The record-union., 1891-01-25
THE W0MANLY WOMAN.
OF wOMANLINEsS AS
OPPOSED TO MANLINESS.
of Masculine Mannerisms
BY women--Power of womanly
Women in the World.

In these days when so many women
are assuming portions OF masculine dress,
and with it possibly degree of mascu-
line mannerism, it is well to keep before
the eye some of the standards of woman
illness, says Horper's Bazor. 1t does not
follow that q woman is necessarily or
Extensively strong-minded, to borrow AN
unneaning phrase, because she has as
sumed masculine fashions in dress as far
as practicable; but, rather, that she has
reached the conclusion that that is the
most convenient and becoming dress to
her, or that it happens to be a whim in
her own especial coterie to dress that
way. Yet if the contrary were true, the
not at all affect her womanliness, since
the point has been yielded that women
really do have minds and may use them.
But the truth is that we cannot quite dis
associate a woman from her dress, and
she loses, perhaps, little effect of tender
ness, loses little rendering of Difference
by means of it, if ii is OF the manly order.
The first element of our idea OF woman
illness is, of course, external, and is de-
rived from gentleneSS OF bearing, from
| movements not so soft as to be subtle,
uOb 50 SLOW us W DC IuuOltHt, " b luCIe
| may even be swift and brisk motion,
with this ideal in action retained, pro-
vided there be nothing rude or boisterous,
and the personality be sufficient to buoy
up the idea-Slow movements better be-
coming a large woman, and slight
woman losing nothing by those more
rapid. This, however-that which first
| arrests the eye-is a merely superficial
thing, and is like the expression of the
face, where a bold and defiant cast of
countenance repels and seems unfemi-
nine, and a sweet and kindly one tells an
attractive story of the inner nature.
1t is in this inner nature, as it expresses
itself outwardly latter all, that this quail
| ity lies which we are in the habit of call
ing womanliness. 1t is in the gracious
| exterior of kindness, the sincere and deli
cate courtesy that would put all about
| one at ease; the shrinking from evil even
| in the hearing of it, to say nothing of re-
| fusal to speak evil; the ready sympathy
| that is sorry with your sorrow and glad
| with your joy, that knows how to give
comfort and cheer, and put the bright
| side forward to oppose dependency, the
| opening of arms to the child that knows
| its welcome there, be the child strange or
| familiar; it is, on occasion, the smoother
speech than any flow of wOrds-the
| speech of silence: it is the sunny smile,
| the musical voice, the unobtrusive sacri-
when all the rest is said, it is the garb
and garment put on with just the right
| touch; the sufficient regard for appear
ance, the choice of well-blended colors,
the due attention to laces and ribbons
and perfumes and flowers, and those
things which are the distinctive trifies of
femininity.
To every distinct quality belongs it's
own kingdom. The woman who can
stride round her farm and keep her work.
men in proper subsection, who can drive
her yoke of oxen afield, red and blowzed
and muscular, has her own rule and
empery; but it is not of the sort of which
haps, much womanliness about such in
dividuals as Elizabeth of England, or
Catherine of Russia, or Christina of
Sweden; all their lovers put together
could not give them charm they did not
possess-thes charm of Mary Stuart, of
Josephine; for the possession oflovers by
no means proves the possession of this
charm. Yet where one accomplishes her
ends by mastery of purpose and manner,
many women accomplish theirs by using
the iron hand, it may be, but always in
the velvet glove; their will is no less
strong because it is not made evident in
season and out of season, although, in
fact, the graceful yielding of that viii now
and then is strengthened of all the
| bonds by which empire is held.
| The masculine woman is strong only
with other women and with womanish
men. The womanly woman conquers
every one With men, her power is in
| the inverse ratio of her approach to any
thing resembling themselves; the
! woman, not the man in her attracts; and,
singularIy enough, her power is greater
| with most women also from this hight
ening of her feminine side. This, how
ever is very insignificant matter beside
| the circumstance that q woman is fulfill
| ing her destiny, and living the life APP
pointed her, and developing herself on
| lines of nature,by keeping in view the
greater use she can be, and the greater
| 10Y and comfort she can give, through
| the exercise of those traits which seem
| to have been set apart for her characteri
| cation. And if it is the intention of ma
| ture that the qualities of the sexes shall
SO differentiate, it is not the part of wis
| dom for her to contravene such intention
| and make of herself that conglomerate
and hybrid thing, a masculine woman.
| The old story of the vine and the oak
|. does not come into this question. In the
womanly woman the growth is as strong
and integral and self-supporting as it is
! in the manly man. She is as distinct an
entity, and she is more in unison with
eternal purposes and the creative power,
the more utterly and thoroughly she is
womanly.
bill Clark-ssIf had as much money
as the old man I'd quit business and