The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-16
THE PERFECT AGE.
Is 1t Only When Young That Women
May Be Charming?
Girlhood is a charming period.

tact that when we realize 1T is past,
that never again can youth be offered
as an excuse for ignorance or folly,
that simple muslin frocks are not
quite as becoming-that instead Of
making US look as fresh as roses they
seem absurdlys youthful-it is then
that we who are women begin to think
Of how sad thing it is to really grow
old.
If we are sensible. we do not wish
to have it seem that we fear we are
| growing old, and try to still appear
girlish by dressing in. girlish fashion.
In fact, we fly to the other extreme
and dress too soberly. 1t does not
take US long to pass this sober period.
No woman can afford to believe herself
passe, no matter how much others may
think her so.
But what is the perfect age?'
This is an old question, you know,
but, however often asked, it always
brings new answers.
In the Fighter novels the heroines
are al quite young girls. In those of
the deeper class it is the mature
woman that the novelist chooses to
depict emotions. We have confidence
in the mature woman. When she
laughs we laugh with her, because we
feel that she has really found some
thing worth laughing about. When
she weeps we weep with her, because
we know that tears do not come as
readily to the mature womans eyes as
they do to younger ones less used to
grief. And when she loves-whcn
she loves, we say 'that is woman 8
love. 1t is the love of limetime." ("
"a woman's love- There is di
vinity about that, isn't there?
When hearts are young they are
easier healed. God made them so.
AS each year passes it teaches it's les
son. Is it any wonder, then, that
many women as they have grown older
have grown more fascinating? Pink
cheeks and laughing eyes are not all
that make womanhood charming.
The women who have fascinated
men Of genius have, as rule, been
women who have seen their girlhood
slip away; maybe, too, with a sigh
and tear, for it is SO romantic to be
young!
The two recent biographies of Lord
Tennyson and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning reveal g. fact that is rather
remarkable.
| Elizabeth was 40 years old and in i'll
health, when she astonished her family
by literally arising from sick couch
and eloping with Robert Browning,
and all the world has known, long ere
this, that theirs was one Of the hap
piest of marriages.
Tennyson first met his wife when
she was slim little girl of II. This
was in 1880, when many girls of that
age were brides. Six years later
Miss Sellwood was then 23-there was
an engagement between them. This
was broken off because Of lack Of
means to marry on. Tennyson was de-
pendent upon his widowed mother,
and suffered from poverty until 1850,
when he received enough from his
publishers to make for himself home.
Though it was 20 years since he had
first met the woman who won his love,
when he again met her in friend s
house he found in the woman CT 81 all
the charm that in the girl Of IL had
thrilled his heart. Again he propos-
ed, was accepted and they were imme-
diately married. And they lived
happy ever after, for it is matter of
record that the great poet was su-
premely happy with his charming and
intellectual wife.
Lord Beacons6eld s marriage was 4
happy one, though his wife, who was
widow when he married her, was
many years older than himself.
Napoleon really loved but one wo-
n-Josephine-though he was d.
vorced from her, but for State reasons.
She was ;,3 when he married her, and
that, for creole, was quite niddle-age.
At ~, when he divorced her, she Was
still SO attractive that Napoleon aa-
mired her above all women and never
forgot her. Even after his marriage
to Louise he called eftea to see her.
Among other famous wonen whs
have carried their looks over the hill.
there is Ellen Terry, whe is ,aid by
those who have known her since her