The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-16
the 400 of that city what Mrs. Russell is for

0
| Newport.
What does this woman. who has SO. New
port agog by her sayings and doilgs, look
likes She is not a sbig woman, though she
has the gift of making herself look taller
than she really is She is well rounded, but
in some mysterious fashion will make you
swear she is slender. She is as 1.-the as u
serpent, and as capable OF vibrations as
violin string. Her eyes and mouth are Der
beauty. The eyes are blue gray, with long.
dark lashes, and express all sorts Of emo
tionS IN swiftly changing g'ances. Her
flexible, curving lips, parting over glisten-
iug teeth arc quite as suggestive. She is
not handsome woman, but fasc mating and
magnetic. Her gown9 All Well, that is a
riddle. One is conscious OF some soft, crepe
fabric of golden tan hue. falling in the most
graceful lines and statuesque folds, and
ciasped and caught here aud there with
bizarre ornaments of carved ivory. The
hair is cut in pre-Raphaelite fashion and
forms nimbus over the low brow, and
over it is set tiny Venetian cap Of bronze
aad copper embroidery. 1t is a curious
medieval figure this, set among all these
modern frills, fiounces and fripperies. And
| it is a more curious sight TO watch these
women, bound in steel aud whalehone, cor
settled 10 the last notch, try to initiate the
| free. perfectly easy aud subtitle movements
of their teacher, whose every Joint is I'M
fettered. There's no use-societY will have
| to take off it's cOrsets before il can be as
graceful as Russell.
Mrs Russell puts her class through first.
| the relaxing motions, consisting of shaking
| fingers, rolling the head and hips, then the
opposition movement to get balance and
poise, then the succession of movements
during which the arms make one motion
while the hips are doing quite another.
Then to finish the exercises every blessed
we'll save Mrs Aston falls on her face. OF
course, one could not expect such a per.
| formance from the stately leader of the
Four Hundred.
| And now the men are getting the Del
sarte fever. Mrs. Stuyves2nt Fish gave
luncheon this week and Mrs. Russell was
called upon to do some OF her work for the
men who were present.. So the lady posed
and bowed and tainted for their benefit aud
received a storm Of applause. The result is
that next season men are to be admitted to
Mrs. Russells classes. Several prominent
social leaders have formed dir ner clubs.
Each takes her turn giving a dinner party,
after which there is to be Delsarte dance.
when the men shall be put through their
PAGES and the women shall laugh at their
| awkwardness.
The question arises, is this merely fad or
| craze, or is there something real and sub
stantial behind these seeming eccentricitles
and posiugsl
Mrs. Russell declares that thore is q great
misconceptlon in regard TO the scope Of the
work of Delsarte. "Delsartism," she saws.
earnestly, sis the analysis of human expires.
| sion and the science of art. The trouble is
that his ideas have been presented to the
American public by people who have only
learned the rndiments of his theory. Ao-
cordingly, the idea has gone abroad that it
| nuI r n ind ~ sati
oEranew method Of elocution. But it means
much more than than this. II is the theory
Of all ert, and its principles are as applicas
| bic to music, painting and sculpture as to
| acting. Gounod was a pupil of the elder
Delsarte, and Shumann studied with the
younger Delsarte. Gladstone say it should
be taught in every school In England. / am
merely trying to show people how, by
studying my principles Of art, they may
make an art of life itself We caunot all
be poets or painters, but We can convert
our daily acts into graciousness ond let our
conversation be polished with beauty"
Mrs. Russell does not hesitate to attack
slang, boisterousness, bluntness and hauteur
IN NEST uncompromising fashion. She is
not one bit awed or overwhelmed by the
exalted character of her audience. She is
lady born and bred, is accustomed to the
best London circles OF society, and eau hold
uer own anywhere With perfect ease. She
enjoys teaching these lovely and refined
women, aud says that she finds their inteli-
gence far over the average mark. They
acquire physical execution faster than other
women, owing, she thinks, to the fact that
the greater part of their summer lives is
passed in outdoor exercise, driving horses
back riding and sea bathing. II is the
quiet middle-class women vino NOPE in the
house all day, who are the most difficult to
teach the principles of grace ard beauty
says Henrietta. II find, too, that money
does not make a leader Of society. 1t may
be necessary. but personal charm and in
tellect are necessary also. Mrs Russell
further says that many Of the older ladies
learn faster than the young ones For illus
tratfon she is teaching the bow of cere nOny
which shall express many things, well bred
reserve, cordially without effusiveness,
manner and repose. She puts the ladies
through this exercise and saws that the bows
of Mrs. Whitney and Mrs. Aston are most
expires i've. Mrs. Whitney's bow from a
carriage is a dream and Mrs. Aston with her
stately courtesy expresses volumes with
little movement.
PEGGyE PNDENNIs.