The Washington times., 1901-07-28
BRAINS BEFORE BEAUTY.
A French Savant Claims That the
Clever Woman Now Rules.

He Proves to HI. Own Satisfaction al
Least That the Women Whom the
World Reveres Became Famous for
Their Work Not for Their Looks.
NJ Marcel Provost has made sensa-
ton in Paris by declaring in Figaro
that the reign of beauty Is over and that
the woman OF brains is gradually assum-
ing the throne so long given over to the
queens that have swaye1 events through
the power of their face and form, the del
icacy and glow sof their complexion and
the glory Of their tresses. Women like
Mrs Kruger and Mrs Gladstone, Provost
declares. are the ones who really domi-
nate the world. In the future beauty will
De reiegateii to its proper position as an
unimportant part of woman's power
a statement OF this sort coming from a
frenchman is a serious one, says a writ
er in the New York Sum-" II spoken by
one of the professors of the University
OF Chicago. who have recently gained
fame by declaring blondness disease and
central hair-parting a symptom OF mas
cuiine degeneracy, ii might be taken az
joke. But Frenchmen have always been
flrst to bow at the shrine OF beauty. They
have made beauty a profession and their
women are famous for their EXQUISITE
charm, their taste In dress and their
grace of manner. all these qualities COM
bined producing a beauty which is much
more than skin deep.
Were a vote taken as to the popular
opinion on this subject 4 would yery
probably result In a vast majority of
dissenting views from those of the French
writer. Beautiful women have never as
serted their charm SO powerfully as now
In the beginning of the new century.
While the athletic woman has taken the
place OF the more delicate beauty of sew
eral years ago. she is still beauty, tan
ned of throat and arm. large WASTED and
with stride like her brothers. Yet her
sway over the hearts of men and there
fore over the world has never been ques-
toned by the woman of brains
The woman of brains, however Is GER
tainly an important factor In modern life,
yet her influence is largely educative She
does good through whatever she may ac-
compiish in science or in art, but she is
rarely recognized power in society or in
the professional Or business world to
have attained in the way of position or
importance is due usually to her own
abilities. She is rarely launched on the
top wave from the under current and kept
beautiful rival is, although the latter may
be without the brains of a hen
That beauty and brains are not congo
NAL associates can be proved in mo-
mcnt by a list of the women who within
the last twenty-five years have accom-
plished anything through their mental at
tainments. The greatest woman artist,
the three greatest women writer's of Eng
land and of America and so on along the
line of women doctors, astronomers. play
wTights. lawyers. and in other callings in
which SO many have achieved success.
you viii find an aggregation of notably
women. The dramatic profess
sion is the only one in which the possess
sion of brains has permitted the good
looks of the artist TO remain. yet even in
this field the greatest women are not Of
the beauty type.
The feminine brain develops under pres
sure. Too much study dims the eyes and
makes the aspect serious and the view
Of life too ponderous. Mental cultivation
teaches women the injurious influences
Of tight lacing and high heels. the unhy-
gienic qualities of powder and rouge and
colOred hair The woman of
brains gradually abjures all these and at
middle age finds herself large wasted,
sensible person with a plain face and a
skin that has never known face massage
She does good in various way and exertS
IN influence for good on all who come in
contact with her, Is perhaps perfect
mother and good hOuSekeeper, but she
never exerts one iota of the charm, nor
possesses the power to accomplish the
brilliant successes of life. which undoubt-
.dly, she Will not rate as successes. that
Ter weli-corseted and well-preserved rival
Yields.
Even in the college the really able girl
$ always regarded as queer. She abso-
o charm and must excel in athletics or
ave the power to amuSe or forego the
otent charm of popularity with her fell
ows. But the girl grind of the col
fNlD f- ar- lass 1sft Of 10
roles and the fun. She does not ap-
rove of them: she thinks everything is
frivolous which is not connected with her
tudies: in fact, she Is first-ciass bore
!; the estimation of the other girls. She
nay carry of the honors at her school
nd the success she has achieved dooms
er possibly to the career of a teacher
r female professor. She goes on in her
erious and high-minded way, tmparting
Intelligence to others, a power for good,
ut possessing power in worldly sense
OF at all, while the beauty of the class
-ho has trace of cleverneSS, not brains
her makeup, will leave her university
} accomplish all sorts of things in the
-ay Of attaining wealth and social po-
tion and power that sometimes sways
ations and all by means of her roseleaf
heck or dazzling smile
A doctor who aids women in their chase
tier beauty said in relation to this topic:
1T would be interesting to knew what
rcf. Burt G. Wilder, of Cornell, who
akes study of brains. has to say on
le subject of the constant war there is
tween feminine beauty and brains. The
-ofessor VIII say, probably, that educa-
on and brain development can only re-
III in added beauty. but the professor
Ill look at the matter with the eyes of
lie soui. If he We're confronted with a
'necfteG vf photographs of the notably
ever women of the century he would
nd few beauties among them from a
1ysical standpoint.
1T is idle to assert that the reign of
ilue to women or the potent influence
lat it does today and it is recognized
wv as necessity. Take the thousands
establishments the country over that
e devoted to the beautifying of women.
punt if you can the physicians that have
own enormously wealthy in their prac-
se t6a ot nsnIss eradieati1i defects and building
nagine the armies of hair specialists,
and masseurs that exist today
comparison with the condition of things
Fenty years agoi
in those days a woman born plain was
cogniZed as an unattractive girl and
as kept in the background. Beauty was
ep looked on altogether as a gift of
iture and the pretty girl began early to
Irner all the attentions, the beaux, the
uquets, and the candies. She was the
lie of the winter and the summer and
ID plenty of suitors to pick from when
e wished to marry. But beauty making
science nowadays and even the most
dinary looking girl can be brought to
state of attractiveness in figure, car
lge. color and even feature. that takes
r at once out of the ugly girl class If
auty were losing its influence in the
rid the change would be marked by n
ling OFF in these lines of work, whereas
ere is perfect furore for means and
Is to beauty.
The pretty woman rarely endeavors to
itivate brains, as she very early learns
at she has no need for them in her an
advance. The clever woman.
iariably cultivates beauty No more
tent INSTANCE of this can be found thnn