The young girls were lovely, as young girls are the world over: their
complexion possessed that soft tender luster, peculiar to seashore
localities, for the salty breath of Father Neptune is the greatest of
cosmetics. Many of the young faces were formed in classic mould, their
features clearly cut and refined, and severe, like the thoughts and
principles of their ancestors.
Often I observed a mother and some female relative, presumably an aunt,
in company with a young relative; and always the sharpening and
withering process of the years of set and unelastic thought was
discernible upon their faces, which had once been young, and classic
and attractive.
In the entire two hours I saw but three lovely faces which were matured
by time.
I saw scores of well-dressed and evidently well-cared-for women of
middle age, whose countenances were furrowed, drawn, pinched, sallow,
and worn, beyond excuse; for time, sorrow, and sickness are not
plausible excuses for such ravages upon a face God drew in lines of
beauty.
Time should mature a woman's beauty as it does that of a tree. Sorrow
should glorify it as does the frost the tree, and sickness should not
be allowed to lay a lingering touch upon it, until death calls the
spirit away.
Without question the great majority of the women I saw were earnest
orthodox Christians.
I heard snatches of conversation regarding Church and Charities and I
have no doubt that each woman among them believed herself to be a
disciple of Christ.
Yet where was the result of the loving, tender, sweet spirit of
Christ's teaching?
It surely was not visible upon those pinched and worried faces? and
those faces were certain and truthful chronicles of the work done by
the minds within.
One face said to me in every line, "I talk about God's goodness and
loving-kindness, but I worry over the dust in the spare room, I fret
about our expenses, I am troubled about my lungs, and I fear my husband
has an unregenerate heart. I never know an hour's peace, for even in
my sleep, I worry, worry, worry, but of course I know I will be saved
by the blood of Christ!"
Another said, "I am in God's fold, well and safe, but I hate and
despise my nearest neighbor, for she wears clothes that I am sure she
cannot pay for, and her children are always dressed better than mine.
I quarrel with my domestics, and am always in trouble of some kind,
just because human beings are so full of sin and no one but myself is
ever right. I shall be so glad to leave this world of woe and go to
heaven, but I hope I will not meet many of my present acquaintances
there!"
Another said, "If I only had good health--but I was born to sickness
and suffering, and it is God's will that I should suffer!"
Oh the pity of it, and to imagine this is religion!
Thank God the wave of "New Thought" is sweeping over the land, and
washing away those old blasphemous errors of mistaken creeds.
The "New Thought" is to give us a new race of beautiful middle-aged and
old people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account