Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-12-26
FANNY ELESIER
Appearance of the Once Celebrated
Dancer fD Her Declining Years
heT GiitterfoE GriumPDs an Europe
ard AHeEfea-Her FOIIies ana E.t,r--
EWHES.

street Of fashionable Slope, talking wilh a Ger
nan i-l-4d whom had known In my student
Csys 81 Heidelberg, a stout elderly woman sIe-
EHHr-E CI--~edt passed before Us, and steupa1
into q C9Trlase He lifted his hat and sfliaI
sim0sf audible. As soon as she was driven
a. ay ny friend asked, 'DO you know who that
W.
u Isvs not the ramotes, idea, I rsp1;es.
rtLCLA there l. something iii stin guishef in mar
BIZ. g certain OutgivInk which induces me 10
think che may have history. Her face 5srises
&c AZ one That might have been handsome Hsr
young gam"
.. Cans you conjecture who she is?p contin-
ued my Companion.
" On. YES" / said, 81 might co1ieet1re from
This TINE 10 Chris mas without coming within a
Thousand miles Ot the truth. she might be auv-
boay % Nobody, but / am lutte Co4liI,isnr shs ia
somebody. / won't trouble INV rnins. however.
aeoat THIS unknown ancient. As We were say
"Zognds, you have no curiosity. That woman
twenty ave years ago was famous in both hem
isIEeiSs, She male great noise m the world.
venture 10 say you know her name as well
SC1 GO nine fancy, too, you have seen her
before. Try few gUessss."
a. DON'T care 70 guess. II you don't wish to
Tel ne, let u talk Of SOM thing else
81 Insist on sticking 10 this subject"
THAT WOMAN - FANNY ELsLEE."
IL- eevii sac Is, 1 knox nsTsr should
To-Day though ] have heard Of Eer ever since 1
was tuEH- So, that vas really the .Div vine Fan
ny. s-e Dc literally kick Ep tremeEdou
sensation n LlTope aud America once upon "A
bHe. The stories have heart OF her success
and adventures would Nh q small volume. /
reucI Ter now that hcU home has been for
= sTs su tbs city, although I doubt il knew
Fnt Their SIZE ~ss dead OF alive. IOl are ac-
Clstr IT'D with her DC APPEAR"
trh cry Well 4 frequently visit her az bor
re9uf..-i yI.i@ JUS out OF town. G1d have al
ways found her 2 delightful woman. Her life
hfS o. o tUal c. rCaI-l,-, lf ssgIr-.el ~ written
., Fta-t DC ias.ilitjtF 2 asked her, several
yEsr- ago, why -h- mi not write an aur8biogra-
Ehy. she sand the ilca hat never occurred -
her. but he tells wG she began u last spring;
ErLe= 4 e. u tex
months, that when finished, she will seal il IN.
that nobody sha!i see it until after her death,
when lr viii be published she has narrated ID
ne 20 different times the greater part of nor
history which sounds, especially from her lips,
-lAS CLc Of CTebi.iOn or Constant S Novels
AETECEDENTs.
From my friends account and from what
have heard and read OF the celebrated dancer,
Z al enabled to give q brief biography OF her.
She IS said 70 have been born IN Vienna, and to
he a. present IN her siNty-iifth year. She does
E-t look 30 old; she has nc gray IN her hair, that
-. the gray Is not allowed 10 show. l. is alto
gether probable, however, that her long stage
experience, insUring special acquaintance with
The art OF seli-beauttying, enables her u hide
the Esvages OF time in the most suceessfu! man
ner. Prem her infancy she was destined for the
Jheat6r. a. the age OF six she was placed under
she Instruction OF Prof. HerscEeil, and regu-
larry drilled in juvenile ballet CORPS Before
she was seven che appeared on the stage, having
shown, even at that tender age, a positive
genius for her profession, and having made as
founding progress she was also Taught Oy
AUmer, and her artistic education was COM
pieted by Baron FieGIiCL Won Cent?. She re-
ceIyed great AID from her
SISTER THBRESE,
Eve years her senior, 70 whom she vas much a.
IsChet1 and who danced with her IL the capitals
OF Europe and America. Iuerese, who IL still
IviTg IN Berlin, ] think, contracted u-jlj q
mOTgantIc marriage with Prince AdalbeTt, OF
Prussia, and was eunoOled under the title OF
FRAU ven Barnem. Rather masculine in figure,
as well az II siren 9Th, she wSs capable OF sup
porting Fanny IN their dancing DAYS in soma
her most difficult poses. She used TO bs called
ETg7 t. from hp- hafJ hcF
and stately movement. the sisters were 20
much together, 80 unlike IN many respects, aud
50 mutually devoted, that they we're said to be
lovers Fanny CiJ5n Jsstngiy called Tharese
her husband, when asked why she didn't marry,
said she bad long been the vile OF her handsome
sister.
The Younger Of the two, in her youth, was as
feminine In appearance as the elder was III -
cuI.ne- 50 much that taev actually seemed 10
he Of d4HereHt sexes.
USAPPRECrATED AT HOME.
Notwithstanding the remarkable talent, grace
and beauty Of the girls, they sttr4Cted very liz
Tie attention ia NieuUs-fron the fact. perhaps.
that dancers, ike prophets, are not without
honor save in their own country. They were
very poor, having nothing but their legs % sup
port, though these, fortunately for them. were
lot cE,v visible, bat very shap-ly aui effective
When Fanny was seventeen. and Ler sister
twenty two, they went 70 Italy, ard d3uc5d tor
several seasons in Naples-Ous season being az
san CariO-but without sT skeniuy any u 4Cked
entLusi1sm. This = strange, because tus
NesIoli5ans are pas-iOnately fond OF the ballet,
ard the sisters, even then, excelled therein.
Their time simply mad not come; when ones
time comes, the blind are made 20 see, and the
stuFldtst are part Tally inspired. They gained
more reputation IL their own country from
being in Italy than they gained In Italy Itself
partially from accounts, written and Crsi, sent
and brought nom Naples.
Having been engaged llS5)) st the leading
theater IN Berlin, where the pnOlic had had
glowing accounts Of Fanny's perform 81ces,
they were warmly welcomed on their FIST ap-
pesTsnce by a crowded and extremely fashion
1OnabIe audience. For this they were largely
Indebted to Narnhagsn you Ense, the WE'LL
sLOWE German author, 20 whom Cent? had de-
scribed amy in the most glowing terms. Warm
Eagan had much influence in the Prussian cap
Ital, and h. FREE uent repetition OF the barOn's
encou.Uns had awakened public curiosity to
see
TIE WONDERFUL sYLPH.
She Tar surpassed expectation. and when she
ICuEeu rem the stage on heF nrss night, AMID
numbering applause, her reputation was es-
tsblished, and the nose or that applause rolled
She Was essentially uu- German in sace and
bguTe. The former was delicate AMI very aui-
mated While the latter WAS Hgdt, supreue.y
supple. and graceful. Tie capital went into
eCStsCies over her lOYeluess, her sp!e Idid move
meut, her exquisite poses, her power OF fasci-
nation. She entirely oversha1o@et Tnerese,
VINO, though SUPERB dancer lacked the nag
netic 8LG vOuptuUus quality OF her sister, and
came % DC regarded - a mere subsidiary u
he divine Fanny, a. she was PeTpet1aily
Agents and managers hurried from London
ELt Paris - engage The peerless Il sler ~ any
e
ara TIE CnIuPas,ioueJ In glish were likewise
tGmultlCus over her szi,ttorial acdiey eIlsuts.
She s.sO visited scveTa, u the leading cities OF
Nrein-.-tFs among thtm lenH2r which Gem
IeL-atCd FOR it early want Of appreciation By
giving her rCuSIng WG-COms an tLT064ug
1tscf Do. mass 81 her Tlet.
There must have been =Jmcthing captivating
~ the Won an, else sue could not have had s1Ca
uhbIOkeu series OF triumFhs. These ttiumDhs
were Tot lezs sexual than professional. TIE
Eleu who were maCly in love with her repre-
SeIteu al ranks OF society Jo1rna lists, sutho-s,
aTflstsr dukes, CEauCe'cr-, philosophers, princes
sought the honor o. her ac4 -aiutau5e, an /
fought FOR smiles that could 81 ways be hal for
money. Noble men boosted OF the happiness II
ki-slnS her Esud, although sic han no. the
reputation q being the east CIlry O. receiving
q CT giving kisses lsI less formal.
TBE DUKE uE RETCHsTADT.
Fanny g beauty AID fascination were very g -
honestly employed a. this time T. y. - tie heart
and confidence OF NAPOLEON is o. Iv Iez.t, M, q,
child the young lI~c &c EeirustRir. The
Duke. delicate IA b5sItb from hIs JtTtl, h. q
UCFcT seemed capable Of feeling the least tEts =
Get in % {. lie was Ola~e cOugel,a'jty, nothing