Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-28

The UOrld-Famous Dancer-Prescrving
Her Beauty to an Extremely Advanced
Age-The Secret of NinOn de L'EnelOs
"reminiscences of Her Late Years.
Figure.
Some fifteen years ago, at reception
piveu by Nine. -, the mistress OF the
mansion, kindly announced her intention
of presenting me to the youngest lady who
was present at her ball; and taking my
arm she led me toward a group Of gentle
men in black dress-cOats surrounding
tall and very beautiful woman, rObed in
pink silk. Her toilet was simple but ele-
CANT: she were scarcely any jewelry, but
many knots o. ribbon which curled their
loops Of satin at her cOrsage, her shOul-
ders and even in her daTk-brOwn hair.
Her age was difficult to guess; she might
have been 50 or 40, perhaps less, perhaps
more.
l could not repress a start of surprise
when1 heard the name OF this charming
woman pronounced. 1t was Fanny Els
sler. the illustriOus dancer, who was then
in her 61st year-and ma foil it always
startles us little when we unexpectedly
hear one Of those names almost forgotten
by the generation to which we belong, yet
which in other days had only to be ut
tered in order to create a hurricane of
admiration, a very CONFUSION of enthusi-
asm.
1t seemed to me so delightful to be able
TO beg the favor of a waltz from the wO-
man who had once had the whole world
under the tips of her feetl l will not tell
YOU that Fanny Elssler danced admira-
bly,: l might as well repeat that VOltaire
was witty. But l must confess l could
never have Wearied Of gazing at that
woman, who after having turned the
heads Of the lions Of 1880, could still fet-
ter our youth of 1870 to the train of her
rOse-cOlOred robe.
Her beauty was still perfect; her pro-
file Of a purity without blemish; her eyes
had the viyacity Of % years. And even
as she had appeared to us in her magnifi-
cent youth, even so has this astounding
woman remained in her later years. The
famous dancer dIsclaimed, as she had al
ways done, all the articles of the toilette.
Never did she use rouge, never sprinkle
OF rICe-pOWder. she had never needed
their aid. Old age seemed actually afraid
TO approach her. Impossible to discover
one silver thread in her rich hair, or one
wrinkle in the clear lines Of her face.
She was one Of those very rare matrOns
who could wear the toilette of young
girl without ever producing an Obserya-
bic dissOnance. She always came to
bali rObed in pink or in white; at the
theatre itself she only wore bright cOlOrs,
which became her marVelOusly well.
Black she detested.
And nevertheless she said to herself one
day: Fanny, my dear, you are getting
old; you must begin to dress according
"" And she ordered a dark dress. But
she never wore it, Take that thing out
of my sight; l can't bear to look at it,
she cried to her cousin kathi, her faithful
and inseparable companion since 1923.
What a difference there was between
those two women, who, for more than 30
years, had always been seen together at
every first performance in the Fiennese
theatres and at every Niennese festival.
The one, Kathi, was a small, meagre atom
of an old woman, as dry as any ancient
scroll of parchment; the other, Fanny,
the very type of beauty, eternally young,
was marvel of nature. And yet, be II
observed, Fanny was older by i've years
than her cousin.
That beauty Of hers was preserved by
an iron health, by a constitutional vigOr
which was only strengthened by the very
fatigues Of her long triumphant career.
Nevertheless, two years ago, that Won
derful health felt the first attacks of old
age. A caRcerOus fOrm9 ton in the breast
rendered it necessary that Fanny should
endure surgical operation made by Prof.
Weinlechner.
The story OF this little drama is very
curious. Fanny received the great sur
geOn in her ParlOr, in full evening toilette,
with knots of ribbons everywhere. and
her hands elegantly glOved, according to
custom. Without betraying the least
nervousness, she talked of this thing and
of that: she ehatted about the theatres,
the balls-perhaps even about the tri-
umphs of her yOuth-although the latter
subject was one that she rarely touched
upon. leaving always to her cousin Kathi
the innocent pleasure of resurrecting the
splendOrs of the past.
Then at last, gracefully rising, she
Of hr,,. h,H oh
Now, Professor, if you wish, we shall
retire here"
CATER you, Madame."
And she entered her room and submit
ted herself to the surgeons knife as gra-
cIOusly as though she had only been asked
10 execute the famous Cachucha of other
days.
1t were only natural, however, that a
woman whose beauty had so long re-
manned intact, should have sought with a
little cOquetry to conceal the outrageS of
time VIXEN they first began to make them
selves visible. Never did she mention
her misfortune to human being; and
her most intimate friends had never more
than the vaguest suspicion that she had
been under medical treatment.
And she is dead, the Incompatible Fan
nv, at the age OF a. We have Just de-
posted her remains at Hietzing-a little
town near Nienna-in the sepulchre of a
Polish Countess VINO na0 loved the great
dancer. and had made her swear that she
would come some day to sleep the eternal
sleep beside her.
She died the last of her family. Two
brothers and two sisters had preceded her
% the tomb.
When we look back to the epoch of her
birth (1SIO), there appears to US the shade
of a very illustriOus persOnage-that OF
Haydn himself, auther of the Creation.
He was the benefactOr Of the family, the
patron of the father, Elssler, who ac-
cOmpanied him upon most of his trips,
and for neaIly all OF whose children he
was godfather.
1t was Joseph Haydn who held over the
baptismaI font Theresa-the sister of
Fanny. and like her a great dancer-whO
Defterward became the mOrganatic wife of
Prince Adalbert, of Prussia. And Haydn
would also have been Fanny's god
father had he not died year before her
birth.
All OF Elssler's children became artists,
except the eldest son, who became
monk. In 1923 he fOrsOOk the musical
world to Join the order of Franciscans,
where he took the name of Brother Pacl-
ficus. and lived until 1856.
Both sisters, as is well known, became !
dancers; another brother, who followed |
the profession Of singing master, died |
some years ago at Berlin.