The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-17
CHAP Ter III.

slips through tired fingers, Il have tried,
and tried, and Jaiiea
CHAPTER III.
LADY BEAUTY TEACHES LADIES ALL HOW
TO BE BEAUTIFUL,
But with sigh shall not end this story
am resolved to end smiling, and 10 have
my readers smiling, too for which purpose |
have kept an anecdote for the very latest
line
Sophia would sometimes see her friends at
little tetc-a -tete visits. and here she would
discourse, as she only could, on all kinds of
subjects, or she would let her friends dis
course. The charm Of Sophia was, that you
could never tell exactly whether it was YOU
OF she kept up the conversation How that
woman managed her house and family is
quite beyond my comprehension Manage
she did, and well, and vet whenever you
called on her, morning evening there she
was, dressed with The test taste, her hair
dcne in taultiess style, and all the rest Of her
attire to match All, gray-haired Sophia,
you knew-did you not.-that one TO whom
you often vouchsafed those gracious inter-
views, i'll all honor loved you with more
than boyish love? OF what did we not talk
Literature, music, pictures, history, gossip
now and then, but somehow one always went
away from that drawing room with a more
cheerful heart with nobler views and hopes
Of human life. with a touch of refinement
caught from Sophia. Ana lovers Sophia
had more Than me. as he shall see who reads
on to the now nearing close
One morning-well | remember it-as
Sophia and myself sat thus alone, Percival
being occupied with a fossil, drew from my
pocket that little paper of Beauty Rules, Of
which / told YOU some time ago, saying that
should like her to explain these axioms to
me. She was sitting in low chair, aud had
a work basket beside her, with which she
kept upa kind of Geographic connection in
the shape of thread which Travelled slowly
from the basket TO herself, as her fingers
worked out some mystery in wool
Hand me the paper she said, laying her
needles and work down. Il will read them to
you, and explain"
But here Sophia was seized with A fit of
laughing, greatly tickled, it seemed, to find
herself lecturing on beauty to me.
Il never showed thesa to any one except
yourself she remarked, when her mirth was
ended And never meant to show them TO
any one at all ] darcsay you will think
them great rubbish
And so she began with a comic preface,
which was not on the paper at all:
Beauty Rules, by Sophia Brent, an
elderly lady, who ought to be thinking of
other things
"Ruie One.-A woman's power in the
world is measured hy her power TO please
Whatever she may wish to accomplish she
will best manage it by pleasing. A wo-
mans grand social aim should be to please.
"And let me tell YOU how that is to be
done, Sophia said, putting her paper down
for moment "A woman can please the eve
by her appearance, her dress, her face and
her figure She can please the ear by study
ing the art of graceful elocution, not hard to
any Of us, for by nature we speak with finer
articulation than YOU She can please the
mind by cultivating her own-so far, al
least, as to make her 4 good listener: and as
much further as she will she can please the
fancy by ladies' wit, of which all of US have
share. She can please the heart by ami
ability. See here" she continued, growing
graver, "you have the key of my system.
Beauty of person is only one feature of true
beauty Run over these qualities. See how
small part personal beauty or the freshness
of youth plays here. want you to observe
this: for my art would consist not in making
women attractive who are openly pretty and
young, but in showing them that youth and
prettiness, though articles of beauty, are
neither the only nor the Indispensable arti-
cles"
"In that case" ] remarked, you will
hardly illustrate your system in pc rson."
To this she vouchsafed q smile and mock
courtesy, and read:
"Rule Tpo -Modesty is the ground on
which all womans charms appear to the
best advantage. In manners, dress, CONVEX
sation. remember always that modesty must
never be forgotten
Hardly likely to be-" murmured. as it :"
Understand me- answered Sophia briskly.
" mean modesty in very extended sense
There is nowadays a tendency in women to
rebel against old-fashioned modesty The
doctrine of liberty is spreading among us, for
which thank God" Sophia said (she was the
oldest little mixture of Tory and Wing and
Radical ever compounded on this eccentric
EARTH "But the first effects of that doctrine
IN our minds are little confusing We are
growing more independent and more individ.
ual Some of us fancy that to be modest is to
be old-fashioned. and, of course, we want the
newest fashions in all things. | maintain,
Sophia said, growing little warm, as if she
faneied might argue back-M maintain thai
modest woman is the reply of my sex to 9
brave man-you can no more have a true
woman without modesty than true mar
without courage. But remember, use the
word modesty in a high sense"
Just what was going to ask" ! said.
mot prudery,' she added. "Prudery il
to modesty what brag is to bravery Pru
derry is on the surface modesty is in tn
soul. Rosalind in her boys suit is delight
| twinkle of her eye-"not very prudish, il
| she?n
assented, and thus made way for
! ''Rute 1hree.-So the woman's aim is {,
please, and modesty is the first principle il
the art Of pleasing
| Have you anything to say to thatln sh
demanded
Not syllable, replied. 81 play dis
ciple this morning
Every wen,n she rejoined 1--WE come
then, to
"Rate Four.-Always dress up to you
age or little beyond it. Let your perso
be the youngest thing about you, not tn
| Oldest.
"a very important lesson for women q
forty Sophia remarked, speaking with
! seriousness which amused me. 1.-THE al
tempt to dress for young almost invariabl