The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-03-10
Beauty and t;1ceIEsncc.

Many persons nave the notion
that beauty il something entirely
apart from excellence or usefulness
However desirable it may De in it.
self considered TO refine and soften
mankind, it Is usually thought Of
acl as an inherent necessity OF our
nature, aud not as an esse0lll part
of s0und and sterling valus. tul
rather as a felicitoe- appendage on
ly 20 be sought after al useful quail
ilies have been secured. Yet atruer
idea of beauty would give it a deep
er place both in nature and in art.
II Is not an after-thought,to be taken
up or laid aside as opportunity or
accident suggests; not luxury TO
be postponed uutil all fancied needs
are supp led. 1t Is intimately con-
nected with excellence, aud Is fire.
quently a token Of Its presence.
There is nothing really beautiful
that Is wholly useless nothing per-
feet of its kind that mas not also
beauty OF Its own.
Nature, it Is true, teens with
beauty, which, IS It appears 70 our
limited vision, has no other purpose
than 10 delight tie eye Cf man. Yet
all researches into her secrets show
Us how thoroughly her beauty en-
ters into and forms a part of her per-
fiction. Mountain and sea, valley
and lake, river and forest, all have
thet own character aud destiny, and
il is these that are revealing them
selves to us through the emotions
which subllmity or lOveliness al
ways excite \ tree that bears
neither fruit nor foliage, that sug-
gests no idea OF shade for man or
shelter for bird, does not impress Us
with a sense Of beauty. Neither
would a tish that could not swim,
bird that could not hv. or 2 horse
that showed no mark of strength or
heetness.
So in mans productions. there
must be fitness before there can be
beauty We cannot admire the ed
ifice that is i'll bull. and tOtteriug, or
the ship that cannot breast the waves
or the machinery that lacks smooth
ness aad power. The dress that ex
poses the wearer TO the cold of win
ter or the heat of fsummer cannot by
any adOTnmeut be made truly beau
titul. Whatever. in fact i1paiTs the
value or usefulness Of an article i'm
pairs also It's beauty, and the more
SURPRISING the performance the more
claim II has to be considered beauti-
fu!. Beauty IS far more than mere
ornament OF establishment it be-
longs, first of all. 10 the intrinsic ft-
ness OF things and to their real val
ue. No one, therefore, who does
thoroughly good, honest work Of any
sind need feel that be can contrib
Ute nothing to the beauty Of the
world, Tor he Is doing 1t IN the most
effective and permanent manner.
We do rot mean that this excellence
exhaGsts all the beauty IN nature
and art. There are laws Of beauty
which II Is well 20 study and observe
apar: from what We call simply USE
iul. There are shadings of color
and graces Of form and delicacy Of
texture which We al agree to be
beautiful, vet Of which We cannot
discover other practical use than
the pleasure they afford Even
these, however. must have their
foundations laid IN real worth if
their beauty is to survive. All
snams. all shallow and imperfect
work, done without earnestness or
for gain and show, must eventually
be - destitute OF real beauty as they
are OF practical use. But Just as a
true diamond gains IN lustre by pol
ishIng that would wear away false
stone. so superior work honoEably
performed Is capable Of taking on It
more and more beauty with every
fresh effort.
So with character. It cannot be
beautiful until it is good and true,
for In that very goodness and truth
does It's beauty reside. It i when
virtue becomes spontaneous, when
rIght-thiDking and right-doing are
the natural Out-breathiug of the soul,
that we recognize and admire the
beauty of character. This il, how
ever, the rich fruit that grows only
upon the strong trees Of earnest
striving and virtuous endeavor. IL
is well, then, ever to bear in mind
that while beauty has many off
shoots in which we may Justly de-
light, 1t must to De worthy Of its
name, have It's roots deeply PLANTED
in the soil OF goodness. truth and
excellence. When this is so then
The thing of beauty Is Joy forever
It's loyeliness increases; il viii never
Pass into n0thinguess."
Little Talk About Borax
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