The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-30
Mr.. Edmund Russell, Freak mi
and On Costumes, in
Favor.
Samples Of His Utterances, or
Which the Fad-A6ad Fash
ionables Subsist.
Three Women of Letters and tho Press
Designs for Book Covers-
Other Women.

lopecini Correspondence OF lHE lNDEPENDENT.1
NEW York, Nov. 26.-An interesting spec
tacle is group Of women about Mr.. Ed
mund Russell in a drawing room. They
take him seriously, very seriously indeed.
They bend forward, their heads inclined
toward common centre, and they put little
deferential questions. The Delsartean
master" doesn't appear in his velvet
robes and thumb rings outside his
own apartments, but nowhere does he
show himself in conventional mascu-
line costume. True to his principles,
he abjures black; a small gray and
white check is his usual attire. His coat
is loose across the chest and suggests dra-
peries. His collar is low and rolling and
he wears a scarf of white silk for a tie. His
wig-how many people, 1 wonder, know
that handsome Edmund wears one?-is
brown and wavy, the most artistic wig ever
seen. He's lion who roars him gently as
a sucking dove; at times he is even boyish
looking. His voice is low and sweet and
slow, he might even be suspected of q
drawl. When he is saying something
startling the manner sets off the matter
like soft and misty background. Here
arc few of his aphorisIns:
If were preacher I wouldn't allow a
woman in corset inside the church door.
Sevres china is hideous; it's Venus rising
from the sea in q soup plate. Who wants to
look at lovers signing at each other under
jelly; or to catch blear Rlimpses of their af-
lection through gravy film?
High collars and tailor-made gowns are
style; you can take your choice between
style and personality.
Put nothing on your body which You do
not know to be comfortable and healthful
and believe to be beautiful.
You can't have fabric or form in your
rooms without money, but color is free as
air.
Plush is vulgar in its richness; get iute
velour, it costs $l.5O yard and it's fifty
inches wide.
Don't be spotty; take away from your
dress and out of your parlor anything that
asserts itself. Don't wear gold or dia-
monds with dark dresses, put them on with
yellow. Don't have half your chairs red
and the rest blue and your walls white and
gold.
If you want all the cnps and saucers you
have broken and all the torn clothes you
have fretted over to show in your face put
on a black gown. .rts,S~
eye, are blue you may wear dull
put on bright blue You will kill them.
II you have grey hair wear a gray dress
with little pink in it, and be q grey and
pink harmony.
You can always get good effect BY
matching your hair and check tones.
The most beautiful dress is q loose prin-
cess robe with an uncut piece of the stuff
clasped on the shoulders and used for
draperies. Get breath of something you
like and practice till you can give it grace
ful folds, Pin il differently every time you
put IL on. ~ . 4 slS
Art in dress went out when needle and
scissors came in.
An ornament to be legitimate must fasten
something. A row of diamond pins across
your bodies merely tells you've got them.
Instead of few costly jewels woman
should have drawer full of ivory and
mother of pearl and turquoise and other in
expensive but beautiful clasps to harmonic
with her different dresses.
I've deal of respect for the woman who,
when say her hat is all wrong, goes home
and puts her foot through it.
This last is very like Edmund. He is in
teresting. Never more SO, perhaps, than
when he gets ont what he calls his fred
bag'' and covers himself with orange silk to
show yon how gowns ought to pivot from
the shoulders.