Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-24
Buxing a Lookinr GInss.

1aNAA q AUOAAAk OAtS1a
Clara Belle, in a recent New York
letter, INDUCES in the following:
| have had some fun seeinga woman
buy a mirror. What she professed to
want was merely a perfectly true
hand glass-one that would reflect
without distortion; but after watching
her a while | became convinced that
she was looking for one that would
not only reproduce her free without
deterioration, but actually improve it
She was a medium sort OF woman;
that is to say, in age she was just
young enough to expect the clerks to
address her as"Miss," though she had
a husband and forr children; she
escaped being plain, yet hadn't beauty
enough to make people stare at her;
in short, she was of a kind to pass
unnotieed in a crowd. With a woman
who is either positively pretty or posi-
lively ugly the question of looks is
settled once and for all, and her mind
is calm on the subject; but with one
who is about middling there is per
petual aud harassing doubt. One day
she is raised to heaven by a compli-
ment; the next day she is lowered 10
hades by something that can be con-
strued as a disparageInent. Now she
is tolerably well satisfied with herself;
again she is somewhat disguised; all
the time she is in uncertainty. Such,
no doubt, was the woman whom | saw
going through a stock of hand glasses,
trying her face in one after another,
aud convincing herself that allof them
were unreliable. Her nose was a turn
up, and the mirrors made it fairly
raise her upper lip in its wild desire to
touch her forehead. Her teeth we're
big and irregular, and when she smiled
at the glass they looked like tomb
stones standing all ways in neglected
graveyard. She %covertly tried her
sweetest smile on one of the squarest
Of the ~refectors, and partially satisfied,
bought the article. Well, the best OF
as are anxious to look we'll. | laughed
in my sleeve when | heard Of a woman
who was SO abnegatory that, coming
across her semblance Unexpectedly in
a big mirror, while wearing a new suit
and bonnet, she didn't recognize her
self, and exclaimed, "oh, isn't that a
pretty ladyl" No doubt she was
covered with becoming confusion,
when made aware Of her mistake.
I'm a sinpleton, l am, aud believe all
| hear. For instance, when | see an
actress grinning at Joke she has heard
every night for three months, besides
m~atinees, | don't doubt that she is
tickled every time. Contrary to that
theory, however, is what pretty Annie
Russell, said TO be a friend Of mine.
Annie is the South Carolina farmers
innocent, kittenish little daughter in
Esmeralda, at the Madison Square
Theater. She is required IN one scene
TO 90 on the stage with a bright, joy.
Gus smile on her face. Said she: 1T
was easy enough TO show my teeth in
the proper manner along first, but.
after a hundred nights or SO, the work
became so mechanical that sometimes
| couldn't, for the life OF me. tell
whether | was smiling or froWning.
What did l do? l just hung a little
mirror in the wings, and adjusted my
smile by it just before going on the
stage" 1t wouldn't be a bad idea for
our society bellies TO take a hint from
this. Some OF them have no idea, I'm
sure. how much their smiles might be
improved by culture. The trick Of
smiling just enough to show your six.
teen round front teeth and hide the
plugged seventeenth is worth acquir.
ing. Speaking Of mirrors, the fash.
ionable standard Of the day is a long
narrow one resting on its own base.
which stands on tho floor. The glass
that rests on q marble slab at some
distance from the floor is not 20 near
the correct style. An ebony frame.
With gilt ornamentation, is the latest
The wide mirrors DIR nantes are also
in vogue.