The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-12-07
SOUTHERN WOMEN
Ahead Of Their Northern Sisters In Aris.
t0eratie Rearing.

t0eratie Rearing.
Miss Gertrude Atherton, the we'll
znown California writer, contributed ,
20 the New York Sun OF Sunday last
Jhe following pungent reflections on
jhe much-vaunted beauty of GOtham's
-Four Hundred:
The horse show brings forcibly home
TO us the unpleasant truth: North OF
Mason and DixOn's line we have not
developed an aristocratictype. South
ern women, by virtue OF their decent
from English ancestors OF birth and
breeding, added to generations OF lux
ury, are indubitably aristocratic in
outline and bearing; but the New
York women OF fashion is merely
swagger-a combination produced by
an expensive dressmaker and her own
answering determination to acquire
an "air." She is swagger without be-
ing high-bred, self-conscious where
she would be naughty, and her repose
Is merely lounging. / have studied
this type for several years, and last
night was struck anew with two of
its fatal deficiencies, its lack Of nose
and Of cheek modelling.
1t 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 proboscis. She
could have supplied three Of her mea-
gre sisters; the Others, without excep-
tion, had little pugs or an irregular
piece of flesh and cartilage that can
not be classed. One Japanese-looking
little "beauty" had queer peaked
affair that seemed to point derisively
at her bang. Another woman of mid
die age, who is never spoken Of except
as "one of the most beautiful and dis
tinguished looking women of Amer
ica," has minute application SO un-
fortunately constructed as to give her
the effect of one whose fate it Is to
stand constantly on the edge OF
sewer.
This woman is absolutely withOu.
beauty. Her face is large and com
mon and colorless, her 'languid eyes
with a wicked SPARKLE" are as nearly
expressionless as eyes can be got. Sh'
is merely an astonishing newspape
production. One Of the women mos
frequently extolled for beauty has th
face OF the Partisan cocotte. One cal
see it by the dozen on Spring after
noon driving to the Bois, the other es
tremities banked in flowers. She
tall and has charming face, and tw
or three generations have done muc
for her, but the coc0tte suggestion |
paramount. Last night she sat wit
her legs frankly crossed, a model o
elegance for the gaping throng. An
other is as good type of the Frenc
soubrette as you will eyer SEE. in Pa
risan theatre-a small, dark, bright
wicked little face, its owner as smar
as great milliner could make her
Another "beauty" has merely good
bright, attractive face; not a lin
there conforms to any standard. Ar
other has developed Burgundy con
plexion and large knobs on her chee
bones. This is merely study and
truthful one. l see no reason why tn
truth should not be written abOu
this much discussed type for once
The newspapers are responsible TO
the false impression regarding. tn
fashinable women of New York. L
describe a beauty makes interestin
; reading. But the social phase OF an
country is part OF its history, ant
current history should be treated wit
the same impartiality as the NOR
: easily focused past. AS matter
. bare fact, there is hardly beautiful
! or a higll-bred woman in New YOr
: society; hardly one that In profile o
modelling of cheek or chin, or in repos
and dignity of bearing, suggests thre
generations behind her. And 1t is
great pity, one to be regretted by an,
good American, for the New YOrl
woman of fashion is to-day accepted
) abroad as the flower Of American civ
ilization. The blue-blooded South
crn women is beautiful, the cosmo
poltan California women is beauti
full, but the New York women of fash
ion, without her bright complexion
T and hair, her admirable grooming, he
superb gowns and acquired 'air,
could only be described by the mos
damning of djectives-Commonplact