THE DURATION OF BEAUTY
Descartes, Montesquieu, Scribe, Stahl, and many other famous writers of
modern times, not to speak of philosophers of antiquity, have decried
beauty, and warned mankind against its illusions, and especially its
short duration, without succeeding, I must say, in disgusting the world
out of it. True, beauty does not last for ever; but who would think of
singing the praises of ugliness because it does last? And, for that
matter, I am of opinion that beauty does last. I have known men quite
handsome at sixty, and women quite beautiful at the same age. And even
if it did not last, what of that? Are we not to admire the sun because
it is followed by night and obscurity? Are we to despise spring because
it is followed by winter one day?
Wise parents say to young men: 'Be sure you do not marry a woman for the
sake of her beauty. Marry a woman for her lasting qualities, not for
such an ephemeral one as beauty.' Upon my word, to hear some people
talk, you would imagine that the beauty of a woman is a thing that lasts
a year at most. The beauty of a happy woman who loves and is loved
lasts thirty years at least, and the beauty of some women is such that
if it only lasted a year, it would be sufficient to leave about a man
for his life a fragrance that all the roses of the world put together
could give but a faint idea of.
Nobody complains that peaches are not as big as pumpkins, and therefore
do not last so long. Some peaches arrived at their full maturity are so
excellent that, although they only make two 'swallows,' you not only
enjoy eating them, but you long remember the beautiful taste they had.
I must say that nobody is the dupe of all the diatribes which are hurled
at beauty, women still less than men. It has always been, and still is,
and always will be, the wish of women to be beautiful, and the wish of
men to see women beautiful. Even Ernest Renan, whom nobody would have
ever accused of frivolity, joined the ranks, and said that the first
duty of woman was to try and look beautiful. Let a woman hear that, in
speaking of her, you have said that she was bad-tempered, giddy, silly,
extravagant, everything you like, but that you have acknowledged that
she was exceedingly beautiful, and I will warrant that you have not made
an enemy of that woman. She may keep a grudge against you, but not for
long. But let that woman hear that you have owned that she was sweet,
dutiful, clever, devoted, and possessed of all the domestic virtues, but
that she was far from being beautiful, you will discover you have made
a bitter enemy for the rest of your natural life.
The great attributes of a woman are the beauty of her face and figure,
the brilliancy of her mind, and the qualities of her heart. But when a
woman is not beautiful, other women will never discuss the good opinion
you may have of her mental attainments and sweet disposition. They will
leave her in peaceful possession of all these qualities; but if you
praise her beauty in terms of ecstasy before them--lo, they will form
the square and fight until the last cartridge is used. It is beauty, not
cleverness or virtue, that makes women jealous of other women. And when
the beauty of a woman is perfectly indisputable, and it is almost
impossible for them to find the slightest fault either with her face or
her figure, then they declare that, unfortunately, her beauty is one
which will not last. The dear women! how they wish they could possess
that beauty, were it but for a day!