Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-03-28
Helps for HOmeIy Women.


st. Evermond tells us that a
woman's last sighs are for her beauty.
And why not For with the fading
beauty Of the face and figure go two
of the most attractive qualities of
any woman, and two which may
never be restored. There is a cer-
tain beauty of old age, and a way to
grow old gracefully, but these in no
sense compensate for the freshness
and delight Of youthful beauty. But
since the fountain Of perpetual
youth is undiscovered, We must make
up our minds to submit with as good
grace as possible to the inevitable.
Ruskin, who, in his younger days,
said many disagreeable things about
women's brains and the female sex
in art, has lived long enough to take
most of them back, and thus gallant
ly comes to the rescue of the sex, one
of whom has written him asking,
"What plain girls are to do" lie
says:
''Those girls who are well-bred,
kind and modest, can never be ofens-
lively plain. Whatever the shape Of
girls mouth may be, she can refine
it by culture and sweet, bright
thoughts till it ceases to be unattract
i've. She cannot make her ears
smaller. physically speaking, but any
girl can make herself graceful and
attractive if she give her head to it.
By genuine kindness and good tenn
per, by cultivating her intellect, by
studying what is best and brightest,
acting on her WOman's natural i'm
pulse to please, she can come to
have such winning ways that no one
will think of her as unbeautiful,"
Ruskin is right, but in this instance
he doesn't go to the end of the sub
iect. The woman who sees youth
and beauty fading away in the dim
light of the past must not be content
with cultivating all the virtues and
graces; she must have all these, and,
in addition, she must note most care
fully the ravages made by relentless
Father Time, and take every means
to conceal or repair them. do not
mean by the use of cosmetics, etc,
etc., but to be more particular than
ever that her hair, which is growing
scanty and gray, is becomingly ar
ranged. that her wardrobe is selected
and made with great nicely and adj
iustment to her face, figure and sur
roundings. There is no more la
mentable sight than "a sheep dress
ed up lamb fashion, To go grad
ualIy from the strong, bright colors
SO becoming to youth, to the grayer
tints, with only here and there bit
of color to give effect, is a difficult
thing, and requires taste and skill.
The complexion changes with the
hair. and it must be remembered to
change the color in dress at the same
time.
One of the greatest attractions a
lady of any age can possess is that
Of sweet, pleasant voice. 1t IS
hard TO get it and keep it IN the right
tone; one must be taught in early
youth the value of it, and be on the
watch night and day to get and keep
a tone that shall, even to a strangers s
ear. speak of kind heart and cul-
tured nature. Those who pay es-
pecial attention to the matter declare
that they are able to detect bad quail
tiles in person through the voice
sooner than in any other way. Those
who endeavor to keep good voice,
as they would their best pies and
cakes, for strangers, invariably be-
tray themselves to an educated and
sensitive ear. We Americans are
accused of having very shrill, sharp
voices. This is attributed to two
causes, viz, climate, and the pre-
dominance of the nervous tempera-
ment among us. In spite of these,
however, pleasant voice may be
cultivated by any lady if she will
: but take the trouble. and it is a
| trouble, DuI Oue Ncn NOAoI ehO IAN
ing. A sweet voice and pleasant
manners may be carried on to ole
age, even to the verge of the grave
A pleasing voice and agreeable man
ner will charm the beholder lons
after the bloom of youth has fadeC
and the attractions of middle ag'
passed away,
, 10 learn to breath properly is on
of the most important things, no
, only for the culture Of the voice, bu
! for the benefit Of the health. /
should be firmly impressed upon tn
mind of every child that the nostril
! are the proper channels througl
: which to breath, not the mouth. No
' only does physiology teach this, bu
the Bible as well, fer are we nc
told that God breathed into Adam
5 nostrips-not mouth-the breath {
/, life !? Continual inhalations throug
! the mouth soon produce an infame
: and feverish condition eff the mucu