The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-04-08
THE CHARMING WOMAN,

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woman with the fascinating woman.
They are different types, and belong to
a different genus.
The charming woman is not deep
nature. She is not always patient ;she
is not, as a rule, good family woman.
She must have the little element vani.
| ty to sustain her through the necessary
| schooling. She has a good deal of
knowledge of human nature, and has
entirely pruned down the egotism that
makes woman utterly unfit for society.
She is naturally of quick sympathies.
and has an amazing power of with
standing ennui. In point of fact, she
is more trained and disciplined than
genius for making the best of every
thing and everybody, and would put
the world in good temper with itself.
She has a deal of good nature and con-
sideration for others, and a talent for
investigating trifies with an attractive
form, like skillful cuisiniere who can
make souff1e out of any small mate
rials.
The term may be most applicable to
an accomplished hostess. The flock of
delicious little inconsistencies about
her make the day go by, harmonize
conflicting natures, and animate the
household. She has an excellent tact,
toning into harmony the sympathies
of f,nr
She need not necessarily be gifted, but
she lends herself to the gift of others
by turns elicits and suppresses them,
and keeps table in perfect tune. She
can deftly turn a subject that is disa-
greeable and lead up to subject that
can crafty. She has the eyes of Argus
watching over her guests comfort, yet
always appears at ease. The charming
woman is not what is understood by
the term good listener, although she
can give the intelligent smile and the
responsive glance that are occasionally
more eloquent than words; but long
stories and Conversational essays are
against her cleed. She loves to make
the conversation ripple; she is attract
ed by the discussion OF the smaller as
poets of life-those that lend them
selves to epigramatic maxims and witty
sayings. She knows how to make
much of the brighter nothings that are
said and she also eXcels in the art of
kindly taking down bore.
She never offends in dress she lags
behind somewhat in adopting the new
est fashions; she is never at the height
but she is never out of fashion. There
is a flavor of individuality in her cos
tune, for she is well aware of the
strong points in her personal appear
ance; and, with subtle coquetry she /
makes the most of them. She enhan-
ces them, but she does it without en-
phasis. 1T is one of the tenets of the
charming woman never to be emphat-
ic. She never offends in taste, and
holds it as the greatest sin to hurt the
feelings. She never drives one into a
corner; never asks a direct question
never pays a direct compliment she
has delightful fashion of insinuating
that she is pleased and interested and
always displays genial appreciation
of her kind. She does not, however,
belong to the tragedy of life, and you
must not exact from her enduring SYM
pathy. Her eyes will grow dim and
her voice soft when she hears tale of
woe: but she will not weight her life
with any emotion beyond that of a
passing moment. She cannot carry a
burden. You must not put high
bred racer to draw a wagon. She has
nothing of the heroine about her; yet
there is certain pluck and determina-
ton in the way she carries out her
philosophy of life, for it requires both
to remain bright and light-hearted as
years go on, without showing any trace
of hardness, and the charming woman
is always and essentially feminine.
She never loses her individuality,
however; never merges it into that OF
the man she loves. She is never SUBJ