The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-25
CAN SEE NO BEAUTY IN THEM
Gertrude Atherton on New York
Women of Fashion.

The Horse Show brings forcibly home
to US an unpleasant truth; north of Mason
and DiXon's line we have not developed
an arstocrstic type. Southern women, by
virtue of their descent from English ances-
tors OF birth and breeding. added to gener-
atoms of luxury, are Individually aristo-
cratic in outline and bearing; but the New
York woman of fashion is merely sWag-
geT-a combination produced by an ex-
pensive dressmaker and her own unswerv-
lug determination to acquire an "air"
She is swagger without being high-bred,
self-conscious where she would be naughty,
and her repose is mere lounging.
l have studied this type for several years,
and last night 1 was struck anew with two
OF its fatal defciencies-its lack of nose
and cheek modelling. II is not too much
TO say that in all that tier of boxes there
was not one good nose. Only one girl had
a nose of size, and hers was a proboscis;
she could have supplied three of her
meager sisters. The others, without ex-
cepIioD, had little pugs or an irregular
piece of flesh and cartilage that cannot be
classed. One japanese looking little
'be auty" had a queer peaked affair that
seemed to point derisivey at her bang.
Another woman of middle age, who is
never spoken of exceptas lone OF the most
beautiful and distingu ooking ,women
of America" has minute application so
unfortunately constructed as 10 give her
the effect of one whose fate it is TO stand
constantly on the edge of q sewer. This
women is absolutely without beauty. Her
face is large and common and colorless.
her "laBguid eyes with wicked sparkle"
are as nearly expressiOnless as ewes can
I've got She is merely an astonishing news
paper production.
One of the women most frequently eX-
tOlled for beauty has the face of the
Partisan cocntte. One can see it by the
dozen on a spring afternoon driving 10 the
Bots, its other eXtremitieS banked in flow
ers. She is.tall aud has charming grace,
and two or three generations have done
much for her, but the cote suggestion is
paramount. Last night she sat with her
legs frankly crossed, a model of elegance
for the gaping throng.
Another is as good a type of the French
sOubrette as you will ever see in Partisan
theater-a small, dark. fright, wicked lit
tie face, Its owner as smart as a great mil
liner could make her. Another ''beauty"
has merely bright, good, attractive face;
rot line there conforms to any standard
Another has developed a Burgundy COM
piexion and large knobs on her cheek
bones.
This is merely study, and truthful
one. L see no reason why the truth
should not be written about this much
are responsible for the false impression re-
garding the fashionable women of New
York To describe beauty makes inter
esting reading. But the social phase of
any country Is part of its history, and cur
rent history should be treated with the
same impartiality as the more easily
focused past. As a matter of bare fact
there is hardly beautiful or high-bred
woman in New YORK society, hardly one
that in profile or modelling of cheek or
chin, or in repose and dignity of bearing,
suggests three generations behind her.
And it is great pity-one to be regretted
by any good American-for the New York
woman of fashion is to-day accepted
abroad as the flower of American civiliza-
ton. Tine blup-blooded Southern woman
is beautiful, the cosmopolitan California
woman is beautiful, but the New York
woman of fashion, without her bright
complexion and hair, her admirable groom
ing, her superb gowns and acquired "air,"
could only be described by the most
damung of djectves-commnnplac
Gertrude Atherton in the New York Sun.