The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-09-20
SOUTHERN WOMEN AT THEIR BEST.
A Summer Resort Where Beauty Is More
than Style Wealth.

Bab's White Sulphur Springs Letter
to the New York Star: The Young
Southern woman is undoubtedly seen
at her best here. She can dance all
morning, all evening, appreciate a
courtesy in the way of a mint julep
just before going to bed, and wake up
the next day early in the morning, that
she may take walk with her latest
adorer. She is as pretty as a peach,
and she is like the peach in the French
fruiterer's shop, for which the most
enormous price is demanded. She is
absolutely spotless. Scandal has not
played with her name; she is innocent
of the fast life of London or the more
vicious one of Paris; she is happy in
her own good looks; she appreciates
like child, the compliments paid her,
and, bllssful creature, unbelief or even
stray doubt as to the goodness of the
world at large, aud her own world in
particular, has never entered her head.
She dances through her season, is prob
ably married during the next winter,
and after that comes to the White as
young matron; she keeps ON coming
every year, until suddenly some old
gentleman wakes up to the fact that
the belle of eighteen years ago is going
daughter. The old gentleman will
shake his head and remark that ''she
is handsome and that the good blood
in her shows itself, but, after all, will
there ever be one who is as handsome
as her mOther?"
The air is full of stories about the
bellies of the days gone by. Miss Page
Aylett is here now as Mrs Will
liam Royal ,and it's quite natural to re-
member how summer or two ago she
reigned supreme. The stories oftenest
told are those of Matte Ould, the fa-
nous Richmond beauty. who broke the
record, which only permitted belle
to last one season, and who was the
beauty and wit of the old White for
many year. Her rival at one time
was Miss Triplett; the one was all
beauty, but beauty OF an Italian mar
BILE statuette; the other was equally
beautiful, but added to it she had the
quickness and wit of a woman of the
world. One day at n breakfast give to
the two beauties Miss Triplett was
asked to give toast. In her freezing
way she declined, and the same de-
mand was made of witty Matty Ould,
who, rising to her feet, holding up q
glass of champagne. gave a Frenchy
little bow to her rival, and said:--
''Grace, beauty, and youth make q
Triplett." They tell a million stories
about her, and she well, she lies
sleeping quietly near the James River,
her grave covered always with the
daisies she loved so well and which she.
always wore.
am sure you are going to ask me,
one question, and that is, do the South
i'll n
say they do not. Whether the dress
makers down there do not know how
to bring out their best points, or
whether these absolutely young, peach
like creatures think that beautiful
gowning is not necessary framing,
or just what the reason is, / do not.
know, but the fact remains the same.
| look at one of them every day with
great pang of my heart, for, lovely as
she is, | can imagine how a master;
like Worth would increase her charms
double. She does extremely well that
something which is unusual among
women = she walks gracefully. It
seems to me as if for the first time
absolutely understood the meaning of
the word undulate, for as her body
moves it is in unison with the air about
her, and this lovelinesS is hidden. as
far as possible, under starched mon
strOsity known as a muslin dress.
Venus herself, unless she went into
the sea first with it on, -wOuld have her
way of treading the earth made COM
monplace if her frock looked like an
advertisement fora laundry or a starch
manufacturer. | wanted to see that
beautiful being put into an Empire
gown of soft creapon that would give
in to every curve of her figure and
would make that walk impress itself ON
the eyes of everybody who realized
how awkard the average woman is,
and who would give thanks that they
had had the opportunity to see what
Dryden meant when he wrote about
''divine steps" Of course, Dolly, you
know l adore cotton. | think there
are no gowns quite so delicious or so
entirely fetching as those of muslin,
but don't think they ought to be
washed. Entire nous the Southern girl
runs too many pettieoats. and they
rustic and are not nice. The frou-
frou of a silk gown is charming, the
rustic of starched petticoat is vulgar,
and these are the distinctions that the
Southern maiden quite fails to see.