St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-07-29
BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER.

|
Copyright. 1905, by Joseph B. Bowies.)
"How does it happen" said girl the
other day, that SO many homely
women have handsome husbands?
Dumpy little women without a bit OF
style, frumps who have not the least
| idea what to wear ugly women who
! positively could never have had any
looks to boast Of are married to men Of
fine presence and absolute good looks
l cannot understand it,.
Said an older woman: Il have been
thinking about the same problem.
Among the girls who went to school
when l did. there was one who was our
belle and boast, Sally X, girl SO
brilliant that she seemed to light up
room as soon as she entered it. She
was grace itself, her eyes were blue as
the sky, her hair spun-gold, her COM
plexiOn miracle No one could COM
pare with her. But though she had
plenty of admiration she did not mar
ry. 1t seemed as ii she could not find
the right one, Or else nobody wanted her.
have never settled that point to my
| satisfaction. To-day she is an old maid,
fat and sallow, and not at all interest
| ing. You would not dream that she had
| ever been beauty.
''The girl next in attractiveness to her
was Sophy B, lovely creature
| with olive skin and rose tints. girl
| quite as successful in her own style as
Sally. though perhaps less startling.
Both girls belonged to the type called
large family. She is now an ordinary
looking woman. very domestic and by
| no means beautiful. In our set the plain
| est girls married best, and strangely
they have either retained more comeli-
ness than those l have mentioned. or
| else they have acquired it with time.
The plainest girl ever knew bids
fair to be a woman extremely distin-,
guished, and remarkable for good looks
in middle age. How can 1t be ex-.
plaiaed?'
Are there perhaps advantages in be-.
ing plain, to begin with? Girls are dis
posed to deny this and no wonder.
Does the average man fall in love
with a girl on account Of her beauty?
Is there anything better than beauty
mere fascinating, more subtly attrac-
tive and more pleasing to the other sex?
Judging by observation, the spectator
would say that the strange indefEable
and elusive attribute denominated
charm is far more to be priced by girls
than mere beauty Charm consists not
so much in complexion. in grace of form.
and in the physical perfe ction that con-
stitutes beauty. as in certain spiritual
qualities which are more potential than
anything external. The charm of
sweet and gracious personality out
weighs that of a merely beautiful face
and graceful figure. Beauty is in the
eyes that see. To man in love. the girl
he Worships is beautiful. She may be as
homely as a hedge fence. but he does
cot suspect it. There is wonderful at
Effectiveness in low voice. in a gracious
manner, in kindness. in Difference to
older people, in the thonghtfulness
which neglects no little courtesy A
plain girl whose vanity has never been
pronounced, who has never thought
much about herself. or the effect she is
producing, is often more winsome than
the arrogant beauty.
Where did you fall in love with your
wife?" I once asked man of wide repute
in the professional world. "At the bed
side of her grandmother was the reply.
where l noted the sweetness of her,
ministrations and the tenderness and
patience CT her daily life"
The great doctor paused, II never
made better diagnosis he said than
when decided to try and win Louise
and bring her into my life
l. who knew Lolise well, agreed with
lin. She had beer dear girl always
but not q great beauty.
Very slight things, random word, !
the tone of laugh, the readiness to
please by a trifiing se.f-denial, often |
bowl a man over, in that spring-time
OF life when young mans thoughts are
lightly turning toward love- 1t does |
not occur to him to think of Molly |
whom ne mas met en- mOClHght drive, |
or at a picnic. as plain or handsome. I
Something in herself more subtle. less
SNOWY than he: looks. has called him
to her. Nature; who may be said after
many thousands of years to kl,ow her
business pretty well, has succe ssfully |
managed the call of mate to matt. All |
through the lesser creation-it is the
male who outranks the female. in ex-
ternal splendor, the latter wearing the
palmer dress and demurely receiving
the homage of her more brilliant lord.
Apart from this. the habit of beauty
having reached its acme. is to fade. /
The srlDerblv heautiful girl rests IN |