The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17
WHEN lisa WOMAN REALLY OLD?
"SHE NEVER NEED BE" SEEMS TO
BE THE MODERN IDEA.
Lots OF Living Proofs Of the Theory
Women Of FIFTY SIN Sprishtiy and
Beautiful-tfcct Of New Rules Of
IiNing-Aye at which Cine Is Settled.

When is a woman old, or, rather, how
long is woman act aly young?
Ii is an important question, and the
usual answer is that to others n woman
il as old as she looks and to herself as old
a. she feels.
A woman is actually young at Is, and
she isn't old until she is 80; and she isn't
really old then, but just settled.
"A woman may i've any age she chooses.
asserted a man of the world the other day.
adding IL know several charming young
women of So 1t is simply matter u
temperament
Really there is no year Of woman =
life, no ten years, in which you can definitely
demand that she should cease to be young.
There are some women who probably
will never cease to be young al moments
and under certain circumst ances, but
they are and must be like Cinderell la Al.
| the ball with the clock on the stroke Of
~, The staying power gives out long
yes, and being young.
But, after all, what is the charm Of youth,
Is il physical simply? OF course. clear
eyes and skin. round, firm, outlines and
freshness of lips and cheek are lovely.
but not all young girls Possess them,
Ii it manners? There is n charm about
the half tmid. vet well-trained manner
of an ingenious girl, but the, gracious
Htl tntit comes ohiS ny eS't'"'h '"'
self poise that knows Just what to say
and do and leave undone, possesses even
greater cham
And surely it is not tho intellect and
the conversational power of youth 10 which
people 80 lovingly cling. The crude ideas,
the Impossible theories, the misplaced
credulity or the sweeping iconociasm-
are these the conditions Of mental de:
velopment IN which women would remainr
What then? In spite of the reason one
can bring Ia bear upon the matter the iact
remains, and no doubt, will remain that
youth is possession to b" cinng 10 as long
as possible, and feigned as much longer az
may be-.
Lin the new order of things, with deeper
interest, wider out look, enlarged SYnpathles
woman now feels the relen' less march o,
years much less than formerly, and WIN az
the new light upon her physical care ana
condition, she can easily look As young AZ
she feels.
Nowadays, if women grow stout and
clumsy. or thin and faded AT an early age.
II is not of necessity, but from indifference
to the laws nj neaiIh. ,
IT people were careful 10 observe al
laws OF health in regard To eXoicis" ana
diet, the natural age Of man would perhaps
be from 10 TO i4O years, and his nest work.
ing years would be from SO 10 100, aud
women would be in their prime and at IN"
age Of greatest loveliness a, 60,
Ancient SCULPTURE aboundS III examples
of mature womanhood Venus dc Milo
is evidently woman of 30. All the 'lunos.
Minervas Nenuses. Melpomenes and many
Madonnas are mature woman.
Titan preferred to paint women az 50.
Rubens goes without difficulty as far a.
40. Van Dyke does not recognize age at all;
with him art is free. He entertained a
sovereign contempt for time. Rembrandt
does more; by a gesture. look, smilAs
he banishes age.