BEAUTY AND GOODNESS.
[To THE EDITOR 01 THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Dr. Strahan—vide article, " Coddling Criminals "—has really made an astonishing statement, " in the fact that in the prison and asylums no beauty is to be found." My own experience is very small, but in two large families—upper- middle class—in which mental aberration was, alas ! too frequent, good looks, amounting to beauty, were the rule, and great mental gifts. Among the poor, I have known several families with propensities to crime, dishonesty, &c., far above the average in good looks as well as in general intelligence. One little girl I especially remember with the face of an angel. Sorely we all know " distorted bodies " in which dwell saintly souls, and simply ugly men and women whom we could trust with implicit confidence. Their faces rise up before me as I write. In later life, the character has had time to stamp the countenance, but not in early life.
I cannot but hope that next week the Spectator will give us one of his clear, convincing articles against such a dangerous doctrine. What are we to think of Shelley, and Byron, and Mary Queen of Scots, not to mention later beauties P But I know these names are red rags to many, so, though I should like to write a great deal more, I will not, but subscribe myself, yours obediently, NOT BO VERY GOOD-LOOKING.
[Dr. Strahan's statement may cover a considerable number
of cases, but is, of course, absurdly wide of any scientific accuracy. Our correspondent is not only quite right, but the whole public could pick out cases of the worst criminality where the mischief-making force consisted chiefly in good looks.—En. Spectator.]
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