298 BEAUTY. 



though not the one most commonly accepted, is a 

 far more inspiring one tlian the base idea that 

 beauty' resides merely in the outer film of human- 

 ity, and it is at the same time far truer also. 



If one looks the matter for a moment in the 

 fjice, it is quite clear tliat the opposite belief cr.r.- 

 not seriously be defended on its own merits. 

 Suppose it possible that we were to consider 

 people beautiful without any regard to their 

 healtliiness, their intelligence, or their moral 

 qualities; what would be the consequence? 

 Why, we should to a great extent choose one 

 another in marriage and friendship quite indepen- 

 dently of these very important considerations, 

 and the result would be that the deformed, the 

 unhealthy, the hopelessly stui)id, and the hope- 

 lessly cruel or selfish peo[)le would run just as 

 good a chance of bringing up families in their 

 own image as the sound, the healthy, the able, 

 and the sweet-tempered. But Nature in that case 

 would surely, though perhaps slowly, weed out 

 all the persons with such unwholesome and un- 

 desirable tastes. There are indeed in the world 

 around us many men and women with perverted 

 judgments who do not feel repelled by narrow 

 brains, scowling brows, coarse sensuous mouths, 

 and unhealthy-looking faces. But these people 

 die out from generation to generation as a direct 

 consequence of their own foolishness or evil dis- 



