The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-06-04
THE NATURE BELLE.

The MAI URE BELLE.
The ruling woman of the present
day is the mature woman. The maid
en- of bashful Is, the bud of Is, the
clear eyed girl of 20, all must stand
aside for their older sister, who leads
the procession. The age at which
women are supposed to exercise their
greatest charm varies with the vary
ing of fashion and taste. In the Eliz-
abethan era it was IA. Other heroines
as celebrated in their day and genera
tion as Juliet were the instigators of
tragic loves and hates at that extreme
ly juvenile age. Half century ago
Balzac astonished his countrymen by
claiming unusual powers of fascination
for the woman of 80. Ever since she
has held the stage as an incarnation OF
coquettish attraction. At the present
day the period of beauty and charm
has been extended even further. Bal
zac's 80 has received an additional ten
years. Women of 40 are no longer
looked upon as ruins in which the anti
quarian may trace relics of bygone
splendor. With the vanishing Of the
term "old maid" the old maid herself
has withdrawn into the place of depart
ed spirits. In France an unmarried
girl of over % is looked upon as dead
stock, for which there is nothing but a
convent. Today, in the United States,
women of independent means, women
of society, women who are self sup
porting, rarely marry under 25, and
generally put off that episode in their
existence to five or ten years later.
There are many reasons for the
present vogue of the mature belle.
She is more attractive, understands
human nature better than her younger
sister. She is still good looking. Her
youth lasts longer than it used to, be-
cause she has learned how to take care
of herself. American women formerly
ruined their beauty by bad diet, no ex-
ercise and two little fresh air. Now
they know better. A healthy, well
groomed woman, who is not overwork-
ed or overworried, looks about the
same age at 40 as she did at %.
With her additional years has come
additional wisdom. If she has not the
engaging simplicity that was hers at
Is, she has knowledge of men and
manners which make her more in
teresting companion, more lovable
human being. Experience has given
her the gift Of sympathy, of which the
young girl feels nothing. To men she
has come to represent not only all that
is graceful and tactful in womanhood,
but all that is broad and tender and
faminine.
Among workingwomen-from the
artistic to the plain workwoman-the
maturer ones are naturally in the as
cendant. The young girl among the
workers in the novice whom no one
knows or cares much about. 1t is
when the years of endeavor have been
passed, and mind and heart have reach
ed their fullest powers of comprehen-
sion and feeling, that she is at the pima
Gle of her development. In these days
of hurry and pressure and intensity of
effort such creature naturally takes
precedence over the uutried girl who
is waiting with expectant eyes for the
message of the future. Existence is
too full, the struggle too serious, for
the return of those days when youth,
ignorance, beauty and folly were the
great requisites of women. The times
are stirring, the pressure of existence
desperately earnest, and man in his
struggle demands a helpmatc wao can
assist him onward, not drag him back.
Chivalry in its downfall carried away
many pretty myths, the prettiest the
myth of the child wife hanging, fright
ened and faint hearted, on her hus-
bands arm.