And the breast ought
to be conspicuous, and have this attention paid to it--for when a young
lady is sweet and gentle in her manners, kind and affable to those around
her, when her eyes stand in tears of pity for the woes of others, and she
puts a small portion of what Providence has blessed her with into the hand
of imploring poverty and hunger, then we say she has the breast of a
turtle-dove.
You will observe how beautifully the feathers of a bird are arranged: one
falling over the other in nicest order; and that where this charming
harmony is interrupted, the defect, though not noticed by an ordinary
spectator, will appear immediately to the eye of a naturalist. Thus a bird
not wounded and in perfect feather must be procured if possible, for the
loss of feathers can seldom be made good; and where the deficiency is
great, all the skill of the artist will avail him little in his attempt to
conceal the defect, because in order to hide it he must contract the skin,
bring down the upper feathers, and shove in the lower ones, which would
throw all the surrounding parts into contortion.
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