“But in the beauty of perfect proportions no soul exists; the soul asserts itself in certain bodily imperfections of form, which, when understood, become irresistible charms.” WomenFictionBeautyNovelPerfectionImperfectionVictorianPhysical Beauty Book:A Drama In Muslin Source: A Drama In Muslin
“But there is something else—there is God, and the love of beautiful things. I spent all day yesterday playing Bach's Passion music, and the hours passed like a dream until my sisters came in from walking and began to talk about marriage and men. It made me feel sick—it was horrible; and it is such things that make me hate life—and I do hate it; it is the way we are brought back to earth, and forced to realise how vile and degraded we are. Society seems to me no better than a pigsty; but in the beautiful convent—that we shall, alas! never see again—it was not so. There, at least, life was pure—yes, and beautiful. Do you not remember that beautiful white church with all its white pillars and statues, and the dark-robed nuns, and the white-veiled girls, their veils falling from their bent heads? They often seemed to me like angels. I am sure that Heaven must be very much like that—pure, desireless, contemplative.” LiteratureHeavenWomenFictionNovelSocietyProseNineteenth CenturyVictorian Book:A Drama In Muslin Source: A Drama In Muslin