St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-22
And a Costume With Worth
Stamped Plainly on Every
Part.
Society Leaders From Henry
VIII. Down to Our Own
Chester Arthur.
The Lecture as a Whole In
teresting Enough, but
Disappointing.

ulc. IL Is customary WIFI some lecturers
to use third person to formally present
them to the public, but the public has
known me SO long and has been SO kind
to me that think l can dispense with
any intermediary in this case"
The speaker was Mrs. Frank Leslie,
than whom no woman in America is
better known. She is public pet in
country where pluck commands the
highest premium, because she has. with
indomitable nerve and energy, shown
the world what woman can do where
man has failed. She has succeeded
and has immortaliZed herself. But she
will never immortalize herself as a
lecturer, She is also referred to as the
handsomeSt woman in America, and
though that is little over
drawn, she is certainly a handsome
woman, with a superb figure,
and she dresses, to use a homely eX-
preston. out of sight. AS she tripped
down stairs to the platform of the
Peoples church last night, she fairly
blazed with diamonds. Her toilette was
triumph of the art mOdiSte. The
gown was of heavy white satin, hand
embroidered with jet and draped with
black Chantiliy lace; the corsage was
decidedly decollete, and the puffed lace
sleeves showed the cleaning arms with
in. Diamonds sparkled from her head to
her waist. Two clusters were In her
hair and a heavy buckle sparkled at her
waist. Immense solitarieS, set in Jet,
sent their rays trickling from her ears.
A gorgeous collar of the same gems
was about her throat and each arm bore
three heavy gold bracelets, literally
set with stones. At the center of her
corsage was large medallion guarded
on either side by magnificent design,
all in diamonds. On her left hand was
huge emerald surrounded by dia-
monds and on her right the fingers
blaZed with handsome solitarieS. The
necklace or collar is the famous fif-
teenth century Venetian necklace. 1t
contains over three thousand diamonds.
They are set with turquosein the shape
OF roses, leaves and pendants. In the
center is a large rose surmounted by
tiny bird. This necklace was made for
a court beauty--COunteSS CuStellamare.
1t afterward became the property of
Lucretia di Bardi, who was one of the
maids of honor to Catherine di Medici.
1t was said that this wicked Lucretia in
firing of her louerS atfectionately dosed
them with poison. This poison she car
ried in exceedingly small quantities
concealed in the little bird at her throat
She afterward tired of herself, and took
the last drop. This little bird had
evidently had secret spring in it's
makeup, but it is now Soldered over.
The poison may have been there, the
secret spring may have formed part of
the bid, anyway the soldering is there
to tell the tale. Somewhere in one of
the European art galleries is portrait
of Lucretia di Bardi adorned with this
necklace, one hand is raised to her throat
and the fingers cover the bird, while the
rest of the necklace is plainly visible.
This was the gorgeous figure that
smiled npon the audience at the Peoples
church, and 1t is doubtful if there were
not many ladies present who lost much
| OF the lecture in their admiration of
that handsome figure. with It's magnifi-
| Gently nodded neck and bosom, its SUI
| perb toilette and those flashing gems.
| The lecture itself, it must be confessed,
was disappointing. Her voice is not
| altogether pleasant, and there is a
| decided amateurshnesS in the style and
| delivery. Beginning with Henry VIII.
| of England-and she gave that island
| the decided sound of the-whom she re-
| garded as the first society leader men
| toned in history, she traced the line of
| the royal gay through the various Euro
| pean countries down to Prince Albert
| Edward Of Wales. She was very much
| impressed with the future king of Eng
| land and dwelt upon him for some time.
She regarded him as at present the only
| royal leader of society. The car is too
| busy lodging dynamite, while the other
| royal rulers are either in bad health
or engaged in soldering. While
the Prince of Wales is genial
! fellow as a social leader, he
| has his drawbacks. One of the
chief of these is his prediction for
'''soiled doves" In his eyes all that it is
| necessary for woman to have is beauty.
Mrs. Leslie then told a story of two
| French women at Nice, who were nice
but naughty. They tried to get an in
| vitation to big ball, but were refused.
| Then Albert Edward pleaded in their be-
| half, but failed. He was provoked, and
remained away himself, and for the
next few days devoted his attention to
| the French women, driving in public
with them, ard seeming 20 enjoy him
self thoroughly. But the English PEG
prince, and when Matt Morgan Carl
! catured him once, though it was true
and deserved, the public severely con-
demned anything that reflected on their
idol
| 1t was quite pretty picture Mrs.
Leslie drew of Queen Victoria when
she assembled the English throne. a
beautiful girl of eighteen. She was a
great society leader and great lover
of parties and balls. She was a great
believer in good character, and did
much to improve the morals of hef
court. To her, however, is due the
| fashion of the low-cut dresses so much
in vogue. In her youth she had beauti-
| full arms. neck and bust. and liked to
| show them. Not only did she appear
in this style. but she insisted that the
ladies of her court should do the same,
and Mrs. Leslie thinks that the rheu
matsm from which the Princess Bea-
trice suffers is due to the fact that she
was compelled to appear at balls witt
the upper portion of her body so com
| pletely uncovered.
| OF America, Mrs. Leslie said little
She referred to two presidents only
| Washington, as great society man, anC
Chester Arthur as the first gentleman
| the only president whose pants did not
bag at the knees. OF the Marquis d.
| Leuyille she said nothing, much to th,
disappointment of her lady auditors
However, she reeited poem writer
for her by joaquin Miller, said to b,
copyrighted. 1t was about Columbu
discovering America, and each Yers,
concluded with
''Sail on, sail on and on ami on
This concluded the lecture, and Mrs