Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-28

sns Fsals Of the ssernsr SEX.
From the New Orleans ptcsyun..
Female beauty Is q product Of civilization 1t
Is the direct result OF evolution In the develop.
ment OF the beauty sense IN the male sex and an
enort on the part Of the female to respond to the
demand. II men did not love and desire beauty Of
form and feature, and require IL as q condition Of
their admiration ana homage for women, there
would be no occasion for such beauty and IL would
not exist, for what we know as female beauty is
not according TO nature.
Because there have always been civilized races
OF people possessing many OF the higher arts and
luxuries which civilization alone can create and
for which civilization alone could produce a
demand, there have always within the historic
period been women who fulfilled all It's require
ments OF beauty at each period; but as civilization
taDlisned facts OF savage live for Information in
the American Indians in their Wild state viii tes-
taly that beautiful woman Is unknown among
nsV3a s yo,gss girls z, Wno have not lost the
single attraction that belongs to extreme youth,
but by the time they reach the earliest stage Of
the marks Of the abject and toiisome slavery
which Is their lot. "Ugly-as mud fence" il the
slang expression which his been used on the
frontier 10 descrbe the invariable dearth OF ply.
s1cal beauty common to sQuaws OF every wild
tiibe, without an exception as far as the writer
has seen. The same seems true OF the wild tribes
OF Africa and Asia where the women are the VIC
tins Oh q cruel and brutal serv1tude.
Among the American tribes the women perform
every laborious Office which In civilized life would
foil upon the other sex, While the men only follow
The chase and the warpath. The balance OF the
time Is spent In supreme idleness and self.indul-
gence. They esteem their women only as beasts
Of burden. They are not even dlehined TO the
rank OF toys or playthings with which the owner
and master may amuse his leisure moments. 1t is
alone required that sQuaw shall be strong and
aDle-oodied, with sufficient knowledge OF the
duties Of her station II there Is any beauty In the
1.-the, athletic and gallant-looking fellows, dan
dies N dress and coxcombs In vanity: An indian
brave VIII spend much time With his toilet, and
which he delights to peruse his nneamsnJa, gaa-
Ing at them by tue hour.
lower animals in regard TO beauty. The peacock,
the chicken-cocK. the turkey-cock, and indeed all
male birds are more Gorgeous and brilliant as to
alone with the care Of the young. Even among Inc
Greeks, until their Spartan simplicity was cor
rupted by Persian luxury, female beauty was not
that 1t was their destiny to be the mothers Of
riors. They hardened their muscles and made
Their bodies vigorous by means Of athletic exer-
cises Tney were not called On TO possess beauty,
and did not cultivate any GIFTS arts The virtuouS
wi res and modest maidens were kept in seciusion,
not as the ladies OF oriental harernS, but SIMPLY as
drudyes to do sne FAMILY WORK Helen, Aspasia,
Phryne. and the rest Of the women celebrated In
Greek history or art were courtesans from tue
ence Of Asiatic manners. So destitute OF ideal
beauty were the Greek women that tine sculptors
were compelled TO send abroad for the
statues that are to-day the wonder and
perfection vi the sculptors art.
IN Persia. India, Egypt, Pnenicia, Arabia, and
Judea. from the earliest historic times the value
OF female beauty was fully appreciated. Its praise
was sung by the poets and It's influence was
corded by historians. Women realized that to be
beautiful was to De powerful. Their perfection Of
physical charms conquered men, While intelii-
gence and tact could avail TO maintain control
over the men only first ensnared. Clrcassia and
Georgia, for ages the recruiting grounds Tor tue
harems OF oriental sultans became worid-fam0us
Tor the beauty OF their women because every
mother realized that her daughter Was possible
empress, and every girl hoped 10 snare Jnrone,
provided she We're beautiful. Ii thus became q
dream Of NE, the object Of existence, for every
woman In the country TO be beauurul, for ser own
sake or FOR that OF her offspring, and under such
Influences, operating for generations, the wolnen
under favorable conditions could not Iail to per-
Iect In form and feature according 10 the demand.
IL appears then that the art sense or apprecia-
ton OF beauty must first originate with the men
so as 10 create a demand 1or beautiful women.
The present sentiments vi the female breast are
concentrated In lofty deslre to BE- worthy OF the
hignest requirements OF men. When The demand
Tor beauty OF BODY and face ID impressed upon
womea they may recognize that II Is not the
worthiest standard or female excellence, out
since It is the Quality apparently most desired
they concentrate their efforts 10 comply with
what appe rs to be profound duty, and the evo-
Iution OF physical perfection Is commenced. Well
Will IL be II moral and mental Developments shall
Keep pace with The growth OF bodily beauty. But
IN This case, II Their ne wrong committed by
tAis Undue demand Tor physical charms, 1t must
De Laid TO the cost Of men who set the standard to
which the women are virtually forced to conform
In Europe, after the fail OF the Roman empire
the demand Tor beautiful women declined with the
decay OF CIVILIZATION, aud In tbs. dark ages IL was
almost wholly lost. IL revived and grew with the
rise OF the age OF chivaIry until IL became wor-
snip, and was carried 70 degree OF absurd extrav-
agance. In America, under the benencent inru-
eBce OF free institutons the women are PASSING
tnrousn the subtle processes OF an evolution oiler
and proade, Than has been ever before per.enced
ana through It's operations they bid fair 10 become
not DULY the moSsOeautifui In the world, but at
the same time more advanced IN moral and INTEL
tectual intelligence. Nothing can check their de-
veIopment but the failure OF the other sex 10 de-
mand Of women their highest degree OF excellence
mand. When q woman falls 1t Is through the
weakness, the decentralization, the depravity OF
man. women are VIVA, men make them.