The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-06
IDEALS OF BEAUTY.
They Arc Widely different ard Without
PnsAih lily of I'm rzn

Y
They Arc Widely Different and without
Possib lily or iiarmonizing.
There ase few subjects that give rise
to more differences of opinion than tho
f-sauty of individuals. The artists havo
stapdlras of. beauty that serve we'll
enough for the ideal face on canvas or
for the mttrSio statue, but these stand
ards have little application to tho human
countcnanco Us found iE living men and
women. Some of tho disagrecmcnts re-
) specting professional beauty arise from
>he fact that some people regard the
artistic standards, while others caro-
little for regularity OF features. but see
beauty only in the mobile faces ard OK
pressive eyes. A woman may gain rep
utation as u beauty because of her regu-
lar features and fino complexion, yet
2disappont thousands who 90 to see
her because her beauty is thas Of
sihoN iiiarbu statue and lacks OK
preston. On tho other hand wom-
an quite homely when her features
are in rcposc may by her vivacity and
charming expression whom in an mated
conversahoh earn The tributes paid 10
her beauty Hamlet says that .thcro
is nothing either good or bad but think
ing makes it SO" and this is particularly
true Of beauty. The fGco OF 4 stranger
that appears commonplace, or even
homelY, may, TO transformed by tho
power oiioyc into an object of beauty.
ut is thinking makes it so When the
stranger becomes tho friend or lover
one looks below the surface Thcirrcg-
ular features, disiigurcd skin or other
phys Cal iaul is having become familiar TO
G.it go
expression, the kindly Smilc. the lovinr
glance of the eye, revealing, rs il seems,
some thing Of the soul-thcsc arc soon.
and give the impression OF beauty,
espcc ally to one who loves in return.
Astonishing differences Of opinion re-
speeding beauty arc duo to this condi-
tion, for opinions are based not merely
on tho form. color, etc, OF the person
who is theSubjnct OF dispute, but uuon
the feelings entertained for him or her
Tho stranger can not SEQ the express
SIGNS that attract the lover to his mis-
tress. Loro. Instead OF being bl nd,
secs that which to other eyes is non
existent There is recipe for bocom-
ing beautiful that can transform irrc,--
nar fcatiIfcs rs VOL Il; improve tho
complexion, and that is--bc good. So
much depends upon expression that il
is more to be regarded than any Goctinr
advantages Of form or color. 1t isa fact.
too, that expression depends upon dis
position. a recent writcr on physiosr-
nomy laYs particular stress uron tho
iniportance of regarding 9th the form
OF the face in rcpose and it's expression.
Many Of tho earlier writer's on This sub
Sect attempted to judge characters hy
the form Of the face, and of course
failed hocaHsc the shape the propor-
tioHs OF features and similar charactcr-
istics depend mainly upon bonv forma-
tions hav mr. little relations with the
clements tIiat make up character Tho
mobile parts and the eyes arc elements
controlled IN largo measure by tho feel
ing or emotions They give expression
byjwhich character may be moro or less
accurately judged, and hence are of
moro Importance than the forms and
proportions which tho old physiognom-
lists chiefly considered. Good and kindly
men and women usually hayo their
sarniablc disposition reflected in their
'connSonanccs. AS they grow in years
the Inca Become fixed. Their habitual
expression is one pleasant to look upon.
Whatever physical faults their faces
may present arc counterbalanccd by cx-
preston. One can not think OF the
good as parsonitcd in any thing but tho
beautiful or OF the bad as personiiied
by any thing but that which is ugly.
!bnt in living men and women this
beauty or ugliness is 10 be sought not
SO much in form or feature as in express
sion. II 1.-THE true, as some actors have
testified, that acquired expressions have
~ feilex. action-that when the actors
look gay they feel happy: that when
nheY ch'a'tsn expression TO ono of anger
atheir cmoton also changes then kindly
peop & dnconsciously promote their own
shaTpinrssby tia good deeds that find
expression in their faces. They pro-
mote, too, their own beauty in the best
sense, for there is moth ng more beauti-
ful to one who is privileged to sec il
than the light in Il loved ones eye re-
vealing pure and arcctonate and
kindly seul.-Baltimo sun