Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-04-25
A Talk With Emma Abbott.
THE SECRETS OF A .PRIMA DONNA'S
PRETTINESS,

THE SECRETS OF A .PRIMA DONNA'S
PRETTINEss.
Detroit Free Press.
A representative of the Free Press called
upon Emma Abbott in her cosy quarters
at the Russell house, and in answer to his
knock CHEEKY voice sang out, 'scome in"
Upon entering pleasant sight met the
reportoriaI vision. The prlma donna was
curled up in a luxurious easy chair, toast
ing her feet before fire of blazing Goals,
while one jeweled hand was holding cup
of fragrant Mocha. She was faultlessly
costumed in dark blue velvet dress, and
embroidered, with pale blue forget me-
nots. 1t fitted her form to perfection, and
set off her complexion to great advan-
tage, and added lustre to her sparkling
blue eyes. She was looking so we'll that
it brought an involuntary expression of
surprise, and he said: why, how we'll
you look, and how pretty you are grow
ing. Can't you tell fellow the secret of
it? l remember when, in comparison
with now, you were-to it put mildly-ah-
ethereal"
She gave silvery laugh, and after offer
ing chair, said: "Thank you for your
compliment, but you surely wouldn't
have lady stay behind the age and take
no heed OF how she looks, would you?
However, there is no secret about it.
Since the advent of the aesthetic craze,
and so many columns of gush have been
written concerning the charms of various
ladies, women have Weakened to the fact
that it is nice thing to look WELL. AS a
matter OF fact, every woman can, no mat
ter how plain her features, have pretty,
clear complexion, good, Well'preserved
teeth, and neat, Well-ftting dress, even
if it is only calico one, or, as lady Dolly
says, made out of horse blanket" If a
woman has no flesh on her bones-the Ell
len Terry and Sarah Bernhardt style-she
no longer thinks of wearing plain, tight
fitting dress which displays all her irregu-
larities; On the contrary the people affect
the aesthetic style with voluminous dra-
perles, dote on Mother Hubbard cos
TUNES, revel in all sorts Of ruchings,
pleat!ngs and puffings to hidethe defects
of their figure. But now a woman who
has plump and pretty figure no longer
spnils it by all sorts of trimmings, but in-
stead wears princess dress of severe SIM
plicity, with no trimming on the corsage.
She is very careful to have her waist ap
pear smaller by having the darts of her
dress cut very low and running directly in
toward the belt instead of way off under
hCi "a CD uOliys kouO 0AOWO UuO
prettiest part of her arm by having the
sleeve cut very high on the shoulder, and
for evening dress has little, pulled
sleeve, very narrow at the top and finished
off with satin band and little bow on
the plumpest part of the arm, which is
quite beWitching."
"Yes," said the reporter, "just so. But
how can the lean kind overcome their
'thinity,' so to speak %
ooh, no woman need be thin very long
if she will only eat plenty of sugar and
the sort of food so many times described
by your newspapers as fat producing
port was, let her diet and take severe ex-
ercise. Ina few weeks, in either case, she
can attain the shape desired"
"Do you object to tell how you retain
your fresh complexion and smooth skin
vet continue to use the poisonous cosme-
tics that are severally employed to make
up for the stage 7"
I'm the first place, off the stage 1 use
nothing on my face but rice powder to re-
move the shiny effect which generous
use of soap always produces. When pre-
pairing my face for the stage-you, of
course, know that the most beautiful
complexion passes for nothing behind the
foot. lights--I first battle in cold water,
rub briskly with flesh brush then anoint
the skin plentifuily with glycerine and
rub dry with coarse towel. after which
I apply the cosmetics for the evening |
After the performance hasten TO remove
my war paint with yaseline. and then re-
peat the process of bathing in cold water,
scrubbing with a flesh brush and annoint-
ing with glycerine, as before the perform
ance. By this process all the deleterious
effect of cosmetics are avoided. I am |
careful to use preparations that contain
no lead, as that kind would ruin the skin |
in spite of the best of care.