"They had both noticed that a life of dissipation sometimes gave to a face the look of gaunt suffering spirituality that a life of asceticism was supposed to give and quite often did not"

This quote by Katherine Anne Porter is recommending that a life of excess and extravagance can sometimes give a person a look of spiritual suffering, which is usually related to a life of austerity and self-denial. Porter is indicating that a life of excess can sometimes be more damaging than a life of self-denial, as it can cause an individual looking gaunt and spiritually suffering. This quote is likewise suggesting that a life of asceticism does not always result in an appearance of spiritual suffering, as it is not always the case. Porter is recommending that a life of excess can be just as damaging as a life of self-denial, and that it can cause an individual looking gaunt and spiritually suffering.