River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-03-14
MAX O'RELL'S VIEWS
low We Looked to the Vivacious and
Wide-Awake French Satirist.


Wide-Awake French Satirist.
From Max O'Relrs book on his
American visits The American men
are generally thin. Their faces glow
With intelligence and energy, and in
his mainly consists their handsome
ness. | do not think it can be possible
20 see anywhere finer assemblage of
men than that which meets at the Cent
lry Club of New York every first Sat
lrday of the month. II is not male
beauty such as the Greeks portrayed
il, but manly beauty in all its intel
Iectual force. The hair. often abund-
ant, is neglige. sometimes even almost
1isOrdered looking; the dress displays
! taste and care, without aiming at ele-
gance; the face is pale and serious, but
lights up with an amiable smile; you
divine that resolution and gentleness
live in harmony ia the American char
acter.
The features are bony, the forehead
straight, the nose sharp, and often
pinched-looking in its thinness. At
times, one seems to recognize in the
faces something of the Indian type;
the temples indented, the cheek-bones
prominent, the eyes small, keen and
deep set. The ell-bred American is
to my mind a happy combination of
the Frenchman and the Englishman,
having less stiffness than the latter.
and more simplicity than the former.
As fOr women, ! do not hesitate to
say that in the East, in New York es-
pecially, they might perfectly well be
taken for French women. 1t is the
same type, the same gait, the same
vivacity, the same petulance, the same
amplitude of proportions
The beauty of the American women,
like that of the men, is due much more
10 the animation of the face than to
form or cOloring. The average of
good looks is very high. indeed. / do
not remember to have seen one hope
lessly plain woman during NY six
months ramble through the States.
American women generally enjoy
that second youth which Nature be-
slows also on numbers of French wom-
en-. At forty they bloom out into a
more majestic beauty. The eyes re-
tain their fire and luster, the skin does
not wrinkle, the hands, neck and arms
remain firm and white IT is true that
in America hair turns gray early, but,
so far from detracting from the wom-
ans charms. it gives her an air of dis
tinction, and is often positively an at
traction.
If the Americans descend FROM the
English, their women have not in
herited from their grandmothers either
their teeth, their hands or their feet.
| have seen in America the daintiest
little hands and feet in the world (this
is not an Americanism.)
The New Workers. and BostOnians
will have it to be that Chicago women
have enormous feet and hands. was
willing to believe this, up to the day
went to Chicago. | found the Chicago
women, and those of the West gener-
ally, pretty, with more color than their
Eastern sisters, only, as a rule, quite
slight, not to say thin.
That which is lacking in the pretty
American faces of the East is color
and freshness. The complexion is
pale and it is only their plumpness
which comes to their rescue after
thirty and prevents them from look
ing faded. Those who remain thin
generally fade quickly, the complex
ion becomes the color of whity-brown
paper, and wrinkles freely.
more outdoor exercise; if they let the
outer air penetrate constantly in their
rooms; if they gave up living in hot
houses, they would have some color,
and their beauty need perhaps fear no
connection in EurODe.