St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-24
LEGS THAT ARE LEGS.
The Rhythmical Anatomical Pins Which
Raberg Displays in Boo
caccio."
Twin Sonnets TO the GIorification OF
the Bald-Headed Mans Good
Sense.
Some OF the Peculiarities Of the Teu-
tonic Prima Donna's Ex-
tremities.

Some OF the PecuIiarities OF the Teu-
tonic PriIna Donna's Ex-
tremities-
The man who invented the word limbs
would have felt sadly ashamed of himself
In the presence of Francesca Raberg at the
Grand opera house the other night. Raberg
was playing the title role in ''BOccacciO,"
and an absolute requirement to this part is
the possession OF anatomical resources that
the artistic must not be too modest in re-
yealing.
Raberg's resources in this line were am
ply displayed. They were twin sOnnets in
flesh and blood to the everlasting glory of
comic opera and the sweet Sacredness of the
bald-headed mans mission i'm life. which is
to always sit close up behind the orchestra
when the female chorus is in the second
last stage of nudity, or
A HIGH KICKER
is giving away the quality of her lingerie by
trying To poke her toe into the eye of one OF
the boys in the gallery.
They were legs. expressing all the senti-
ment and embOdying all the fullness of
meaning that belong to the grand old
AnglO-SaXon mOnOsyllable.
You would no more think of calling
them limbs than you would call wooden
Leg a limb, or than you would go up to
your butcher and ask how much pound
THAT limb of mutton" was.
There are some legs that cannot be
called limbs without destroying their
identity or sending a thrill of horror
through the community that is acquainted
with them.
But the legs that will stand being called
limbs are not legs of the large, juicy,
meaty kind. that defies the ravages of
philOlogy and gldes down the stream of
time indifferent to pruriency and unim-
paired by the dictionary. The legs that
are limbs are
NOT LEGS AT ALL,
any more than piece of pie is hambone
or the frescOes in a cheap drug store are
works of art
Have you ever noticed the difference be-
tween the beautiful snOwy-white walls of
house that has been just built and the night
mare strewn wallpaper that covers the in
terror of house few years old?
If you have, then you can appreciate the
difference between legs and limbs-between
nature and aTtifciality.
Mary Anderson has limbs. They were
rather extravagantly exposed here several
years ago, when Mary dOnned tights in def
eTence to her step-daddy's desire, to keep
her abreast of ''Rice's Surprise Party" who
were wearing scarcely any more clothes at
the time than boy wears when he goes in
swimming. Mary appeared in Talfourds
play, ''IOn," and she persOnated the Greek
boy. She showed her shanks from the
knee down, and the
HAIRLESS GENTLEMEN
in the front row wanted to get up and go
home after the first act. q What was seen of
her extremities was not much but it gave
the unpleasant impression that there was
too much of them from the ground up, and
too little of them the other way.
They were limbs and are limbs still for
aught the writer knows, though this was
five or six years ago.
MOdjeska has limbs. They are attenu-
ated and undulating but they are not of
the Raberg pattern. If they were all the
leaves in the Forest of Arden would blush
deep autumn red at the sight of them.
QMr Langtry has limbs. They are slab
sided and have queer sort of hammered
down look that reminds the scrutiniZer of
SHOCKING EFFIGY
in long red stocking that he has fire.
Quently seen in a showcase outside of a
cork-limb factory.
Du Saudi, the danseuse, and Cornalba
have limbs-nOthing else-and even the di.
vine CavalaZZi cannot boast of any anatom-
ical excellence of higher grade than that
implied in the word limb.
Lydia Thompson. Lizzie Webster, Eliza
Wedtne shy, Markham and ali the old IA
yOriies in feShings were limb-wayerS, and
not leg-weaTers.
The writer, before he saw Raberg. was
wont to Tevel in the memories Of the bur-
s$
when the pulsating limbs of Thompson ct
al. made bald heads thrOb and set the un-
sheltered brains of the hairless gang afire
with a new and ravishing delight.
But here is Raberg with gorgeous leg and
grand eloquent arm, come to destroy all
these idols of youth.
And what legs they are?
Great JOve, sitting at the banquet board
in high Olympus, would push aside his am
broSia and nectar, and call for lager beer
and pretZels while
GAZING UPON THOSE LEGS.
They are neither too long nor too short,
too round nor too thin. When you see them
you are not looking at dime museum fakes.
They are genuine-real-subs
If wild Westerner was asked to de-
scribe them he would say they were all
wool and yard wide.
In DING so he would be merely speaking
in metaphors. though, for there is no wool
about them. and as to the yard wide, a man
with good eye for distance would say he
had left out yard or two in his computa
ton.
AS legs they are big enough for all prac-
teal purpOSes-big enough to show, and big
enough TO carry their owner into popularity
with the patrons of the orchestra chairs.
They are legs that a cOnnOiSseur in this
direction finds his grandest satisfaction in
estisating, because they are that
QUALITY or LEGS
that were originally built for skirts, not
tights.
burst upon the view even hard-hearted men
feel creeping sensation in their cheeks
and around the roots of their ears. and
they instinctively know that their faces are
as red as a house afiTe.
They are legs that seem more immOdest
than limbs because they were made for use,
not ornament
They belong to the petticoat and not to
public gaze.
Before you start in to size them up you
turn your head to see if Mr.. Raberg is on to
you.
They are legs you think you would like to
look at leisurlv through key hole.
They are the old original and only gen.
uine German legs.
Geistinger had pair of them.
Stick pin in them anywhere and there
Is q Quick responsive '.Ach, GOttp'