The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-28


real Formally after all-nor is it the
snowy chill OF a tOuch-me-nOt chastity,
by any means-tt is merely "a most
painful and in many cases most alb
surd self-consciOusness. British wOm-
en- are always more or less wondering
what their sister women are thinking
about them. They can manage their
men all right; but they put on curious
and unbecOming airs directly other
feminine influences than their own
come into play. They invite the com
ments of the opposite sex. but they
dread the criticism of their own. The
awkward girl who sits on the edge of a
chair with her feet scraplug the carpet
and her hands twiddlinE Uneasily i'm
her lap is awkward simply because she
has, by some means or other, been
made self-cOnsciOUs-and because. in
the excess of this sef-COnsCiOusness.
she stupidity imasines every one in the
room must be staring at her. The av-
erage london woman. dressed like a
fashion plate, who rustles in at after
noon tea, with her card-case well i'm
evidence and her face carefully set in
proper visiting lines. offers herself up
in this way as a subject for the satirist
cut of the same GishEuring self-cOn-
seriousness. which TObs her entirely of
the indifference. ease and careless grace
which shOuld-to quote the greatest Of
American philosophers. Emerson
cause her to ''repel interference by a
decided and proud choice of innu-
ences." and to inspire every behOlder
with something of her own nObleness.'
She is probably not naturally formal
she is no doubt exceedingly constrained
and uncomfortable in herfashiOnablea at
tiTe-and one may take it for granted
that she would rather be herself than
try to be a something which is a
nothing. But custom and convention
are her boyle man, always guarding
her on either side, and investing her
too often with such deplOrable self-con-
seriousness that her eye becomes fur
tive. her mouth hard and seCretive, her
conversation inane and her whole per
sOnality an uncomfortable eXhalatlOn
OF stupidity and duilness-
Nevertheless, setting custom and
convention apart for the nOnce, and
bidding them descend into the shad-
ows of hypocrisy which is their native
atmosphere. the British woman re-
mains the prettiest in the world. What
galaxy of feminine charms can be
gathered under the word "Br1ush-
England. Ireland, Wales and Scotland
offer all together such countless
would be difficult, if not impossible, to
give the prize for good looks TO one
portion of Britain more than the
other. America, SO far as her samples
have been and are seen in Europe,
cannot OutriVal the "Old country" in
the nrettiness Of it's women. But it is
prettiness only; not beauty. Beauty
remains intrinsically where il was first
born and first admitted into the an
rai., Of arr and literature. It's home Is
still in the Isle of Greece, where burn
ing SapphO loved and sung, Nothing
that was ever created in the way or
female loneliness can surpass the
beauty Of d beautiful Greek woman.
True she is as rare as butterfly IN
q snOwstOrm True, the women or
Athens and OF Greece generally, taken
il, the rough majority. are not on an
average even pretty. Nevertheless the
palm of beauty remains with them
because they are always twO-Or may
be three of them, who dawn year by
wear upon the world in all the old
perfection of the classic models, and
who might truly be taken for newly
descended gOddeSses, so taulJleSsly
formed. so eXquisitely featured are
they. They are not famed by the So
ciety paragraphs, and they probably
VIII not get the chance of moving IN
the I1cIes of the British Upper Ten
or the American -Four Hundred But
they are the daughters of AphrOdlte
still. and hold fast their heavenly
mothers attributes. 1t is easy to ind
a hundred or more pretty British and
American women for one beautiful
Greek-but when found, the beautiful
Greek ecIipses them all She is still
the wonder of the wOrld-the crown
OF wOmanly beauty at it's best She
shows the heritage of her race in her
regal step and freedom of movement
in the lovely curves Of her figure, IN
the classic perfection Of her face with
its broad brOws. lustrOus eyes, arched
sweet lips and delicate contour or chln
ard throat and perhaps more than al
in the Queenly Indifference she bears
toward her own loneliness. So
Fill high the bowl with Samian wine.
on Suits hank and Pargas shore.
Exists the remnant Of a line
such as the Doric mothers bore;
And there perhaps some seed IS SoWh
sThe Heracleidan blood might own
And there still may be found the
DerfectiOn of wOmanhOOd-the one
rare Greek lily. which poisoning at
few and far intervals shows in its eX-
ouisite form and cOlOring what woman
should be at her fairest. To her there
fore must be given the palm Of beauty
hut after the lily. then the rOsei-or
rather the roses. multitudinOus, varied.
and always sweet-the women Of Brit
ain.
byron.