ELEGANCE OR BEAUTY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 5

ELEGANCE OR BEAUTY

Marcel Prevost, tho great French writer, has started a . discussion as to .what .is' to be more preferred in woman—beauty or elegance. ■•' Princess Stephanie, tho daughter of' King Leopold', has supplied him. with; the following ideas of her own: ,',' "Elegarice, ,to mo, , ; is the height of loveliness,' not." the habit of wearing fino millinery or great jewels. Yet : elegarice depends ,to_ a certain estont ' upon , good taste in selecting one's .habiliments. "I. know women who : dross ,superbly,• yet are lacking in elegance.: "Real eleganco is a something manifested in a woman's every action, in her every movement, in her speech,.'and in her tone of . voice. Elegarice depends upon rioblo sentiments.: It -shows luminously in tho choice arid range of conversation, in a woman's carriage, and in her manner. "Elegance 'never! fails 1 to impress. It is the child of a noble heart, tho, cradle of polite thoughts. "Unlike beauty, elegance does riot vanish with tho years, becauso its roots go deeper. "Onco an elegant woman, always ari elegant' woman." , This i question, of the superiority of elegance over beauty has been discussed since the . beginnings of civilisation. Englishwomen,' however, seem to excel in beauty, but, 'according to our French critics, aro lacking:;in elegance and chic. Curiously enough, a lady: who attended .the . recent Dublin; Drawing' Rooms said , that--the carriage, of the Irishwomen she saWi there was infinitely' better than. that, of their- English sisters.. ' 1.. -'■ , ■■ :