Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-23

Dul WIN Il sign l Slall not emo tnlS story.
l am resolved to end smiling, and to have
my readers smiling, too; for which purpose |
have kept an anecdoto for the very latest
line
Sophia would sometimes see her friends at
little tete-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
or she kept up the conversation. How that
woman managed her house and family is
quite beyond my comprehension. Manage
she did, and well, and yet whenever you
called ON her, morning or evening, there she
was, DIRE, ~,d with the Lest taste, her hair
done in faultleSs style, and all the rest of her
attire to match. All, gray-haired Sophia,
you knew-did YOU noti-that one TO whom
you often vouchsafed those gracious inter-
views, in all honor loved you with a more
than hoyi~h love: or what did 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 touch Of refinement
caught from Sophia. And lovers Sophia
had more than me- as he shall see who reads
on TO tn" 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 axoms to
me She was sitting in a low chair, and had
a work basket beside her with which she
kept up kind of Geographic connection in
the shape of thread which Travelled slowly
from the basket to herself, as her fingers
worked ont some mystery in wool
Hand me the paper She said, laying her
needles and work down, II will read them to
you, and explain.
But here Sophia seized with fit of
laughing, greatly tickled it seemed, to find
herself featuring on beauty to me.
II never showed thesa to any one except
yourself she remarked when her mirth was
ended And never meant tn show them to
any one at all. | daresay you will think
them great rubbish"
And so she began with comic preface,
which was not on the paper AZ all:
"'Bcauty Rules, 10y Sophia Brent an
elderly lady. who ought to be thinking of
other things"
"R'dc O0c-A woman's power in the
world i, measured 10y her power to please.
Whatever she may wish to accomplish she
will best manage it by pleasing. \ wo-
mans grand social aim should be to please
"And lot me tell YOU how that is to be
done Sophia said, putting her paper down
for rloment. "A woman can please the eve
by her appearance her Dress her face and
her figure She can please the ear 10y 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 cutivating her own--so far, at
least, as to make her a good listener; and as
much further she will she can please the
fancy 10y 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
prettne,s, though articles of beauty, are
neither the only nor the Indispensable arti-
cles'
in that case" | remarked you will
hardly illustrate your system in pe rSon.'
To this she vouchsafed a smile and mock
courtesy, and read
"Rrde Tiro. Modesty is the ground on
which all woman's charms appear to the
best advantage In manners, dress, CONVEX
sation, remember always that modesty must
never be forgotten
Hardly likely to be-" murmurcd as it,"
understand me, answered Sophia hriSlly,
~ mean mode-ty in a very extended sense.
| There is nowadays 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
on 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-fashoned, and, Of course, we want the
newest fashions in all things. maintain"
Sophia said growing little warm, as if she
fanced | might argue back-"I maintain that
modest woman is the reply of my sex to
brave man-you can no more have n true
woman without mOdesty than true man
without courage. But remember | use the
word molesty in n high sense"
Just what was going to ask | said.
Not prudery,n she added. Prudery Is
TO modesty what brag is to bravery. Pru-
derry is ON the surface modesty is in the
soul Rosalind in her boys suit is delight
fully modest, but not, Sophia said with d
twinkle of her eyc-"not very prudiSh, is
shei'
| aSsented, and thus made way for
"Rule Three-So the woman's aim is 10
please, and modeSty is the first principle in
the art Of pleasing.
Have You anything To say to that" she
demanded,
Not a syllable" | replied. ~ play dis
| ciple this morning
VERY wcll,' she rejoincd. I'VE come,
then, to-
"Rulc Four.-Always dress up to your
age or a little beyond it. Let your person
be the young, st thing about you, not the