The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-12-07
Young Ladies' Leurnal.l
A Remarkable Woman


Much interest is expressed in Paris with re-
gard 10 the bestowal of the Cross of the Legion
of Honor upon Madame Hess, who has &C.
quired stupendous wealth az vendor of the
hair wash which bears her name, Eau de Hess,
This wash owes its origin 20 a romantic cir
cumstance often referred to by French feuille-
tonists. Madame Hess was poor femme de
naendge "a charwoman), who spoke kindly and
gave relief to miserable beggar to whom her
master had harshly refused to give help, and
who on pereeiving her badness, occasioned by
Illness brought on by grief for the loss of her
husband, and which was i'll concealed by the
marmotte Tor Madras kerchieD she were
upon her head according to the custom
of women Of her clsss-told her of plant that
would bring back the same luxuriance of
tresses She had once possessed. Madame Hess
was induced to try the remedy, and to her in
finite delight found it satisfactory; the hair
was restored and became the wonder of air
who beheld it, and for many years the long
bralds which trailed on the ground were con-
sidered one Of the sights of Paris.
BY the sale of the wash she has become one
OF the greatest capitalists of the city, and the
manner in which she dlsposes OF the wealth
thus ACQUIRED forms the subject of universal
admiration. When asked by the municipality
tor "a little assistance" for the poor she sends
vast sums, even TO the amount of one hundred
thousand francs! She provided for all i'm
mense number of starving workmen and their
wives during the siege, and took upon herself
the payment OF all neeessaries for the wound
ed brough: in from the Notifications. In rec
ogpition of these services the municipality of
PARIS lad gold medal struck off in her honor
aud this, with her nomination as Officer of the
Acadr my and other testimonials. reposes be-
meath glass case upon the same rickety
wooden table on which she prepared the herb
when about TO make the first trial of the hair
wash. The table stands in the middle of the
room now filed with the most costly ar
tistic furniture, and surrounded with the finest
collection of PICTURES by the old masters at pres
ent existing IN Paris. Madame Hess possesses
the most extraordinary instinct of artistic beau
ty, and has formed the most wondrous gallery
OF pictures and bronzeS dart ever beheld. So
great was the natural ambition of self improve
ment evincedA by the qnond IN, femme de me-
mage that. although long past youth when this
great good fortune fell upon her, and she had
never learnt even to read and write, she imme-
diately sst about acquiring instruction in liter
atUre and art, with the result we have men.
toned, aud Is NV regarded as high authority
in both. And while thus she INDUCES her taste
fer the beautiful she neglects not the charitable
duties imposed upon her by her position, and
distributes large sums daily TO the deserving
poor. Such case Is truly fitted fer the Legion
OF Homer, which was instituted as reward of
merit of every kind" The source of the great
wealth obtained by Madame Hess. and which
is said TO have had hitherto no exam.
pie in trade, is supposed to be her refus-
al to appoint agents for the sale of
The hair wash, and the impoesibility of
taking patent, rs but one single Ingredient is
used, which must, therefore, remain a secret.
This has compelled her to furnish it entirely
from her owl hand She has ceased to make
il, however, and thousands of applications
daily pour III for the privilege of manufacture
ing wash which might bear her name even
If not made according to her prescription.