Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 204, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1913 — Socrates and Beauty. [ARTICLE]

Socrates and Beauty.

All visitors to the , museums of Rome become familiar with the busts of Socrates. Whe does not recognize at first glance the almost comic face with its turn-up nose and utter absence of the slightest claim to good looks? We cannot help smiling at it and yet when we think of the man, the ugliness of his face becomes pathetic. He worshiped beauty, his life was devoted to teaching how life could be made harmonious In every way and such a nose must, in spite of his philosophy, have been a constant trial to him. His prayer was: “Grant me to be beautiful in the inner man and all I have of outward things to be at peace with those within. May I count the wise man only rich; and may my store of gold be such as none but the good can bear.” He counted material wealth without wealth of Bpirit a mockery and to have outward beauty without Inward beauty was to be an imposter. All the same, to have one’s Inward beanty. so denied by one’s face must have been very annoying and our smile at Socrates may well be mixed with a little sympathy.