Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-06-25

SBy which / mean" Sophia said, looking 40
mo with knitted browg, as Il she were about
% explain some matter not altogether clear
% herself, shat In all our gayety there ought
70 be q hint Of self-recollection. Do you un-
ierstand me ~
"Not quite" I said.
"This I know certainly" she replied "the
most agreeable women / have met with-and
think the most regarded-have been women
Of rank, who have been trained with a due
regard for religion. Their worldly educa-
ton had made them mindful Of grace and
liveliness; their religious education kept these
qualities under a particular sort Of control,
which is perceptibly different from mere
good breeding, 1t seems to me that vivacity
and sprightliness are greatly enhanced by a
vein Of seriousness. Certainly no woman
ought to be a mocker.
"Next," she continued, seeing l did not
speak, Comes
@Rule Eight.-Always speak low.
II wonder why I put that down. 1t is 50
obvious. In support of it I need only quote
your Shakespeare, who calls it AN excellent
thing in woman"
"Rule Mne.-A plain woman can never be
pretty. She can always be fascinating if she
takes pains.
81 well remember" Sophia said, after
reading this to me rather questionable asser-
ton, "a man who was a great admirer of our
sex telling ms that one of the most f~ascinat-
ing woman he had ever known was not only
not pretty, but as to her face decidedly plain
ugly, only the word is rude. | asked my
friend: How, then, did she fascinateF l
well remember his reply. Her figure said
he, was neat, her dressing was f%aultless, her
every movement was graceful, her converse
ton was clever and animated, and she
Arrays tried to please. 1t was not | alone
that called her fascinating; she was one Of
the most acceptable women in society I ever
knew. She married brilliantly and her hus-
bandRR barrister in large practice, was de.
votedNeb her-more than if she had been a
queen of Beauties
"Now here" Sophia continued, resuming
her own discourse-''here was a woman who,
excepting a fairly neat figure, had not a
single natural gift of appearance. Is not
this worth our thinking about-those Of us
women who care to please and are not
beauties born2'
"Rule TFl.-Every year a woman lives
the more pains she should take with her
dress.
"The dress Of us elderly DANES" Sophia
said, laughing, Sought to be more of a science
than it is. How often one hears a woman Of
fifty say, %, my dressing days are pastT
When" adds Sophia, "if she thought about
it, they have only well begun. At least, the
time has come when dress is more to her than
ever. Remember, from forty to sixty-fve is
a quarter of a century-the third of a long
life. 1t is the period through which the
majority of grown-up people pass, And yet
how little pains women take-how little
thought beforehand-to be charming then!
"And now" she went on, seeing I did not
speak, "here comes my last rule-as YETI
"Rule Eeren.- In all things let a woman
ask what will please the men of sense before
she asks what will please the men of fashion"
II by no means intend" she added, that a
woman is not to have regard to the opinion
Of men of fashion, only she should not give
it the first place. She will carry the men Of
fashion sooner by methods that please the
men Of sense than men of sense by methods
that please men Of fashion. And besides,
listen to the men of fashion. They always
praise a woman for things which begin to
perish at twenty-five. Even the old men Of
seventy will talk of "a fine girl-deucedly fine
figure'" wish l could give an idea of
Sophia's slightly wicked mimicry at this
passage.) Sand they will call a woman
rather on the decline, when, if she is on the
decline, where and what are they9 You see,
il a woman lives for the commentator OF
men Of fashion she will, if pretty, piquant,
or what not, have a reign of ten years. But
if she remembers that she has charms Of
mind and character and taste, as well as
charms of figure and complexion, the men Of
sense will follow her for half a century; and
in the long run the men of fashion will be led
by the men Of sense.
"And there" Sophia cried merriIy, throw.
ing the paper down on the rug beside her
there are my rules for reforming our little
world of women!"