Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-02
NO. 2.

A representative of the Free Press called
upon Emma Abbott in her eosey quarters Ut
the Russell House, and in answer to his knock
a CHEEKY voice sang out, "Come in" Upon
entering, a pleasant sight met the reportorial
vision. The prima donna was curled up in Q
luxurious easy-chair, toastng her feet before
a fire of blazing Goals, while one jewelsd
hand was holding cup of fragrant Mocha.
She was faultlessly costumed in dark. blue
velvet dress, hand embroidered with pale-blue
forget me -nots. 1t fitted her form to perfec-
ton and set off her complexion to great I'D
vantage and added lustre to her sparkling
blue eyes. She was looking 30 we'll that It
brought an involuntary expression Of surprise
and he said: "Why, how well you look. and
how pretty you are growing. Can't you tell
fellow the secret of it! / remember when,
in comparison with now, you were-to put it
mildly-ah-ethereal.'
She gave silvery laugh, and after offering
a chair, said: ''Thank you for your compli-
ment, but you surely wouldn't have q lady
stay behind the age and take no heed Of how
she looks. would you2 However, there is no
secret about it. Since the advent of the es-
thetie craze, and so many columns of gush
have been written concerning the charms of
various ladies', women have awakened to the
fact that it is nice thing to look well. A.
a matter of fact. every woman can, no matter
how plain her features. have a pretty. clear
complexion. good, well-preserved teeth, and
q neat, we'll fitting dress, even il 1t Is only q
calico one, or, as Lady Dolly saws, made out
of a horse-blanket' II a woman has no flesh
on her bones--the Ellen Terry and Sara
Bernhard s,yle-she no longer thinks Of
wearing plain, tight fitting dress which dis
plays all her irregularities; on the contrary,
thin people effect the aesthetic style with
data MnfI t,.h-
bard costumes, and revel in all sorts of ruch-
ings, pleatings and puffings to hide the defects
of their figures. But now woman who has
a plump and pretty figure no longer spoils it
by all sorts of trimmings, but instead wears
a princesse dress of severe simplicity, with
no trimming on the corsage. She is very
careful to have her waist appear smaller by
having the darts of her dress cut very low
and running directly in toward the belt in
stead of way of under her arms, as formerly.
She shows the prettiest part OF her arm BY
having the sleeve cut very high on the should
er, and for evening dress has a little, puffed
sleeve, very narrow at the top and finished
off with a satin band and little bow on the
plumpest part of the arm, which is quite be-
witching
Yes," said the reporter "just so. But
how can the lean kind overcome their
'thinity,' so to speak?"
"Oh, no woman need be thin very long
if she will only eat plenty of sugar and
the sort of food many times described
by your newspaper as fat producing,
while if she be to stout, as Fanny Davenport
was, let her diet and take severe exercise.
In few weeks in either case, she can attain
the shape desired"
'Do you objectto tell how you retain your
fresh complexion and smooth skin and yet
continue to use the poisonous cosmetics that
are severallyemploped to make up for the
stage?"
''Iu the first place, off the stage | use
nothing on my face but rice powder to remove
the shiny effect which generous use of soap
produces. When preparing my face for the
stage-you, of course, know that the most
beautiful complexion passes for nothing
behind the foot-lights-I first bathe in cold
water and rub briskly with flesh brush;
then anoint the skin plentifully with glycer-
inc and rub dry with a course towel, after
which | apply the cosmetics for the evening.
A fter the performance l hasten to remove
my war paint with vaseline, and then repeat
the process of bathing in cold water, scrub
bing with flesh brush and amounting with
glycerine, as before the performance. By this
process all the deleterious effects of cosmet-
les are avoided. am very careful to use
preparations that contain no lead, ~ that
kind would ruin the skin in spite of the best
of care.