The record-union., 1895-02-08
Mrs. Van Renssoiaer Describes Her.
Many Charms

many Nhbilll>.
Mrs. NJ. G.. Van Rensselaer, has a paper
Ork," and Charles D. Gibson furnishes
the illustrations. Mrs. Van Rensselaer,
writes as follows:
one can feel sure that nothing will ever
quite break the scepter of the American
girl. But, in New York at least, a rival
scepter has recently been erected, held
, by her married sisters and her uOlbor.
Nay, the youthful lnatrou has actually
captured the girls right to the first place
IN society, and she does nO5 Weld what
she has achieved even when the adjective
no longer fits her. OF course there Is
great gain in this, tor social talent, like
other gifts, must be deYelOped rs we'll as
J born; and retluX part OF the gain al
ready shows III the improvement of tho
girl herself. Her manners have greatly
Dettered; she dresses more attractiyely
than ever, because more aDurUpriaLeiy.
Sne thinks more about her mind and her
! intellectual tastes-iudeed, Just now. her
ambition III this respect hardly takes
enough account of the boundaries pre-
Scrlbed by her sex and age, and, as was
not formerly the case, she continues to
improve as she grows older. Married or
unmarried, a welI-bred New York
woman is now apt TO be more charming
at 30 than at 20, and not to have lost very
much at 10; and this often applies to her
looks as well as her mental character
istIcs.
Of her chief physical characteristic do
need to speak Other American towns
may claim more beauty within their bor-
ders, but all Will agree that the New York
woman, individually and collectively.
leads III that combination of the results
oI money, good taste, unaggresslve self
content, and that highly finished physical
bearing which, III the Yeruacular. is
called style"
As rule, think, she is the most at
tracLIye III her daytime clothes. She looks
Wen al pail ana well IN an opera box, but
better yet IN her carriage, and especially
IN summer, when outdoor plumage NAV
De bright and light, beribboned belaced
and very huttersOme. Shall | venture TO
say that this Is because she IS a siuguIarly
pretty person rather than a beautiful
person! only true beauty of face and
form shows at its best in bali attire, and
the statelIer 1t is the better it then an
pears.
but StatelIness Ofmanner and regularity
OF feature are not the characteristic merits
o. New 1ork women; brilliaucy of ex-
pressIon, rather, charm of eyes and mouth
ana color, vlYacity, piQuancy and a ilex-
uous grace Of movement. And therefore
when say that daytime clothes become
her pest DO not mean the kind which
so slngularIy well becomes her sturdier
LnglISh cousin. She is not at her bOnui-
eSU "neh tallor-made. If she could wear
her tea gowns in public, the public would
probably then admire her most. But fail
ing IN lAls, 1t may very pIeasurabIy con-
tenn pIate her at the evening sessions of
the horse show. Almost IL special type of
costume has been devised for her for
these particular occasions, more gay and
ornate than any worn with bonnets at
any other time i'll town. And when you
see her thus arrayed, and multitudin-
OuSIy repeated, you feel that the horse
show must have been established less %
display our steeds than to display oar
young women in the most scientifically
favorable light.