The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-25
THE WIDOWS CHARMS.

She l. Today the oueen of Society and
Knows just How to Tascinate.
Time was when the sweet debuntante had
things her own way. Men hal eyes fer moth
inc but the pink and white loveliness Of girl
hood and all hearts went down before the
ingenue, but times have changed, and today
the widow is pre-eminenIly the queen OF 50.
ciety.
One has only TO lool, at New York for con
frmation of this Who receives there the
attention bestowed on Mrs. Hicks Lord or
Mrs Frank Lcsliei And wasn't II the widow
Hamersley who won the duke with all his
titles away from the unmarried women who
were willing to barter away their millions
for a coronetf
It is undcniable that widows are the auto
Gratis Of society, aud men flock about them
wherever they 60 No one has ever denied
their destinations, and Wellers advice 10 his
son. II he wished to avoid matrlmony, 20 'be-
ware Of vidders," has been quoted thousands
Of times In many ways the widow has the
advantage Of her younger sisters. She has
benefit Of a larger knowledge and experience
Of the world, her arts and cOquetries are per
fected, not in the experimental and undevel-
oped state of the debutantes; and, above all
she has the inestimable advantage Of know
Inc men with the accurate and intimate
knowledge gained by association with one
who was probably fair representative OF
his sex.
She knows how to give delicious little din
ners that make the most hardened bachelor
think indulgently Of the marriage state. She
knows that man likes his ease, and does not
insist on his dancing perpetual attendance on
her. She does not insist on mans talking
about balls and theatres and new german NJ
ures. She follows rather his lead 70 his own
ground. and listens with subtle fattery Ia
ewes and face while he dcscants on his favor
ite hobby. a young girl IS always self cen
tered. absorbed in her own affairs, her
dresses, her parties--it Is only grace and art
that teaches a woman to sink her own per
sonality in the presence Of the person with
whom she is talking
Perhaps one Of the chief claims of widows
is their understanding Of the fine art Of sym
PATTY The sympathy Of a young girl VINO
has known nothing but Joy Is a crude and I'M
satisfying affair, the very husks on which no
love could feed, but the sympafhy Of a widow,
tenderly. daintily expressed with a gentle
melancholy that shows that she, too, has slf
fered-it is like the soft shadows in a picture,
or the minor chord in piece Of music that
sets the pulses throbbng Having mourned
for q man. she knows how most effectively 70
mourn with one.
She is fascinating whether she is gay and
dashing, and, Ike one Of Thackerays hero
ines. us ~ years Old, and has heard every
thing there is 10 be told, >" OF whether she is Of
the demure, affectonate type, whose clinging
helpleSsness is so much like the vino torn from
It's support that some man Is iir,~istibly com
PEELED 10 offer himself as u substitute for the
missing prop.
1t may be she is the religious widow who
visits the pastor for spiritual consolation. and
et whose meekly bowed head the rector, on Il
Sunday, aims all his best rhetoric, or tho rich
patron OF art widow who SECS mute, In
glorious Milton in every penny bard, and a
Raphael in every sign painter. 1t makes lit
tie difference in which class it has pleased
Heaven 10 place her, she IS always and Uni.
versally beuitching.
It is n little strange. considering tho I'm
portant part widows play In society, that the
noyelists, who claim to he the photographers
of society, do not of,ener choose her for the
heroine of their stories. Amelie Rives, who Is
II wise woman in her day, makes the heroine
If her story widow; the widow in Indian
Summer l. not only one OF the best charac-
tiers Howells ever drew, but makes the young
girl look pale and colorless beside her, and
Dickens pays his tribute 70 the widow
charms by making his men fly from the fasci-
nations they know they are powerless TO resist
This is, inter all, the GROWING tribute to the
powers OF the widow. New Orleans Picayuna