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The Importance of Making Your Home Fit Your Personality » * • Mile. Andree Lenique, the Parisian Portrait Painter, Who Chats Wittily About House hold Decoration. under her. As I said before, furniture should match the personality. The Empire style is handsome and stately, but 1 find that it does not harmonize with the most dainty feminine graces. After all, it is identi fied with the time of Napoleon’s domination, and we know that he had little appreciation of woman's finer qualities. It is a pleasure to see furniture that really has style. A collection of expensive furniture not held together by harmony ofi style is like a company of well dressed lunatics. What horrors I see in the houses of the wealthv! Luxurious but hideous arm chairs, thick downy carpets whose colors quarrel with everything about them; superb radiators, enor mous bathrooms decorated with strange fishes and reptiles, wonderful electric chandeliers, and Mile. Lenique, the Newest Fashionable Parisian • Portait Painter, Tells Why Blondes Should Live ' Among Louis XVI. Surroundings, Brunettes Among Renaissance, and Why Stout People’s Furniture Ought to Be Strictly Louis XIV. “Large chairs grew up to accommo date the crinoline, and now they are very nice for stout women.” Marguerite must have had fine qualities or the poets of the time would not be so enthusi astic about her. I believe there was a warmth and spontaneity about her manner that would win popularity for a hostess of to-day. The furniture of the Louis XIV. period is handsome, but heavier and less graceful than Ihe Louis XVI. stvip. The earlier period is dis tinguished by couches and arm chairs of very solid framework, often with lion’s head decora tions. The arm chairs are very spacious, be cause the wide hoop skirts of the period re quired it. Roth for aesthetic and practical reasons this style is most appropriate for stout women, of whom there are many in New York. It is most disconcerting to watch a fine, solid woman sit ting on a slender chair that threatens to smash M ISS ANDREE LENIQUE, the distin guished Parisian portrait painter whose work was decorated by the French Government, has had an excellent op portunity to observe the interior decoration of the wealthy and fashionable homes of New York. Miss Lenique has a studio in the Sherwood, in West Fifty seventh street, where she has been painting the portraits of many prominent and attractive New York women. In the following interview Miss Lenique makes some entertaining comments on the decoration of New York homes and some practical suggestions to the women who pre side over them. By Mile. ANDREE LENIQUE (In an Interview) T HERE is nothing in the world so becom ing to a woman as a home that, suits her. Every woman should seek to have her home decorated in harmony with her beauty or, at least, her personality. More magnificent homes are being created in New York to-day than in any other place. Now is the time when the true principles of interior decoration should be studied and mastered. It is really surprising how little time New York women of the wealthy and fashionable classes spend at home. What with shopping, visits to restaurants and hotels, lunches, mat inees and so on, they are out practically the whole day. In French society it is considered quite im proper for the woman to he out of her home In the morning. if the New York woman followed my sugges tion of decorating her homo in harmony with her personality she would stay at home more. She would have an interest to keep her there, and the place would have more attraction for her. Many women impose their ideas on the dec orator without having sufficient knowledge of the subject. That is a mistake. Again they allow the decorator to go ahead and develop s scheme (hat is not in harmony with tits own er's personality. 1 offer a few suggestions that will help American women to choose schemes of decora tion and furniture in harmony with their per sonality. Li the blonde follow the Louis XVI. style, the brunette the Renaissance style, the auburn- haired the Venetian style, the stout woman the Louis XIV. style and the elderly lady the Res toration style. After all, I believe that there is nothing so hecoming to so many women as our French Louis XVI. style- the graceful furniture with the swan's neck motive, so often used In chairs and couches. The light and delicate tones of hang ings arid other fabrics make a home that is most expressive of feminine charm and dainti ness. ThlB style breathes the spirit of a period when social gallantry and grace reached a liner de velopment than they have ever done before or since. That was the period preceding the French Revolution, when our nobility cultivated such exquisite manners. The women devoted their lives to coquetry and the men to love- making. They did not worry about the dollar then. They acted as if money came naturally, like the rain and sunshine. The Due de Richelieu was one of the great est ornaments of the time. He raised flirtation to a tine art. He could win a woman with an epigram. It was easier for him than taking a cocktail is for you American men. You must not confuse him with the Cardinal, who lived in a cruder period. Women nowadays think so much about being beautiful. I find that many of the most charm ing women of our most charming period were quite plain. Their manners, their conversation and their surroundings made them attractive. Furniture helped to make them fascinating. A graceful chair may compensate for a clumsy figure. A well chosen fabric will soften a poor complexion. Nothing can make a woman more attractive than a drawing room, salon, boudoir or what ever you call it, in skilfully executed Louis XVI. style. It breathes the very atmosphere of coquetry, of fascination, of entertaining conver sation. I have suggested this as the most suitable style for a blonde, but it. is really suitable for every woman who can stand light tones. It is heat for the blonde because a heavier style is crushing to her exquisite, delicate beauty. There Is a new decorator in Paris who covers walls with black paper and decorates houses entirely in black. He has persuaded one of his customers to sleep on black sheets in a black bed, with juHt. a little while lace trimming. He says that It sets off her charms in the mpst effective manner. Horrible thought! A black room is enough to make anybody ill. 1 feel the same way about the misguided genius who decorates rooms in dark purple. Rooms intended for daytime use should be decorated in light colors—delicate grays, greens, blues, browns and yellows. A dining ropm or smoking room may be dark. Rich, dark woodwork harmonizes with (he worship of Bacchus. The Renaissance style of decoration and fur niture is the handsomest of all. I have sug gested it as the most suitable setting for a brunette. By 'this I mean rather that it is best for a woman of strongly marked type. If the blonde feels that her personality is sufficiently commanding she may choose Renaissance. It seems to me that a Renaissance apartment, with its splendid decorations and rich hangings, should be the home of some romantic, majestic figure like our Marguerite of Navarre. She was a magnificent type of the princesses of the Renaissance period. She was a patron of art- ists, poets and singers. That extremely gay collection of stories by her, "The Heptameron,” suggests liow deeply she drank of the cup of life. A modern society woman who modelled her life on that of Marguerite of Navarre would cer tainly be interesting. People would not feel bored at her home. Of course there arc some ways in which it would he quite impossible for a t dern lady to follow her There is an old story about her that, having entertained a poor wandering minstrel most A French No- blewoman of Louis XVI. Pe riod. Mile. Len ique Says That Her Surround ings Provided Much of Her Charm. “The ixmpnre style, though stately, is stiff and doe£ not harmonize with feminine fascination.” royally, she thought it best when he said good bye to her that he should say good bye to life. From the gorgeous Renaissance chamber with its carved furniture, its rich bro caded hangings, its silver goblets and tall candlesticks he went to a grave down in the deep dark cellar of the chateau. His last views of life were glorious. The idea is that she did not care to have it whispered in court circles that she had known a person of such humble position. Modern social imperti nence cannot approach this. The conduct of the girl who flirts with a man at the sea shore, hut cuts him dead in town, may have the same basis, hut it is very cold and tame in cony- part son. Probably the story is exaggerated, as Voltaire said of the report of his own death. Queen other things too terrible to mention. If a Frqnch nobleman of the eighteenth cen tury should be suddenly confronted with these things the delightful compliments he was ac customed to utter would be frozen on his lips. A harmoniously and agreeably decorated home Is better than one filled with the most costly works of art. Too many pictures spoil the walls. A few good faipily portraits placed m thoroughly suitable places give personality to the house. Some American houses are simply plastered with bogus Corots, Bouguereaus, Bonnats, et cetera. They may be horribly, ugly—not even painted with good paint—but they are signer with a name. That is sufficient. I was not surprised to learn that a very flourishing industry here is the production of bogus Corots and other works of the Barbizon school. I understand that some of the most promising artists of this industrial school were formerly bootblacks. When the American law was recently changed so as to permit foreign pictures over twenty years old to come in duty free these industrious workers protested. They said: “You w.ill ruin a great American industry.” But Congress had progressed to a point where such an argument would not hold water, and so the law was changed. Thus civilization progresses. The law as it stands is sufficiently absurd. The work of a rising European painter of the day must pay a duty because it would compete with the product of the native artist. No good American artist asks for such protection, be cause it would be asking for protection against the superior brains of others. The protection i£ only for the daubers and forgers. I do not say this in criticism of American taste in general. Such things are the outcome of a conspiracy between little groups of com mercial schemers and stupid politicians. Amer icans as private citizens are the most generous patrons of art in the world. Here is an example; Mr. Crane, of Chicago,’ has furnished funds to Alphonse Mucha, the Bohemian artist, to enable him to execute a colossal series of decorations illustrating the history of Bohemia. They are to be placed in a public building. So Bohemia is to have her history perpetuated at the expense of a private Chicago citizen. It is remarkable. The lot of a rich man who feels that he has to buy pictures is often a sad one. I knew a wealthy man who built a great new house and employed an artist who painted dreadful cherubs and goddesses all over the ceiling of the mam salon. "I don’t see that that makes the house any better,” candidly remarked a friend with a little hard common sense. "But I had to have something painted,” said the poor rich man. It is the woman’s business to make the home beautiful, not by buying pictures and statues, but by choosing harmonious and agreeably con trasting tints and furniture of good style. After all, it is color that does most toward beautifying an apartment. An eye for color is a born gift as much as a musical ear. We all recognize the special nature of the musical ear, but few realize that the same is true of the color sense. A pleasingly contrasted color scheipe makes me thrill with physical joy. For harmonious contrast, the juxtaposition of two or more complementary colors is not all that is necessary. They must also differ in tone and show an opposition of light to dark. A pleasingly contrasted effect will hold its own against time for a much longer period than a more general composition, for the same reason that a dress of contrasted colors continues to look well, where clothing of the same prevail ing hue would look shabby and faded. When the dominant color has been chosen, the color scheme should be arranged as an imagin ary palette, which includes the hangings, fural-' true and rugs. We may work above the general color to brilliance and below it to more neutral hues. A cabinet or even a china vase with other objects around it may give us the focus of bril liant color. The rugs and carpet should supply the lower tones of color required. How “The Woman Thou Gavest Me” Faced Her Husband j j / I N the current instalrant of “The Woman Thou Gavest Me,” Hall Caine's wonderful analysis of the modern marriage question, now being published by HEARST’S MAGA ZINE, his heroine passes into the greatest crisis of her life. Sold by her ambitious father in marriage to Lord Raa, a profligate nobleman, Mary O'Neill too late awakens to realization of the horrors of loveless marriage. On the wedding night site and her husband agree to live as such only in name. Lord Raa becomes infatuated with Mary's schoolgirl friend, Alma, into Mary's life at the time comes again Martin Conrad, another friend of Mary O'Neill’s school days. He has become a famous Antarctic explorer. The two fall in love. Hall Caine, in the great est paragraphs he has ever written, describes her agony when she finds that she, a loveless wife, is in love with a man not her husband. At last she and Martin Conrad, thrown to gether by the machinations of Alma, declare their love Martin goes away on another exploring ex pedition. Mary faces the inevitable. Her fa ther, rejoicing because he expects to have a grandson, makes preparations for a great feast. On the eve of the feast, Lord Raa, warned by anonymous letters sent him oy Alma, returns home to Mary to demand an explanation. The scene, in part, follows: (From the current instalment of "The Woman Thou Gavest Me,” published in the May Number of Hearst’s Magazine.) F EELING too degraded to speak, I look the letter in silence out of my maid's hands, and while I was in the act of locking it away in a drawer Alma came up with a tele gram from my husband, saying he was leav ing London by the early train the following morning and would arrive at Blackwaier at half-past turee in the afternoon "Dear old Jimmy!” she said, "what a sur prise you have in store for him! But of course you’ve told him already, haven’t you? . . . . No? Ah. I see, you’ve been, saving it all up to tell him face to face. Oh, happy, happy you!” It was too late to leave now. The hour of my trial had come. There was no escaping from iL • • • 1 was standing by the file at the moment, and I held on to the mantelpiece as my hus band came into the room. He was very pale. The look of hardness, slmost of brutality, which pierced his manner at normal moments had deepened, and I could see at a glance that he was nervous. His monocle dropped of itself from iris slow, gray eyes, and the white fat fingers which replaced it trembled. Without shaking hands or offering any other sort of salutation he plunged immediately into the matter that was uppermost in his mind. '! am still at a loss to account for this affair of your father's,’’ he said. “Of course 1 know what it is supposed to be—a reception in honor of our home-coming. That explana tion may or may not be sufficient for these stupid islanders, but it’s rather too thin for me. Can you tel! me what your father means by it?” I knew he knew what my father meant, so 1 said, trembling like a sheep that walks up to a barking dog. "Hadn't you better ask that question of my father himself?” Perhaps I should if he were here, but he isn’t, so 1 ask you. Your father is a strange man. There’s no knowing what crude things he will not do to gratify his primitive Instincts. But he does not spend five or ten thousand for nothing. He isn't a fool exactly.” “Thank you,” I said. I could not help it. it was forced out of me. My husband flinched and looked at me. Then the bully in him. which always lay un derneath, came uppermost. “Look here, Mary,” he said. “I came for an explanation, and I intend to have one. Your father may give this affair what gloss he pleases, but you must know as well as I do what rumor and report are saying, so we might us well speak plainly. It is the fact that your father is giving this entertainment . well, because he is expecting an heir?" To my husband's astonishment I answered, "Yes.” "So you admit it’ Then perhaps you’ll be good enough to tell me how that conditipn came about?” Knowing he needed no explanation, I made po answer. “Can’t you speak?" he said. But still I remained silent. "You know what our relations have been since our marriage, so I ask you again how- does that condition come about?" 1 was now trembling more than ever, but a kind of forced courage came to me and I said. "Why do sou ask? You scent to know already.” "I know what anonymous letters have told me. if that's what you mean. But I'm your husband and have a right to know from you. How does jour condition come about. I ask you?” I cannot say what impulse moved me at i Good-bv, Hi miss;e, he answered. "I never believed Ou Id Tom Dug would live to see ye laving Heme like this. * ’ But wait! Only wit till himself is after coming back, and ! i! go bail. I t’ll be the divil sit uo for so me of them.” I rani. Crain * lllnatr rations for “The \\ oman Thou f.n'rst 'lr." la Hrarat'a Muirnitat*.» that moment unless it‘whs the desire to make a clean llrcast and an end of everything, but, stepping to my desk. 1 totak out of a drawer the letter which Price had intercepted and threw it on the table. He took it up and read it, with the air of one to whom the contents were not news', and then asked me how I came by it. “It was taken out of the hands of a woman who was in the act of posting it,” I said. “She confessed that it was one of a number of such letters which had been inspired, if not written, by your friend Alma.” “My friend Alma!” “Yes. your friend Alma.” His face assumed a frightful expression and he said, “So that's how it is to be, is it? in spite of the admission you have just made you wish to imply that this” (holding out the letter) “is a trumped-up affair, and that Alma is at the bottom of it. You’re going to brazen it out, are you, and shelter yourself undej- your position as a married woman?” I was so taken by surprise by this infamous suggestion that I could not speak to deny it, and my husband went on to say, “But it doesn't matter a rush to me who is at the bottom of the accusation contained in this letter. There's only one thing of any consequence—is it true?” My head was reeling, my eyes were dim, my palms were moist, I felj as if I were throwing myself over a precipice, but I answered, “It is perfectly true.” I think that was the last thing he expected. After a moment he said, “Then you have broken your marriage vows—is that it?” "Yes, if you call it so.” “Call it so? Call it so? Good heavens, what do you call it?” I did not reply, and after another momeilt he said, “But perhaps you wish me to under stand that this man whom I was so foolish as to invite to my house abused my hospitality and betrayed my wife. Is that what you mean?’’ "No,” I said. “He observed the laws of hos pitality much better then you did, and if ) ata betrayed I betrayed myself." My heart choked. But the thought that came to me, that, bad as his own life had been, he considered he had a right to treat me in this way because he was a man and I was a woman, brought strength out of my weakness, so that when he went on to curse my Church and my religion, saying this was all that had come of “the mummery of my Masses,” I fired up for a moment and said, "You can spare yourself these blasphemies. If I have done wrong, it is I. and not my Church, that is to blame for it.” “If j'ou have done wrong!” he cried. “Have you lost al! sense of a woman's duty to her husband? While you have been married to me, and I have been fool enough not to claim you as a wife because 1 thought you were only fit company for the saints and angels ” • * * And with the last word, in the drunkenness of his rage, he lifted his arm and struck me with the back of his hand across the cheek. The physical shock was fearful, but the moral infamy was a hundred-fold worse. I can truly say that not alone for myself- did I suffer. When my mind, still going at light ning speed, thought of Martin, who loved me so tenderly, I felt crushed by my husband’s blow to the lowest depths of shame. I must have screamed, though I did not know it, for at the next moment Price was m the room, and I saw that the housekeeper (drawn, perhaps, as before, by by husband’s loud voice) was on the landing outside the door. But even that did not serve to restrain i * him. i “No matter,” lie said. “After what has' passed you may not enjoy to-morrow’s cere mony. But you shall go through it! By heaven, you shall! And when it is over, I shall have something to say to your father.” And with that he swung out of the room and went lunging down the.stairs. News of the scene went like wildfire through 4 the house, aud Alma’s mother came to com fort me. in her crude and blundering way, she told nte of a similar insult she had suf fered at the hands of the “bad Lord Raa,” and how it had been the real reason of her going to America. When she was gone I sat down before the fire. I did not cry. I felt as if I had reached a depth of suffering that was a thousand fathoms too deep for tears. I do not think I wept again for many months after that, and then it was a great joy, not a great grief, that brought me a burst of blessed tears. But I could hear my dear, good Price crying behind me, and when I said, “Now you see fdr yourself that I cannot remain in this house any longer,” she answered, in a low voice, “Yes, my lady.” “I must go at once—to-night if possible.” "\ou shall. Leave everything to me, my lady.” » The bell rang, but of course I did not go down to dinner. • • • As soon as Price had gone off to make the necessary arrangements I turned the key in the lock of my door, removed my evening gown, and began to dress for my flight. The only place I could think of was that which Martin had mentioned when he wished to carry me away—London. In the mighty world of Loudon 1 might hide myself front ob servation and wait until Martin returned from his expedition. I To London, therefore, I would go! The full loaliilrarrt of “The Woman Thou '■•’Mt \le,” from which thrar nrerpf* were token, will bp found in the current number of HEAHSrs MAGAZINE.