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WOMEN BACK IN TOWN.
Bab Tells of New York’s Gay Shop
ping Time.
How We New Yorkers, the Feminine
Contingent of Us, Eternally “Shop.”
Lunch Off Sweet Oakes and Choco
late, and Don’t Buy—English and
French Women Don’t Do That Way.
A Discourse on Corsages, and the
Displaying of Necks and Shoulders.
Taste in the Wearing of Clothes.
Ouida’s Herpines and Bravery Re
garding Bills.-- Dignified W omen.
How Few There Are.
New York City, Sept. 29.—The melan
choly days have come, the saddest of the
year to mankind and the happiest to the
shopkeepers. For, during these days,
lovely woman goes out to do her fall shop
ping, and to let the world at large know
exactly how ill-tempered she can be. and
how bad her manners are. She will go in
and out of shops all day long; have heavy
packages of material lifted down for her
to look at—material she would not ac
cept as a gift; lunch off sweet cake and a
cup of chocolate; go home tired to death,
with nothing to show for her day’s work
but innumerable packages of samples.
PURELY AMERICAN.
This fashion of giving samples is purely
an American one, and it is the reason
why the clerks would rather wait either
on a French or an English woman, for
they never go into shops except when
they want to buy. They are in the habit
of dealing at certain places; usually know
what they want, and do not bedevil the
salesman into showing them things they
do not want, or detaining them for h<|urs
looking at stuffs they have no idea of
buying. Ido not know who started the
fashion, but certainly the American
woman is as eager for samples as she is
for gold dollars: and yet, what earthly
Use are they to her? Tiny bits of cloth,
scraps of cashmere, ends of gauze, or in
finitessimal pieces of silk are gotten, made
much of, and nobody can explain the
reason why. Men don’t buy that way,
•nd some men are very good shoppers.
Going about nowadays one sees the
• latest type of woman. She is large, she
is plump, she is a little sleepy looking.
She is arranging her hair in a low, soft,
bun-shaped affair that comes far down
on the back of her head, not unlike, by
the-by, the waterfalls that one sees in the
old-fashioned books. And then, her bon
net is so far back that it looks exactly as
if it were falling off.
AFTER SOME DUCHESB.
Who is she imitating? Some one of the
numerous duchesses whose pictures are
on sale, and whom she has selected as her
ideal woman? I did not think that these
hideous buns would ever be worn in the
country, for they take away the shape of
a woman’s head, and as they require a
great deal of hair, one is forced to be
lieve that some false locks are assumed.
Lately women have been wise enough to
arrange their own hair as best they could,
so that the shape of the head would show
to good advantage, and then they have
worn no stolen locks, but the bun necessi
tates hair pads and false hair, and both
of these suggest untidiness.
With all the dignity demanded by the
new type, the woman who is affeeting it
yet, assumes a somewhat girlish air.
That is, she looks as if she were ignorant
of everything in the world, and not as it
she read the daily papers. To carry out
this idea, which permits a veritable baby
stare, there is not a gown she possesses
that does not have a bid of either lace or
chiffon upon it. Sometimes this bib is
very short, reaching just to the bust;
sometimes it extends to the waist, and
•gain, it falls far below, at if to hide all
outlines of the figure for fear they might
suggest a woman rather than a girl. The
prettiest thing to wear about the shoul
ders for the evening, are the very deep
lace capes, made, as they oftepest are, of
creamy white insertion and golden brown
velvet, with a deep, white frill as their
finish. These are very pretty and femi
nine, and sufficiently suggestive of a wrap
to do for the theatre or the opera.
GOWNS AT THE OPERA.
By-the-bye. speaking of the opera, her
•weetness, the Princess of Wales, has
been expressing herself very freely on the
subject of gowns that are cut too low. I
wonder what she would think if she could
see the circle on the opera nights
here in New York. The more
bones a woman has the lower her
frock is devised, and the more she sug
gest the fact that she is a close connec
tion of some well-bred cow, the lower will
her bodice be found. Now, a very fat or
a very thin woman nover looks well in a
low bodice. It is possible that the throat
may be beautiful; show that then, but
draw the line there. It is possible that
the shoulders are beautiful; display them
if you wish, but at least be a little modest
about it. I think it all women realized
how men talk and how men look at them
when they so lavishly display their
charms, they would put on penitent’s
robes and let their bones and flesh be hid
den from sight forever.
NECKS AND ARMS.
I like to see a beautiful neck, but I
don’t like to see an immodest woman.
They can talk as much as they want
about usage and being unconscious of the
impression made. No one becomes suffi
ciently used to displaying what ought not
to be seen for her to forget it. As a gen
eral thing, American women have not
beautiful necks add arms. Like their
French sisters, they are apt to be a little
skinny; unlike their French sisters,
they are not wise enough to
hide their defects, but they display
them, and simply make themselves laugh
ing stocks for wiser people. English
women have beautiful necks and arms.
Usually, they are low busted and can
wear their bodices with modesty cut
much lower than can the American wo
man. Ido think that women ought to
give a little more thought to this, and
that the line should be drawn between
what is beautiful and what is not, for
really that is what makes modesty and
' immodesty.
ONLY FOR THE DAYTIME.
But to return to the fashi ons. The
Gainsborough hat is predicted; not only
is it predicted, but it is here, in felt and
velvet. Here, with from eight to twelve
feathers surmounting it, and suggesting
to one that, while It may be beautiful and
picturesque for the street or for after
noon affairs, there will be some idiot who
will wear it to the theaters, and make
the play simply a dead blackness to who
ever may sit behind her. When the
beautiful Duchess of Devonshire was
painted, and the artist’s name made her
famous, it was never droamed that the
hat would be worn except in the day
time. In those days magnificence was
the keynote of all dress, and undoubtedly
her ladyship had just come from a walk
in the garden, although she was dressed
in a brocade petticoat aud a satin jacket,
and her hat was put on for the morning
stroll. But when she went to the theater
or to the opera to hear the French sing
* ers, only jewels or feathers crowned her
beautiful hair, and if she had been sitting
in the pit as we are to-day, her hair
would have been dressed as simply as pos
sible, and even powder would have been
omitted.
THE FITNESS OF THINGS.
Nowadays we have no thought as to the
fitness of things. Hats and gowns suited
to the street are worn in the evening,
laces fitted only’ for evening wear are con
spicuous in the morning, and the law of
good taste seems entirely forgotten. How-
ever, there are some women who dress
well. Occasionally one does meet a wo
man who in the morning is gowned in
the simplest of cloth frocks; who in the
afternoon goes visiting in a dark silk or
velvet; and who in the evening is fine and
gay in bright colors and laces,
and all the furbelows permitted es
pecially to lovely woman. By the by
fur is going to be on everything, from the
ball to the dressing-gown, from the street
dress to the opera wrap. Women always
feel luxurious when they have on furs.
They caress one; they make the skin look
whiter and the eyes brighter and clearer,
and, given a warm room wherein are
plenty of flowers and some sweet per
fumes, the woman who comes in from the
cold wrapped m furs suddenly feels a
sense of great wealth, as she pulls the soft
warm wrappings about her even when
she does not heed them.
A LADY IN FURB.
You remember Ouida always cloaks her
heroines in furs, which for a time they
decline to lay aside, giving the other
people where they are visiting an oppor
tunity to see them in the most picturesque
framing possible. The skins of animals
seem proper for women to wear, for one
can think of a brave lover going out to
hunt wild beasts that theyimay De laid at
the feet of a sweetheart to form a mantle
for her which will always remind her of
the bnavery of one man. That is nice and
sentimental, but nowadays the bravery
usually consists in the man being willing
to pay the bill after madame has chosen
what she desires to possess in furs.
Every woman wants sables, but un
fortunately every woman doesn’t get
them. The black fox is probably the most
becoming of fur; that is, when it is in
combination with sealskin. An excep
tionally beautiful woman* can wear the
peculiar colored fur that is known as blue
fox, and which shades between a blue and
a gray. »I remember seeing Mrs. Langtry
wear a blue brocade cloak lined through
out with chinchilla and trimmed with
blue fox, and in. it shejooked like an em
press. By absolute force of beauty, in
imperial robes, she seemed something
almost too beautijul to belong to this
earth unless she occupied a throne and
commanded it.
DIGNITY AND GRACE.
How many women look that way? How
many women do you know that look dig
nified without appearing stiff? There are
very few, my friend. The average woman
who wishes to look dignified appears as if
she had swallowed a poker, or, as my old
mammy used to say, speaking of a stiff
old matron, as if she “had taken an extra
dose of ramrod tea.” Dignity is a
something that comes with years and
experience; it cannot be assumed. It
is restful and has a peculiar charm of its
own.
Two dignified women, as unlike as pos
sible, are the happy Queen of England
and the unhappy Empress of France,
and yet they are so different. One tiny,
and so fat she can scarely walk; yet
all who approach her. or even see her on
the street, are conscious that she is a
woman of dignity, and that while she is
kind and thoughtful, and has been a
good mother, yet is beyond frivolity, with
all about her expressing the very best
sort of dignity. The other, tall, slender,
sad in her morning robes, breathes the
same spirit. The youngest soldier rep
presents to her what her son might have
been, and for him she has a kindly word;
yet one feels, no matter how she may
speak in kindliness, that he would not
dare answer except in away appreciative
of the position she has held.
WHAT DO YOU WANT SAID?
As the .years roll on it is not nonsense
that we like brought to us, but the real
expression of people's lives. It only
comes to the woman who has been digni
fied. Real dignity does not mean stiff
neps or arrogance, but it is that some
thing which tells that the woman we are
looking at has lived out a noble, good life,
and that the time has come for us to show
her in our manner the respect we have in
our hearts. Don’t you want, when you
are a few years older, to clothe yourself
in this mantle of dignity? With years
you do not want to be called a silly old
woman, or a foolish old woman, but, in
stead, a dignified lady. Is that your am
bition? If it is, two people are hoping for
the same thing—you ana Bab.
A WONDER OF HYPNOTISM.
A Subject DiagnoßCß a Distant Sick
Man’s Malady, and Dies of the Brain
Shock.
From a Cable in the New York Sun.
The wildest interest has been excited in
Europe this week by the story of the
death of a young lady, a member of a
prominent family of Vienna, while tinder
hypnotic influence in the hands of Neu
komm, the well-known hypnotist of that
capital. She suffered much for several
months from nervous headaches. Noth
ing could cure her but Neukomm putting
her into a trance. The last affair was be
fore a numerous audience. The first ac
counts of the affair were incorrect, but
the later version, given by Dr. von Bra
gassy, who was present throughout, is al
most incredible.
The experiment, it seems, has been one
of spiritualistic trance rather than hypno
tism. Dr.ißragassy says: “It was with the
concurrence of her parents and the me
dium herself that the Hypnotizer Neu
komm selected as the object of the exper
iment the condition of nis brbther resid
ing in Werchez, concerning which the
ODinion of physicians vary. In about
twelve minutes the medium exclaimed:
‘I am fast asleep.’ The young lady gave
signs of great excitement, which, accord
ing to her parents, had not been observed
during previous experiments. Neukomm
requested the medium to see his brother
at Werchez and say what was the nature
of his illness and what cure should be
adopted.
“What followed was really incredible.
The medium began a scientific descrip
tion of the invalid’s lungs, giving a
minute account of their diseased condi
tion, with technical particulars which
even an ordinary doctor could not gite,
and which might only be expected from
an experienced specialist. With full
command and correct use of tecnical ex
pressions, she gave the closest details, ex
tending to a full diagnosis of inflammation
of the lungs, and declared the prognosis
very unfavorable, as against that kind of
disease medical skill is powerless. In
conclusion she described the end of the
patient in the usual Latin terminology,
and immediately afterward she fell back
senseless, uttering a piercing shriek.
“I at once had recourse to every con
ceivable means of restoring conscious
ness, but all in vain. Within eight min
utes her pulse began to fail and death
shortly followed.
“According to the post-mortem the im
mediate cause of death was concussion of
the brain.”
Growing Sponges.
From the Washington Post.
“Sponges will probably be cheaper in
the near future,” said R. C. Kingsley.
“Recently it has been discovered that these
animals will grow and flourish when cut
up into strips and transplanted. This
brings up the old question as to whether
sponges are vegetable or animal, and may
result in overturning the old-time ver
dict that they are a lower order of ani
mal life, aud not vegetable. However
this may be, the sponge beds can be in
creased indefinitely by simply planting
small pieces of them, which grow rap
idly.”
“My son,” said the economical father,
“these cigars are better than I smoked at
your age.” “Father,” replied the youth,
“it pains me to do it, but lam compelled
to state that they are better than the
cig&rs you smoke now.”—Washington
Star.
THE WEEKLY NEWS (TWO-TIMES-A-WEEK:) MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. 1894.
THE WOMAN OF FASHION.
Styles in the Coat for Fall and
Winter.
Handsome doth Ones in Brilliant
Hues—Velvet Coats for Dress Occa
sions—Trimmings in Laces, Galloons
and Furs—Coats for Young Girls.
New York, Sept. 29.—Verily there is no
limit to the independence of this season’s
fashions. The question is, does the
blame therefor, or the commendation, at
tach to the maker of fashions or to the
wearer of them? It would jeem as though
the former were entitled to part, at any
rate, of the credit. For Redfern says
that this year there is no law regarding
the length of coats. “We make them,”
he says, “to suit the individual—long or
short, as may be most becoming.”
But there is no such uncertainty about
his colors. According to him. it will be
a season of gay ones. The most brilliant
of all bright shades—the clear bluets,
tans, new autumn reds, rich greens, and
all of the fashionable purple tints, will
be wyrg. For that, of course, only the
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One of the New Coats.
finest qualit y of smooth cloths will be
employed. They will be double-breasted,
or double-revered, as the saying la
many of them trimmed with fur. The
favorites in fur for these dainty gar
ments are caracule and Sitka fox.
The linings, like the exteriors, will be
bright and gay. large patterns prevailing.
Big satin checks, in two colors—yellow
and black, red and black, and so on. A
full organ pleated back, or a coachman’s
back, will be worn, while the collar will
be a large flaring one. Sleeves will con
tinue to be large and full, while the big
gest of buttons will be worn. The most
popular are almost three inches in diame
ter, and are of smoked pearl with a white
pearl design over.
Besides the broad revers, many of the
coats have an additional trimming in the
small King Charles cape which adorns
the back.
COAT FOR ORDINARY WEAR.
But not all of us are able to wear these
brilliant, rich coverings. One needs a
full wardrobe and more than one other
coat, to wear one of the bright bluets or
tans. Ordinary occasions suggest those
in quieter tints and more serviceable ma
terial. Some that have just been im
ported are of rough black cloth, moderate
in all things—length, revers and sleeves.
But it is yet too early in the season to
predict what the coat forordinary winter
wear will be like.
Regarding the dress coat, however,
there is but little speculation. I saw a
particularly quiet and particularly hand
some coat, marked S7O. It was of plain
brown cloth, very long, reaching to what
we have been accustomed to consider an
awkward length—about six inches above
the skirt's edge. Strange to say, it
looked very graceful. The back had no
organ pleats or full folds—nothing but a
flat, open tailor-back with the stitched
strap caught down by an invisible button.
In front the collar turned off into high,
modest revers, and both were
faced with sable. The fronts were nar
row, falling straight all the way down.
Two large buttons trimmed each side,
above the waist. Below, the garment
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Jackets For Sweet Sixteen.
fell loosely. If this is a presage; of the
coming coat —and so I have been assured
—we may take it for granted that the day
of organ pleats and full backs is almost
over. I neglected to make mention of the
unique pockets inserted below the belt,
running up and down, without tabs, but
with the edges pointed in the center, and
stitched.
A handsome dress coat is made of fine
black cloth, and combines an Eton effect
with the threerquarter length of the coat
proper. The sharp revers continue in a
small Eton jacket. Revers and jackets
are trimmed with the narrowest and pret
tiest of jet, and lines of the same run up
the jacket fronts. The edging also trims
the front and bottom of the coat. The
collar falls in ripples, is edged and banded
with jet, and has an inner collar of rich
butter-colored lace, with a ruche inside
of this, made of black mousseline de soie.
The whole appearance of this is most
simple and unobtrusive, without detract
ing one whitifrom its elegance.
A small jacket and wrap Combined is
made of the same black cloth. The close
fitting jacket is double-breasted, and
just below the waist-line in a rather
blunt point. Turee narrow bands of
gold braid trim the left side, where it
buttons, as well as the jacket’s lower
edge. Over back and shoulders, but not
extending to the fronts, falls the jaunty
cape, a trifle below the belt. It is also
trimmed with the three golden bands.
The inside jacket has. it is needless to
add. the unavoidable revers.
But the most popular of all dress coats
is the one of velvet. It is rather elabor
ate, and should always be made of a good
quality, since the material will come in,
after the garment has .become oldtfash
ioned, as trimming; or for a small cape.
Black is the color generally chosen, al
though the beautiful golden-browns, the
purples, and even the blue tints, are
worn. Handsome trimmings are called
for to adorn these cloaks, which are a
generous three-quarters in length. Thread
lace from ten to eighteen inches aeep,
forms a small shoulder flounce; and often
a band of gold passementerie will sur
mount it, particularly if the color be a
royal purple. The fine steel bands, the
beautiful gold and jet embroideries
wrought on black net, and the fine cut jet
effects, are all in demand. Buttons do not
figure so prominently on the velvet coat
as on the cloth; and when used, are for
trimming only. An edge down the front
conceals the fastening.
Many of the coats have adjustable
sleeves. A pair in moire are provided
for very special occasions, while for more
ordinary purposes the quieter velvet ones
are worn. Even as chiffon trims many of
our heaviest gowns, so it is used to good
effect on these velvet cloaks. It is most
effective when it is draped over the moire
sleeves. Rosettes and ribbons catch the
lace and other additions.
More sedate velvet garments, for older
ladies, are loose, falling from a yoke*.
They have weatteau backs, and semi
fitting fronts, and reach almost to the
knees. The trimming is generally ap
plied to the yoke, which is overlaid with
a jetted or embroidered lace or with silk
passementerie The thread lace, the
pride of the old lady, trims the big
sleeve.
FOR YOUNGER GIRLS.
The styles for younger girls show little
that is decidedly new. Their revers are
more elaborate and numerous, and the
length of the coat is of course much less
—covering the hips, but no more. The
cape and coat combination is something
of a favorite, even a double cape falling
over the plain coat. But in such cases
the capes are of the military order—plain,
and with littie or no trimming. One in
this combination style has the lower cape
of velvet, while the upper is of the cloth,
shorter, and rounded in front.
A school coat falls to the feet, has a
cape over, and, at the neck, shoulder i re
vers that continue down the front in
points.
One that is more elaborate is shown in
the sketch. Its material is a pale myrtle
cloth. The revers which fall over the
shoulders are indented, and a silk galloon
of the same color runs up the cuts, and
forms a loop at each corner. The revers
continue in coquille and points to the
waist. The edge of the coat shows in
dentations and similar braid trimming.
The other coat shown is of soft gray
cloth, with trimmings of silver galloon.
The front of the dress, showing between
the revers, is of while silk, so that a very
dressy effect is produced. The double
revers are trimmed with the galloon, as
is the bottom of the jacket, which falls
in regulation ripples, and the sleeves.
A pretty garment for a young girl is an
Eton jacket of black velvet, a rich effect
being produced by the fur which faces
the big revers. The sleeves are also
edged with the fur.
THE ABIDE OF IDEAL LOVE.
A LEGEND.
From the Literary Digest.
The following beautiful legend, which
we translate from the German of Nord
und Sud, which in its turn translated it
from the Polish, is an old Hindu legend,
born of poetic fancy when the race was
young. Its simple teaching is that ideal
love, called into existence by a special
act of Divine will, is too delicate for con
tact with the rude world, and has no sure
abiding place save in the poet’s heart.
"Once, on a bright moonlight night
iruns the legend], the wise and mighty
Lrishna communed with himself and
said:
“ ‘I thought man was the most beauti
ful of created things, butl am mistaken.
I see the lotus-flower now to the passing
breeze. How it surpasses all living
creatures in beauty. Its leaves are just
closed in the silvery moonlight * * *
and I cannot turn my eves away from
it * * *
“ ‘Yes, there is nothing like the lily
among men,’ he repeated, sighing.
"But a mintue later he thought:
“ 'Why should not I, who am a god, by
the might of my word, create a being
which would be to mankind what the lotus
is among'the flowers! So be it then, for
the delight of humanity and of the
earth. Lotus-flower, be transformed into
a maiden and stand before me.’
"The waves rippled softly as the beat
ing of swallows’ wings, the night became
clearer, the moon shone deeper, the night
song of the thrush rose higher, and then
suddenly died away. And it was as
Krishna had commanded. Before him
stood the lotus-flower in human form.
The god himself was startled.
“ ‘Thou wert the flower of the waters,’
said he; 'be henceforth the flower of my
thoughts and speak.’
“And the maiden began to whisper,
softly as the murmur of white lotus
leaves kissed by the summer airs.
"Lord, thou hast transformed me into a
living creature; where wilt thou that I
dwell? Remember, Lord, that when I
was a flower I trembled, and closed my
leaves at every breath of wind. I was
smitten with tear, Lord, at the rain and
the storm, the thunder and the lightning;
yea, I was even overcome with fear of
the scorching rays of the sun. Thou
commanfiest me to become a living,
breathing lotus-flower. I have, conse
quently, retained my former nature, and
now, Lord, I sm troubled at the earth and
at everything that lives upon it. Where
wilt thou, then, that I make my abode?’
“Krishna lifted his serene eyes to the
stars, meditated a while, and asked:
“ Wouldst thou rive on the mountain’s
peaks?’
" 'There is frost and snow; lam afraid,
Lord.’
"'Well, then, I will build a palace of
crystal for thee on the ocean floor.’
" Tn the depths of the waters there
glide serpents and horrible monsters. O
Lora, I am afraid.’
“ 'Wilt thou, then, dwell on the bound
less prairie?’
‘ “ ‘O Lord, the prairie is ravaged with
the thunder and the whirlwind as with
the tramp of wild herds.
“ 'How then shall I provide for thee,
thou flower that hast become flesh?
Ah, in the caves of Ellora there live holy
hermits. Wilt thou, retired from the
world, make thy dwelling in the caves?’
"There rules the darkness, Lord; lam
afraid.’
'•Then Krishna sat him down upon
a stone, and learned his head upon his
hand. The maiden stood before him,
trembling and quaking.
“At that moment the fiery crimson of
dawn glowed in the east; the waves of
ocean, the palm-trees and the bamboos
glistened with gold. The rosy-winged
flamingos, the blue cranes, and the white
swans in the waters joined their notes in
chorus with the birds in the jungle, and
immediately was heard the clang of harp
strings extended upon a shell of pearl,
and words of a song in humhn voice.
"Then Krishna aroused himself from
his dream, and said:
“The poet Walmiki greets the rising
sun.’
"A little later, the purple veil of dawn
was withdrawn from the flower-bedecked
creepers, and W’almiki appeared upon the
lake.
"At sight of the transformed lotus
flower he ceased to play, the pearly in
struments slipped softly from his fingers
to earth, his hands dropped motionless to
his sides, and he stood as speechless as
though Kirshna had transformed him
into a tree.
"And the god was pleased at this ad
miration of his handiwork, and said:
“ ‘Wake, Walmiki. and speak.’
"And Walmiki spoke:
“ ‘I love.’
"This was the only word he could re
call. the only word to which he could give
expression.
"Krishna’s countenance glowed sud-'
denly.
“ 'Wondrous maiden.’ he said: ‘I have
found a place fit for thee. Dwell in the
poet’s heart.’
"And Walmiki repeated:
“ 'I love.’
"The will of the mighty Krishna, the
divine will, drew the maiden to the poet’s
heart. At the god's behest also the heart
of Walmiki became transparent as glass.
“Glad as a summer day, peaceful as a
wave of the Ganges, advanced the maiden
to her allotted place; but suddenly, as
she looked deeper into W’almiki’s heart,
her countenance paled, and fear agitated
her wiih its icy breath. Krishna was
startled.
“ ‘Sentient flower,’ he asked, ‘art thou
afraid even of the heart of the poet ?’
“ ‘Lord,’ answered the maiden, ‘what
sort of a dwelling place is this that thou
hastappoined me? Here in this one heart
I behold snowy mountain peaks and ocean
depths peopled with terrible creatures;
and here, too, the prairie with its whirl
wind and storm; here, too. the dark caves
of Ellora; hence I am again afraid, O
Lord’.’
••But the good and wise Krishna said:
“ 'Calm thyself, sentient flower. If in
Walmiki’s heart there are solitary snow
fields, be thou the breath of spring to
melt them. If there are ocean aepths in
his heart, be thou the pearl of those
waters. Are there prairie wastes, then
sow them with the Powers of happiness,
and if thou findest there dark caves as of
Ellora, so be thou in this darkness as a
ray of sunlight ’
"And W’almiki, who had meanwhile re
covered his speech, added;
" ‘And be blessed I’ ”
CLOWNINC AS AN ART.
Old RomansJLiked Clowns as Well as
Young Americans Do.
As a Profession it Is a Most Necessary
Adjunct to the Circus—Vicissitudes
and Joys of Those Who Don the Mot-,
ley and Follow the Tented Shows.
From the Chicago Herald.
“The art of the clown is as ancient as
is the drama itself,” said Edward Bel
mont, the Australian jester, a day or two
since while making a tour of inspection
at the new Royal English Winter Circus
and German Water Carnival, where he is
to be one of the season’s stars. “Pan
tomime dates back among the Romans
nearly 400 years before the Christian era
began. ‘Pantomimes' did not denote
spectacular performances as they do now,
but persons. ‘Pantomimes’ were a class
of actors who, as the name implies, acted
wholly by mimicry—gesture, movements
and posturing—while the ‘histriones’ were
dancers. From the latter is derived the
term ‘histrion,’ applied to legitimate
actors of the present day. Often, in the
days of Emperor Augustus, the actors
were both ‘histriones’ and ‘pantomimes.’
Augustus was a great patron of this
form of amusement, and is supposed by
some historical writers to have been him
self the inventor of the art of dumb act
ing, but this was probably not the case.
The most celebrated ‘pantomimes’ of the
Augustan reign were Bathy’ius, who was
a freed slave of Maecenas, Hylas and
Pylades.
“This class of performers soon spread
all over Italy and the provinces and be
, came so popular with the Roman nobility
—who had the players make their homes
with them—that Tiberius found it neces
sary to issue a decree forbidding such as
sociation and against the nobility walk
ing with ‘pantomimes’ in the street. But
under Emperor Caligula the players again
found favor, and Nero, who carried every
unworthy weakness or vice to extremes,
himself acted as a ‘pantomime. ’ These
actors wore masks over their faces.
Hence facial mimicry was impossible
and everything depended on the move
ments of ttie body. The hands and fin
gers spoke, and to such perfection was
the art carried that, it is said, some of
the artists could give a finer and more
precise expression to passion than the
poets themselves.
“The clown and the pantaloon were dis
tinct types of portrayal, and their proto
types may be traced back to the Roman
Atellanae, a kind of popular drama first
introduced from Atelia, a town in Cam
pania, near Naples. After the Greek
drama had been brought to Rome by .Liv
ius Andronicus, the old FabulseAttellanm
were still retained as interludes and af
terpieces. The ‘Macchus’ and ‘Bucco’ of
the Atellanae fables were undoubtedly the
origin of the Italian harlequin, who was
expected to excite laughter by his
speeches and gestures. The harlequin of
the earlier dramatic entertainments—‘ar
lechino’ was the term given him—was a
satirist and practical jester of similar
type to the modern clown. In English
pantomilnes, as you know, the clown is
the prime mover in all the ‘comic busi
ness’ ; there are often two employed, the
‘talking’ clown and the ‘tumbling’ clown,
who acts chiefly as an acrobat.
ROMANS ORIGINATORS OF THE CIRCUS.
“The Romans were the originators of
the circus, and in those primitive days,
as now, the clown was the never-failing
adjunct of circus entertainments. To make
a good clown, either for circus or pan
tomime, required training from infancy
and decided genius for the work. There
are scores of so.-called clowns who are not
one whit funnier nor more entertaining
than a quaker meeting. They think it
only necessary that they make up their
faces white and put a few rouge spots on
to become full-fledged clowns. Such is
not the case; the art is quite as subtle,
if not as great m dignity, as that of
the tragedian. In this art lasting
reputations have been made, and I doubt
not that the names of Grimaldi, the great
Frenchman; Carlin and America’s George
L. Fox will be remembered as long as
those of Boftth, Barrett and Irving. To
be a successful circus clown requires
quite as much talent as does the art of
the pantomimic clown. The facial ex
pression representing the varied human
passions and emotions must be made per
fectly familiar to the performer and he
should, moreover, ‘be a first-class acrobat
and gymnast. To acquire all these ac
complishments one must have years of
patient training, besides aptitude and
talent for the peculiar line of work which
he is called upon to do.
“ ‘Clowning’ came natural to me, I
fancy. My father was the original Signor
Blitz, in his time one of the most famous
of magicians. It was his intention to
train me for the same line of business,
but my inclinations were not that way.
1 was fond of acrobatic work, and being
small and lithe, I soon aeqaired consider
able perfection in it. But I took up
clowning in 1876, while with the old Van
Amberg show, and have stuck to it ever
since. I am as fond of my work to-day
as when I first began it, nearly twenty
years ago, and it is my greatest delight
to invent a new and taking trick, or bit
of ‘business.’ The most successful
thing I ever originated was the
idea of flying a Japanese kite
around the hippodrome ring while with
Barnum’s show, running at full speed to
keep the kite in the air, until, apparently
by accident, I would fall headlong into
Paul Boyton’s tank. ‘Jim’ Bailey of the
Barnum-Bailey show was a ‘candy
butcher’ with Van Amberg when I began
my career. He has made more money
than I have, bull’ll bet he hasn’t had the
fun I’ve had. In 1879 1 made a totir of
South America with Pueblene’s circus,
going from Caracas, Venezuela, to Cuba,
where I joined Orrin Bros.’ circus, play
ing there and in Mexico with the show.
In 1882**88 I visited Chicago with
Barnum, Cora Beckwith, the swimmer
now at Frank Hall’s casino, being a fea
ture of the show at that time. I was
with Forepaugh in 1884 and Frank A.
Robbins in 1886-86. I had saved up a bit
of money and went into business for my
self in 1887 at San Antonio. Tex., but my
Place burned down and I lost everything
had, and again I put on my ciown’s
make-up and entered the arena. I played
several seasons in Australia, returning
last year to Chicago, where I filled a
twenty-two weeks’,, engagement as an
‘Arab’ in Cairo street at the world’s fair.
After that I went to San Francisco for
the midwinter fair, filling a successful en
gagement.
EXPERIENCES “ON THE ROAD.”
“It would take a big volume to tell all
my experiences ‘on the road.’ Travel
with a wagon show is very different from
being transported from city to city in
palace trains, and life with one of the old
fashioned shows was full of vicisitudes
and incidents of a humorous and pathetic
nature. The saddest, I think, was the
murder of a little boy by bis step-father.
The little fellow was the son of Millie
Tournour, the trapeze performer. Miss
Tournour’s husband was Onofri, a gym
nast. He was training the hoy for a high
pedestal and posturing act. Something
the little fellow did offended Onfori, and
in a rage he hurled the poor child to the
ground from a hight of about thirty
feet. He meant to cripple the boy,
and as the crime was willful
though probably he did not intend
to commit murder—he got a long
term of imprisonment. As for
funny incidents, I think the innocence of
a farmer in a New Jersey village amused
me more than anything I ever heard. He
| came to see the Vain Amberg show prn
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New York.
cipally to learn if he could find any trace
of his nephew, Wilbur Browning, who
had run away with the show ten or fif
teen years back. He had ‘hearn as how
Willie had been rolled up into the tent
and abducted; that the showmen had cut
out his backbone and filled the place with
limber grease and made a contortionist of
him.’ Furthermore, he had ‘hearn’ that
Wilbur had married a ‘wild gal with
bushy hair from Circasshy.’ and had
quite gone to the bad.
“Circus people are not the rough, un
educated class that they are popularly
supposed to be. The canvasmen, stable
men, ‘candy butchers’ and ‘roustabouts’
are a tough set, but the performers are
generally a quiet, genteel and even edu
cated class. They cannot be excessive
drinkers, as that would ruin their useful
ness as performers; they do not gamble
and they are up to the average in morals.
The ‘tough’ element is ‘tough,’ indeed.
This class has a language of its own,
which the ordinary user of slang would
find it difficult to follow. With them a
young lady is known as a ‘Tart’, or
‘Tommy’; a man is a ‘gee’, ‘guy’, giezer’,
or ‘mark’; trousers are ‘jeans’: an over
coat is a ‘heater’; underwear is knows as
‘skins’; shoes are ‘skates’; a hat is a ‘top
piece’ ; gloves are ‘ribbons’, and an
umbrella is a‘mush.’ I once hrard two
‘grafters’—as confidence men and such
hangers-on of shows are known—talking
about a prospective victim. One said:
‘Let’s Aim the giezer, then cop the rattler
to the tall timber.’ He meant, ‘Let’s
swindle this man and then take the train
and get away to the next town. ‘Flim,’
or ‘flop’ means to swindle by short cards
or short change; ‘touch’ is to rob; ‘slough’
is to close; ‘blow’ is to go away. The cir
cus tent is known as a‘top,’stakes aro
‘stobs’ and the property wagon is known
as the ‘crumb box.’ The landlord of a
hotel is the ‘main guy of the peek joint?
Everything in fact has its own slang name
and the ordinary human being could no
more understand it than he could Choc
taw.
THE CRY OF “HEY, RUBE.”
“Exciting incidents often happen in
circus travel. I have many a night been
awakened by the cry of ‘Hey, Rube!’
which is the circus men’s cry of distress
and which always means a serious fight.
Twice in one town —Seaford, Del.—l heard
the cry raised and each time there was a
battle between the circus men and roughs
of the town. Once four negroes were
killed and a number of circus men badly
hurt. But, all in all, the life of a circus
performer is a very pleasant one.”
A OOW’S TRIAL.
Tied in a Freight Oar She Developed a
Wonderful Burst of Speed.
From the Albany Herald.
Yesterday morning a little son of John
Bethue was leading a cow to pasture,
and when he reached the woolen mills he
tied the cow to a coupling pin of a freight
car, while he went inside to speak to his
father. Unfortunately for the cow, the
Lebanon engine backed upon the switch
while the boy was inside, and, not seeing
the cow, coupled on to the car and started
up the track. The bovine was not noted
as a sprinter, but she was forced up the
track at a gait.
A farmer who was passing saw the pre
dicament and managed to signal the en
gineer to stop, otherwise there must have
been a spurt of speed on the part of the
cow unheard of before by any bovine, or
a broken neck, for the boy had tied her
securely with a stout rope. As it is, she
is alive and well, and holds the record of
the town for that sort of a race.
AGED FOUR, BUT A BUEGLAE.
Two Remarkable Prisoners Taken Be
fore Police Justice Simms.
From the New York Times.
The smallest burglar ever arraigned in
the Essex Market police court was taken
before Justice Simms yesterday morning.
He was Abraham Lippman, 4 years old
and 28 inches in hight, of 29 Hester street.
In conjunction with his brother Joseph,
aged 8, Abraham was charged with break
ing into the cellar of Hyman Sklanberg’s
grocery store at 14 Norfolk street and
stealing figs and dates to the value of 82.
When the boys were arraigned Joseph
acted as spokesman. “Dero was anuder
feller wid us,” said he. “and him an’ ma
little brudder went inside. I didn’t swipe
nawthin’, Mr. Judge.”
Policeman Hogan, who arrested the
boys, informed the justice that Abraham
tapped a till in Norfolk street on Friday
and stole 810, but the owner of the place
refused to make a complaint.
The children were committed to the
care of Agent Frederick Schmitt, of the
Gerry society, which will investigate
their previous records.
Anarchism the Result of Cigarettes.
From the London Daily News.
Writer’s cramp is sufficiently well '
known, but it is only in countries in which
the use of the cigarette displaces all other
forms of enjoying the “weed” that
smoker’s cramp is heard of. This affec
tion is common enough in Spain, notwith
standing that the Spaniard is so expert
that he can roll a cigarette with a single
movement of the hand. It is now finding
its way into France, where the govern
ment tobacco, “Caporai,” is hot and arid
in a pipe, but tolerable to the taste when
inclosed in rice paper. It appears, how
ever, that the complaint did not make its
advent here until the state assented to
the sale of cigarettes made by hand. The
persons who are now suffering from this
painful form of cramp are the workgirla
who get their living by rolling cigarettes.
In this connection it may be noted that
the Society for the Prevention of the
Abuse of Tobacco has, parodying the
familiar cherchez le femme, now adopted
for its war erv, “Cherchez le tobacco,”
basing its attack upon the allegation that
Caserio and all other assassins were
victims to the cigarette, which they
smoked on the eve of committing great
crimes. _
The eyes of the suitor filled with tear#.
“Sir:’ he protested. "I would give my very
l.fe for your daughter.”
Her father started violently. “Youngman.”
he thundered, “do I look as if I Was easy
picking m a trade?”—Puck.
7