THE CHARM OF PLEASANTNESS.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 9, 27 May 1893, Page 3

THE CHARM OF PLEASANTNESS.

Every ■woman lias an inherent longing to be attractive, and if she has not, she should have. For what would this chaos, doubt, and strife of our daily warfare become, were it not

that - sweet -woman interfuses into it her calming, cheering influences ? • And the natural tribute men pay to woman’s attractive qualities is admiration.- If a woman is incapable of appreciating the homage of man, and treats man’s highest gift as though it were vanity, she makes ' a serious •mistake. ■ But how can a girl best gain the love and respect of others F This is an all-important query, and it is best answered by a concrete illustration drawn from real life. Miss A. is beautiful. Her statuesque form and magnificent face are always the same, with a cold, distant aspect which even her undoubted beauty does not redeem from reproach. Miss B. is neither so talented nor lovely, hut she meets one heart to heart, and her continued pleasantness has a charm which draws around her a devoted circle of appreciative .friends. She is her father’s confidante, her - mother’s joy, the recipient of her brother Jack’s lovetrouble, and sister Nellie’s struggles with French. Ah, girls ! The snowiest skin will some day he sallow; the flush of youth will disappear; the bright eye grow dim, and the nervy limb he uncertain and feeble. But this inward loveliness, this beauty of spirit, is born of Heaven, and knows no death. The tender ministries of Miss B. will creep into any true heart sooner than Miss A.’s icy beauty. Such a woman in any home is a glimpse of God’s sunshine. Beauty and genius are the gifts of Providence, but a g’ood heart all can cultivate. — Selected.