Morning journal and courier., 1885-02-12
HOW TO BECOME A BELLE.
A Social Philosophers Valuable Sug.
 gestiOns to Debutantes HandIIns

CT day, to party of gorgeously dressed loun
 gers in the bay window of an uptown club
 Somebody had just expressed mild surprise
 at the phenomenal success of one of this sea
 sons debutantes, whose engagement to a wis
 iting scion of English aristocraey has recently
 been unofficially announced.
 Beauty won't do it, nor money either
 though the last is, of course, always marriag,
 able. The combination of these two will go
 a long ways toward it-that is to say, the pos
 sessor will always be sought after. But to
 be the thing, you know, to make hit
 that's quite another matter. The unfolding of a bud," continued the speaKer enthusias
 tically, ' so that she will not only become s rare flower, but fragrant, penetrating and dominant, is delicate but delightful science I'm professor of it, myself, in way"
 He was urged to expound the art
 Well" he proceeded, not unwillingly
 there's my niece, you know, who has taken so immensely. Nobody ever called her beau tiful, and the family are quite ont at the el
 bows, all know. But had her in hand just before she came out, and you see the re- suit. My experience with this subject leads me to formulate certain fundamental princi pies of feminine attraetiveness. In the first place girl must size herself up-must know her strong points and her weak places. If she isn't beautiful to start with, her first business is to produce the result of beauty
 To begin with the mouth-easily the most expressive feature of woman's face. Yet few women have Cupid's bows or rosebuds. Suppose it is small, full-lipped and blunt cor nered, with bad teeth. A grin makes it hid eous, and such mouth should never laugh. Itspreads into unmeaning platitudes the blunt corners and makes the eyes swollen by crink- ling the cheeks, always plump in such face.
 Ioa1, affa< lively in pout, and pouts can be shy, sug- gestiye, arch and piquant, as well as sorrow ful. With lips very slightly parted and the corners in the fafntest upward curve, howev- CT, is their normal position. Not so large a mouth with thin lips and minion teeth Flashes of broad smiles, succeeded at once by a demure compression of the lips, are tremen- dously taking in such mouth and the lips need only gentle droop at the corners to convey the idea of sensibility and seductive melancholy.
 " Rightly managed" continued this new professor of belles-lettres, warming with the theme, C the eyes are always highly useful Most women's eyes are not remarkable un- less we'll handled. What that is depends on the owners general style. If her phases ot character are ea1nestness and repose sine should look only out of the tops of the eyes. Note this, gentlemen. How earnest the glance with the head bent downward how silly the eyes with the chin salient The glance over the tops so full of soul, of sheer ity. of consummate trustfulness When moved indolently with rare, burning, yet half sleepy appeal through dusky lids they can be simply irresistible Suppose, howev- CT, our subject is round-eyed, brisk and gay, depending for effect on chic and girlish aban- don. She must wear her eyes wide Cpen, gaze straight from the pupil, Dnd may wink with impunity The saucier and more rest locS hal hatt P1aDtv of irGi tr the first effect would be taken at once by this type:"'
 .' The hair is generally ill-arranged Few women seem to understand that there shouli be no more fashion in hair-dressing than in bonnets. How seldom we see profnse, rip bling locks coiffed a Iabandon ! Yet it is much better displayed 80, than in tight coils. On the other hand, snub-nosed women, with skimpy hair, persist in wearing the simple Greek knot where every rule of art and com mon sense should pile their scant tresses on top of their heads, with rats curls, puffs, waves, and all the other fictitious aids possi- blo. In fact, a woman should practice what style of hairdressing and bonnet is most be- coming, and never depart from it. wo- man is classified above the e. ebrows. First impressions are irrevocable.
 {" The figure should accantuate the charac- ter of the hair and bonnet-be 8 sort of em- phasis and determination of the general style. No woman with an artist for a dressmaker has an excuse for a bad shape-unless, of course, sine is hopeiessly corpulent. She should drees with single eye to her charac- ter, previously determined on. Many bus band has been lost by abrupt departures in attire. It disturbs mans calculations and shocks his sensibilities to have the object of last nights passion, in flowing drapery and graceful train, appear next morning Ill kilt and Jersey. He has admired the Greek !; ba su66anlv transfer his heart tO a gypsy.
 are by no means all to learn. 1 have sug- gested that the manner must correspond with the general character. Let me now show some of the essentials of good manner. No field of battle is more trying, and yet more decisive, than the dinner table. Here all may be lost or won. Every woman must eat daIn tily and some with curving, swan neck, ivo- " wrists, pour hot-shot into the enemy with every movement. The strategic secret of this position is to take time. Too many inexpe rienced young creatures plunge into mad charge at once. Through soup and fish the besieger must deploy cautiously. Till after the first glass or so of wine, the heart of man is an impregnable fortress. Heavy firing must not begin before the punch la Romaine. All the batteries should open with the game, and general attack should continue until coffee. But not yet the grand charge Not till after dinner the attempt to pierce the en- emy's center. It is then only that the mas culine heart is wholly open to the assault of softer passions.
 "Women too often neglect the voice. As a matter of fact American women speak hor- ribly. They know neither accent, infection, modulation nor pitch in conversation. Of the crisp, rounded, even melody of an Eng speech, they know nothing. But much is gained by remembering that it is 8 yoi 4a horin and in tone he speaks, to pitch her reply a note lower. The effect is unutterably tran utilizing, and the mans ears are not rasped by the uncalculated pitch and barbarous in 1ection of the babbling tongue. Her low con traito notes are to him as plummets from the deeper heart, sounding his own. As to con versation itself, if woman's person IS ad- mired to begin with, this is the least ot her troubles. The trick is borne with few only. It is enough to remember that though they are sweet subjects and men like to hear about them. the average man had rather talk than listen. provided he talks about himself-and that's a topic easily enough led up to.
 ssMerriment should be very discretely in- dulged in. No man ever began to love, or to make love while 8 woman was laughing. Sub dued tones are softening and trustful seri- ous subjects invite confidence. Besides, most men are jovial in society themselves world ly, gay and frivolous. But if men of natural feeling and sentiment, withal, they like un- not to say piety, in women.- Therefore the gentler, tenderer, more inno- cent and more sympathetic their fair com panion, the more they furtively admire and respect her. Again, accurate information about anything is perilous accomplishment Although most men know few subjects tho roughly, they'll always hazard an opinion on any-and they like to be appealed to proViu- ed they think the feminine mind IS really lg- norant. So let women appeal to their superi- or wisdom, and don't betray their blunders, and above all things, don't contradict or in any way air culture. Every woman should know that no man ever loved woman for her book learning.
 ssThat's about the substance of the lecture gave my niece," concluded the whlte-gal-