The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-06
What is WOmam7S
@hapm3mg Age 2

\ to . she's all gable After she has
spent a quarter of century here if she
has good mind, plenty Of tact, and a
really kind heart, she begins to be fas-
cinating, even If she is as ugly as sin.
Then she is more interested in you than
she is in herself, or she has the good
sense to make it look that way, and she
pretends that she'd rather hear you talk
than talk herself She doesn't grow hys-
terical over mountains, much less mole
hills, and her manner is amiable, even if
she is mad enough to pound you into
mince meat. She studies to please va
in small things; in other words, she
caters to your small idiosyncracies, and
that's a winner. We can forgive man for
differing with us in a matter Of much
Importance, but in the little things Of life,
never.What girl under % is going to take
the trouble Of please you? They are all
too busy pleasing themselves up to that
age. And the beautiful thing about the
woman of 80, the most enchanting. be-
witching thing about her is that all the
time she makes you think that she is
pleasing you. I'll be darned if she isn't
pleasing herself to a r. You know it
when you get alone by yourself and kick
yourself for being the victim Of her gen
JUS, but the minute you are at her side
You forget it."
Bully for you" shouted the oldest
man" Now you ought to know how i
is, because you 90 out more than any
Of us, and it's natural for you to think
that a woman at the age Of so is most
fascinating because that's good form, but
for my part give me a woman of 50. Look
at the women with worldwide reputa-
tions, who have captured and held the
| manly heart long after she has passed
| that age Helen of Troy eloped at 40
Cleopatra first won the love of Antony
at the age of 30, but her charm Of mind
and manner and figure did not reach
their ascendancy until 10 years after that
time Then there is NinOn de 'IEnclos,
who is described as being marvellOusly
beautiful at 73, and Anne of Austria at
30 was considered to be the most beau
tiful woman in all Europe Louis XIV
espOused La MaintenOn when she was
40 and simply irresistible; Mile Mars was
in the zenith of her charms at the age Of
45. Really, / could go ON indefinitely, and
! if l started on the women between 40
and say 20 in greater New York society
to-day who are more fascinating than
( they ever dared be under that age I'd
have to have better talking power
behind me than that possessed by Will
liam J. Bryan"
Il agree with you, said the fifth man,
the next eldest. L used to think the wO-
men of sixteen most fascinating and
pretty soon l found them very tiresOme.
Then | was mad over women several
years older than myself After l began
to get along a little in years myself I
didn't like them any more, and took to the
young ones again. That was
when l reach the confirmed old
bachelor stage" with sly wink
at the old bachelor himself, but
after married woman just
five years my junior, 1 was no longer at
sea. | knew, and still know that a wO-
man is most fascinating after she has
reached her full maturity, but until she
is nearer 40 than 30
mo, no." objected the only two who
had remained silent
And why not, pray" asked the two
old men in startled chorus
Because" spoke up one haven't you
noticed that women begin to get either too
stout or too thin when they attain two
score years? And woman cannot be at
her best, she cannot be thoroughly or en-
tirely fascinating when pounds Of flesh,
either too many or too few, take away
from her charm. / II allow that many of
the plainest-featured women are the most
enchanting, but they begin to lose ground
after they pass 80. I once asked a dis
tinguished lady-liker in Paris at what age
woman was considered most fascinat-
ing by the Beau Brummel Of the world
and he answered, Thirty. This is not
only true of French women, he added,
but also holds good Of the women in
English, italian, Spanish and American
society," and he knew, for he's tried a
hand with them ALL"
'The thirties have it" sang out the
Yale man of 'SS, and he arose from the
table and lighted a cigarette.
That's what the majority seem TO
think" said the two men, good-natur-
eddy.
''Wait till the young idiots get to be
my age" remarked the confirmed old
bachelor, in a half savage, half good
humored voice, 'and then they'll see how
their hearts will warm to the fascina-
tons Of the sixteeners. Thirty, indeed.
Humph! he grunted, as he rushed out