Question

mrs. bullfrog by nathaniel hawthorne
1 it makes me melancholy to see how like fools some very sensible people act in the matter of choosing wives. they perplex their judgments by a most undue attention to little niceties of personal appearance, habits, disposition, and other trifles which concern nobody but the lady herself. an unhappy gentleman, resolving to wed nothing short of perfection, keeps his heart and hand till both get so old and withered that no tolerable woman will accept them. now this is the very height of absurdity... the true rule is to ascertain that the match is fundamentally a good one, and then to take it for granted that all minor objections, should there be such, will vanish, if you let them alone.
2 besides the fundamental principle already hinted at, i demanded the fresh bloom of youth, pearly teeth, glossy ringlets, and the whole list of lovely items, with the utmost delicacy of habits and sentiments, a silken texture of mind, and, above all, a virgin heart. in a word, a young angel just from paradise, yet dressed in earthly fashion, had come and

1. which detail supports the main idea that mrs. bullfrog had delicacies and superficialities at exactly their proper value?

a even your fair hand could not minister a tear more delicately than mine.
b ... and afterwards her red lips parted with a smile, such both appeared like an inestimable jewel.
c it also overshadowed a few trifling defects, which, however, glimmered on my perception long before the close of the honeymoon.
d there stood mrs. bullfrog, with her glossy ringlets curling on her brow, and the rose of youth still glowing between her parted lips, which wore a most angelic smile.

Explanation:

The main idea is that Mrs. Bullfrog's deficiencies and superficial traits were at their proper level, meaning her flaws were minor and balanced by her positive qualities. Option C mentions minor, fleeting defects that faded before the honeymoon ended, which aligns with the idea that her imperfections were trivial and not long-lasting, fitting the "proper value" of her shortcomings. The other options either highlight a specific unrefined trait (A), a major unappealing trait (B), or only her positive superficial traits (D).

Answer:

C. [I] also overlooked a few trivial defects, which, however, glimmered on my perception long before the close of the honeymoon.