Year: 1869

Beauty and Fashion.


OF all who inhabit our globe or
sphere; of all who have a bearing in
the world, there can scarcely be one
found who does not profess or mani
fest some desire for the possession Of
that which we call personal beauty
and desire to be fashionable.


The individual who may be spoken
of as the plainest looking and uncOuth
apparently, Will instinctively halt and
pause for moment in front of the
mirror, and will be seen rapidly adj
justing the hair or fixing the dress
for something genial of personable ap-
pearance. This is true of all mankind
In all ages and all countries. The
most virtuOus and moral on one hand,
and the vOIuptuary and revealer on
the other. The mirror may be found
as universally as the Bible, and looked
into, we may say Oftener.


It is said that the savages upon the
far distant islands of the South Sea
will importune the stranger for a piece
of looking glass in which TO behold
his personal beauty and fashion, and
when obtained, it will be deemed and
considered as an Invaluable treasure.
But personal beauty must necessarily,
and does depend in very great de-
gree, upon the state and condition Of
the skin, while artificial beauty de-
pends upon fashion and mode of dress.


The Roman ladies were considered
handsome, but they were indebted to
the care they took Of the skin, for that
transparency of complexion which
they possessed.


The Greclan mythology has repre-
sented the GODDESS of love to have
arisen from the depths of the sea, thus
it was indication that she came forth
washed and abluted, refreshed and
purified, and hence she was cOnsid-
cred as beautiful.


A fresh and transparent complexion
adds stupendously to the beauty Of q
male or female. But how few Of our
country and nation possess this charm,
although all might become pOssessOrs
Of good complexion.


In our land king fashion reigns pre-
dominant, and there seems to be q
general court Of appeals in all matters
of dress and appearance, whose au-
thOrity Is readily admitted, whose
changeful freaks are heartily ridiculed
by all, save the devotees who worship
without cessation at her shrine, and
whose flats are lamented by the just,
and vainly opposed by the philOsOphic.
But we may pause for moment
and ask from whence does she receive
her right to supremacy; from what
attitude or source does she derive her
sovereignty, placing us In the hands
of thraldOm and gyles servitude.
And when we contemplate for mo-
ment the extent to which fashion has
carried us, we cannot but eXclaim that
there is not a physiological law in eX-
istance not law Of beauty and ex-
cellency, and scarcely one Oftrue mod
esty that has not been violated and
infringed upon with impunity, and il
is almost impossible to Rdduce q shape
of defOTmitY which has not in some
manner or other been hOnOred by
fashion smiles and fashion patronage.


Every nation has its peculiarities
and words Of operating, and so every
DeOple have their modes of dress and
gingerbread fix ups, and il seems
more natural for one 10 follow the die
tates of fashion in order to promote ar
tificial beauty than it is for one to fol-
low physiological laws to promote
natural or personal beauty, and the
reason for this we cannot assign, un-
less it is because it is fashionable to
do so and it has been said that we
might as well be out of the world as
out Of the fashion.


There is quite q contrast between
the fig leaves of the antiquarian world
and the stays and Grecian-bends of
modern times.


We have become n prey to that
which will shorten our stay upon the
earth. The ribs are flexible, and
small amount of pressure will aug
ment or increase their curvature, and
hence lesson the size of this cavity.


We are daily bowling in the most
object and servile bandage at the beck
of clique of the most dishOnOriDg
specimens of silly humanity that mod
ern civilization has ever produced
amid the fresh, moral atmosphere,
and communicating associations Of
Paris; and If we will follow fashion
Il should come from OUT own plastic
hands, and not imported from Paris.


Fashion does not confine itself to
the moral and sinful world only,
but sways its tyrannical scepture to
certain extent ever the religious
world, for in the cities you will find the
free gospel penned or boxed up within
pens and cushioned seats, or proclaim
ed from marble stand and between
beautiful and painted walls, and it
would be a sacrifice for the poor to
even venture there.


And for health and beauty we would
adopt the language of DR.. Armstrong:
atm whater you sweat, indulge your taste;


Some love the manly tolls,


The tennis some, and some the graceful dance;
Others more hardy range the purple heath,
Or make stubble when from field 70 field


The sounding cOvies urge their laboEiug night,
Eager amid the using cloud % pO1R


The gems unnerving thunder, and there are
Whom still the mead Ofthe green archer charm,
He chooses best whose labor entertalnS


His vacant fancy most the toll you hate


FatlgUeS you soon and scarce Improves your beauty