The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-09-19
The Modern I" Belle"

Az the taste of the times runs "a
Their to the unique and uncommon
We are not surprised at the impa
thence of the loveliest ladies At being
termed "belles." The title has be.
come 80 common, Is promiscuously
applied, that it is not regarded any
longer as q compliment. For nova
days too many women are designated
40 bellies. And the fact 10 that
large majority OF these are constant.
ly before the pubic, mostly in a not
very favorable light. The foolish
creature who don't know enough 10
keep within her depth at the seaside
10 always, in the report Of the drown
ing, described as belle. Every girl
who is murdered, outraged, who runs
away with the most vulgar lothario,
marries the colored coachman, gets
up a public swimming match, or does
something loud or unfeminlne, IL al
ways described as zone Of the bellies"
Of the place where she came FROM
At the ball or the walking match, the
church or the theatre, a musicale or
q murder, the female 10 Invariably
described as having been at one time,
If not then, a "beautiful belle" of the
place. The time was when the word
Was used with more discrimination
and then conveyed compliment. 1t
described lady Of rem arkable beau-
~ and attractiveness. The belle of
Q town was the acknowledged beau
~; the belle Of the ball was the one
most admired and sought after; the
belle Of the evening was the fairest
cha mer present. But of late the
word has been applied Sc rromiscu.
ously and With so little judgment
that IL carries with it rather suspi.
eious favor. The pathos Of a poison
cell, where some wretched being dies
or maudles, is heightened by the grs
tuitous information that the deprav
ed creature was once "a BELLE OF
some place. Nobody in that particu
lar locality may have ever noticed or
heard Of the poor thing in the days
Of her innocence, but when she turns
out to be an unfortunate, and it il
learned that she was born and raised
10 some particular spot, at once she
10 described as having At some indef
mite period been belle of that burg.
Any one to read the papers and note
how many bellies are constantly dy.
ing, going to the bad, getting drown
ed, shot, beaten to death, arrested as
confidence women, shoplifters and
thieves, and doing all manner ofhor
rible, offensive and pitiful things, as
we'll as getting married and other
wise retiring from what seems to he
a most delightful and admirable con
dition, must imagine either that the
crop Of bellies is abnormally exten.
sive, that they are very common, or
that the whole race OF beauties is
fast disappearing.
The result is that ladies generally
are coming TO conclusion that it ia
not so creditable to be a belle. The
class seems singled out for unfemi
nine and unpleasant distinction;
they ara too unfortunate and too vul.
carly conspicuous. For all ladies
can not be bellies, and since the small
percenta ,e entitled to the name fur
nish such an immense proportion of
the wicked and the wronged, the un.
fortunate and the conspicuous, the
truly modest, refned aud delicate
majority are growing superstitiously
sverse to being classed with them.
Hence ladies are growing to regard
tue term when applied TO them as
rather q doubtful compliment, and
will doubtless continue to 60 90 un
til the press uses more discrimina
ton in the application Of it or the
exploiting females cease to he drawn
from that peculiar class Eek.
-"SErzrsa the gigantic Indian
round the waist the brave boy lifted
him into the air and flung him head.
long down the chasm. Painting. the
boy stood and watched the Indians
body fall from crag to crag until it
disappeared in the darkness below.
Just al this moment" Just at