existence of such Il monster as
an ugly girl and sioutly maintain that.
though the opprobriuus adjective may br
applied to some women. the worst that
L.. L NIL -ls4t Sl ssIlaIn -
For some reason or other y large section
OF our female population have become
imbued with the some Nhat Oriental no.
tion that the great merit Of II woman is to
be found in her face Every girl does
not, OF course. think 50. and the more
sensible the girl is the less she Is likely
to fall into SO egr'sI0uS an error. Still,
the proportion Of the sex. aged between
sixteen and iwcnty-0nc, which is mlslcd
i'll that way is very large indeed, IA any
one will testify who has had experience
of the conversation and thoughts of
school girls and dcbutants. Nor IS this
idea by any means confined to tins class
OF gossips. Nothin. Is more common
than to hear expressions of wonder why
Mis-; Laura is So long III InarryinS-''a
pretty girl like that, VINO ought obvious
ly, simply on account al her prcttlness,
to have had offers innumeIahlc, and one
at least which could not bc refused Tie
astonishncnt is almost natural and is even
shared by many men who ought by tins
time. if lessons in love and matlImony
were not forever new, to have found out
how little the god IIymcn and tie goddess
Juno generally care for mere outward
show. So true is this, indeed, that if
list were made out on Il sort of competi-
tiun principle, and it were impossible to
observe by the aid of it the relative age
at which plain and pretty girls marry, 1t
may be asserted a!mcst with certainty
that the palm IN the race wouid be carried
OF by the former The plain girl, If she
marrics ut all. mnrric,' Il man who really
qdmlres her, and Is moi merely ambitious
of securing her us an ornament or
feather III his cap. AT the same time II
would he rrcpuslcruns to deuy that the
beauty hn, great advantage IN the com
petition. This advantage is most aptly
,ls we'll rs most easily described by SAYING
that she has 1.-THE best start" In II bali
room or ut any place where the struggle
IL commenced. she il the liISt To catch
the eye ui the man who IL disposed To-
wards matrimuny. Sh" attracts attention
more surely and quickly, just as IL dla-
mund does when compared with pearl
aud If she can make thr most of tins first
impression. she need not fear being
caught and outstrippcd IN the end. The
only question - whether she can make
the most Of these t:tNufs of fortune, or
whether she will not rather even use them
to Il disadvantage. Beauties are more
yniu mud shall We admit ?-ultrn more