Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-16
Clara Bell on the Lansiry.

/ am not going to harp much on the
played-out string OF Langtry, and will SIM
| ply say that hose who were reasonable in
| their expectations found her satisfactory;
| but those who looked for transcendan
beauty were woefully disappointed. found
| FIVE women in the audience who, beyond all
! question, were great deal nearer to perfec.
| ton than this princes darling. The chief
charm was a lady-like aspect and manner,
| quite out of keeping with the part she was
| acting in the play. And it was observable
that when she did unrehearsed things-as in
| picking up the dumped fi1wers from basket
handed TO her while in front of the curtain,
| and leading ort her reluctant manageable
was even more graceful and free than when
she was following instructions as chester
Gr3zebrook. 1t WAS easy 10 comprehend
how, with the Prince OF Wales 10 push her,
she had made such a Roadway 10 London
aristocratic society. She has grown thin
since the familiar portraits, exposing taper
arms and boneiess bosom, were made, and
she made no exhibition of those things, nor
is she likely 10 during her American tour.
She is large jointed woman, with big hands
and her elbows are larger than the parts Of
her arms between them and the shoulders,
as were plainly disclosed by the light
sleeves OF her costumes. No; She will
bare no such arms as she now pos
sesses, believe me. Dolly one of her dresses
was low, and that exposed only
wedge of skin down the center of her breast
This garment was OF rich. warm-toned yell
low satin, simple in style and fitting per-
fecllv. The waist was heart-sha ped, coming
low down on the shoulders, and beneath the
frill OF point lace, which circumscribed the
heshly area 10 the narrow limits already de-
scribed, was only piece OF tightly twisted
satin following its outlines. The corsage
simply carried the line below the waist and
ended in small points. The sleeves reached
below the elbow, with piece of the satin
carried round the edge, and little puff of
white elk edged with lace in each, tying it
10 the arm. The front of the skirt was laid
in large plai's, which gave fullness that
was lightly caught here and there, ma king
careless drapery. The train was long, and
its beauty left 10 depend on It's own color
and folds. 1t has been suggested that eco
nomical women, with a turn for doing over
their dresses, might learn = lesson from
Langtry's clothes. She does not cut, snip
and spoil good stuff with shire, pufs and
bias bends, as is the fashion with American
dres.makers. However, this plainness is
srtful instead of saving in her, for it suits
her individuality. Simplicity is her strong
point. She wore no earrings or fnger-rings,
though on her wrists were bracelets set with
magnificent emeralds. The other costume
worn in the play, except her rustic dress OF
the fret act, had petticost OF gray satin
HttTUttutuL, WIN pducl ulTtClly III trout
of gray marabout feathers. Over this was
long, tight. lifting coat of gray satin,
bTocsded in black velvet and bordered with
a wide band of gray marabout feathers.
Above this wss a large cape OF the same
brocade, bordered also with a teathered
band, lined with salmon silk striped with
delicate pink and green, and caught in at
was worn hat of the gray brocade. In all
her dressing she was careful to show The
outlines of her waist, which is slender, and,
to my mind, rather out of proportion with
her broad shoulders and ample hips. The
idea suggested by her figure was not of feshy
soubdness al The two wide points mentioned,
bat of big-boned frame not smoothly filled
out. This impression was strengthened by
the visible action OF her shoulder blades I'M
der the thin covering and above the top OF
her corset, as we'll as by the meagerness of
her bosom. l fancied that she was about
seven-eighths bone, and VIXEN she smiled,
with her extensive mouth and white teeth,
the unpleasant thought came TO me that she
was exposing the whole front of her skull,
which light any moment drop out, leaving
her head a shspeless lot of hair and skim
Having expressed that horrid idea, must
not fail 10 do the woman justice by saying
that, as an entirety, she is about rs whole
some, healthy clean-looking a creature as
one would wish TO see. She walked with
stride that indicated sturdy pedestrian, and
altogether she had more outdoor bretziness
than one would expect in a dainty drawing
room pet. Lapgiry was a focus for every
glass in the house Instantly on her appear
ance, and when she made her first exit there
arose such a Babel of CONNIE Mt that the
other actors could not be heard at all. Bad
taste, say you? Well, L don't know. Here
was a woman who had cJme across the ocean
TO exhibit her personal beauty for money,
and it was all right, think, that the spec
tators, having paid the high price of the
show, should treat her
MERELY AS SHOW.
She bore the ordeal without q tremor.
have no doubt she liked it.
''She talks about her personal charms with
the utmost freedom" said journalist who
mad interviewed her several umes.
"Well, l suppose you gentlemen Of the
press bored her until she talked As a means
OF getting rid OF you quickly / remarked.
"Bored herr" he reiorted; well, that's
funny. There wasn't reporter who went
down the bay 10 meet her, and wrote her up
for his paper, who wasn't importuned TO call
on her st her hotel. And, il he did il, and
wrote something more Than his managing
editor deemed worth publishing, then he
soon got a neat little note begging him to call
again. Bored by reporters? Please permit
me to laugh"
Love Laughs al Ears.