Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-21


pure convention. despoiis it Of its prin-
cipal attraction. From this abuse 1t
comes about that many things which
women admire Go as much wrong to
their beauty as to the purses Of their
husbands and fathers. What would
You say OF a young girl who expressed
her thoughts in terms very choice in
deed. but taken word for word from a
phrase book? What charm could you
ind in this borrowed language? The
effect Of toilets well designed in them
selves. but seen again and agniu on
all women indiscrim.nately. is precise
" the same.
cannot resist citing here a passage
from Camille Lemonnier that harmo-
niEes with my idea:
Mature has given to the fingers of
woman a charming art. which she
knows by instinct and which is pecul-
iarly her own, as silk to the worm and
lacework to the swift and subtle spi-
der. She is the poet. the interpreter of
her own grace and righteousness. the
spinner Of the mystery I'm which her
wish to please arrays itself. All the
talent she expends in her effort to e1cal
man in the other arts is never worth
the spirit and conception wrought out
through a bit Of stun In her skillful
hands
''Well. wish that this art were moro
honored than it is. As education should
consist in thinking with ones mind.
feeling with ones heart, expressing the
little personalities Of the inmost. invis-
ible (which. on the contrary, are
repressed. leveled down. by conformi-
ty-I would that the young girl in her
novitiate of womanhood. the future
mother. might early become the little
exponent of this art of the toilet-her
own dressmaker. in short-she who one
day shall make the dresses OF her chill
dren. but with the taste and the gift
to improvise. to express herself ia that
masterpiece Of feminine personality
and skill. gown. without which wO-
man is no more than q bundle of rags"
The dress you have made for your
self Is almost always the most becOm-
ing. and. however that may be, it is
the one that pleases you most. Wom-
en- of leisure too often forget this:
working women also N city and coun-
try alike. Since these last are cos
TUNED by dressmakers and milliners
in very doubtful imitation of the mod
ish world. grace has almost disappear
ed from their dress. And has anything
more surely the gift to please than the |
fresh apparition of young working
girl or daughter of the fields wearing |
the costume of her country and beau |
tiful from her simplicity alone?
These same reflections might be APP |
piled to the fashion Of decorating and |
arranging our houses. II there are toll |
lets which reveal an entire conception
Of life, hats that are poems. knots or |
ribbon that are veritable works of art. |
SO there are interiors which after their |
manner speak to thee mind. Why, I'M
der pretext Of decorating our homes, |
do we destroy that personal character |
which always has such value? Why |
have our sleeping rooms conform to |
those Of hotels. our reception rooms to |
waiting rooms. by making predomi-
nant uniform type Of official beauty?
What a pity to go through the
houses of a city, the cities OF country.
the countries of a vast continent. and
everywhere certain forms
Identical, inevitable. cxasperating by
heir repetition! How aesthetics would
gain by more simplicity! Instead of
this luxury in job lots, oil these deco
rations, preteptious. but vapid from
iteration. we should have an infinite
variety; happy imprOvisations would
strike our eyes, the unexpected In a
thousand forms would rejoice our
learts, and we should rediscover the
,ecret Of impressing on drapery or
/ piece Of furniture that stamp OF hu-
nan personality which makes certain
antiques priceless.
Let us pass at last to things simpler
It'll; mean the little details of house
Ieeping which many young people OF
,ur day find so unpoetical. Their con-
empt for material things, for the hum
lie cares a house demands. arises from
confusion very common, but none the
he belief that beauty and poetry are
within some things, while others lack
hem; that some occupations are dis
inguished and agreeable. such as cult
'ating letters, playing the harp, and
hat others are mental and disagree
BILE, like backing shoes. sweeping and
the pot boil. Childish error.
Seither harp nor broom has anything ,
o do with It. All depends on the hand .
q which they rest and the spirit that q,
moves IL. Poetry is not in things; IL +,
3 in us. 1t must be impressed on OBJ
ects from without, as the sculptor i'm |
resses his dream on the marble. If
ur life and our occupations remain
90 often without charm In spite Of any 4.
utward distinction they may have II Is !
ecause we have not known how to put ,
nything into them. The height of art ,
J to make the inert live and to tame !
he savage / would have our young ,
iris apply themselves to the develop
,ent Of the truly feminine art of CIV
az a soul to things which have none. 1
he triumph OF woman's charm is in I
rat work Only woman knows how to I
ut into a home TINT indefinable some ,
hing whose virtue has made the poet ,