The morning call., 1893-02-12
getting into the sere and yellow leaf ugly
women assorted to their hue and style of
beauty. he issued the following prospectus:
AGENCE DIES "REPOUsSolRS"
J.. DURANDEAU,

beauty, he issued the following prospectus:
AGENCE DIES "REPOUSSo1RS."
J.. DURANDEAU,
Is RUE MA PARIS
The offices are open from 10 to o'clock.
PARIS, May l, 49,.
MADAME:-I have the honor 10 inform you
that | have Just founded an establishment des-
tined 10 render the greatest service IN the
preservation OF beauty. l am the Inventor
OF an article OF toilet which VIII helghten
with new briliancy the charms accorded by
nature.
hidden; people saw the lace and jewels. They
even knew that there was false hair In The
chienon and that the purple Of the lips and the
delicate pink OF the cheeks were skllfully
painted on.
Now. | desired to realize tie object, impossI-
BILE at first sight, of adjoining ladies' while con-
cealiug from every eye the source of the new
grace; without adding ribbon, without touch
Ing the visage, The aim was 10 find for tn M an
infalllble means OF attracting glances and thus
avoiding useless walks abroId; think | can
t1atter myself with having entirely resolved the
difficult problem which took In hand.
To-day, every lady who will honor me with her
confidence can obtain at moderate cost the ad
miraton OF the throng.
My Article OF toilet Is OF extreme simplicity and
certain effect: l have only to desc ibe It,.
madame. and you VIII at once understand its
Have you ever seen poor girl beside hand
some lady In SILK and lace, who was giving her
how the silk shone standing out from the rags.
how ali that wealth spread Itself and gained Ia
elegance beside ali that poverty?
DURANDEAUs OFFER.
Madame have To offer to beautiful ysages
the richest collection of ugly cOuntenanees that
can be seen anywhere. Ragged garments set OF
new vestments. My ugly faces Will set OF the
pretty faces.
No more false teeth, false hair or false tbroats.
No more painting DO more costly toilets. no more
enormous outlays for cosmetics and lace. Only
cff, .la S.alrs wi and
who can promenade the streets with you TO aug
ment your beauty and cause tie gentlemen To
gaze tenderly upon you.
Kindly. madame honor me With your patron
age. You VIII find at my establishment the ugii-
est and most varied productions. You C IN choose
and match your beauty with the style Of ugIlness
suited 10 II.
Charges-Per hour. francs; the entire day.
90 francs.
kindly receive. madame. the assurance of my
distinguished sentiments. DURANDEAU.
n B.-The bureau also furnishes mothers and
fathers, unces aud aunts at moderate prices.
The success was great The next day the
establishment was In operation; the Office
was thrOnged with customers, each of whom
selected her "TepOussOIr" and bore her
away with ferOclous joy. One can scarcely
realize how much delight there is for
pretty woman in leaning upon the arm OF
an ugly woman. She Is enhancing her
beauty and enjoying the uglnesS OF the
other.
Durandeau is great philosopher.
1t must not. however, be believed tina. the
organization of the service was easy. a
thousand Unforeseen obstacles presented
themselves. Ii there had been trouble in
securing the stock there was still more in
satisfying the patrons.
lady presented herself and demandeda
''repoussOir." They displayed the merchan-
disc, telling her to choose, and cOntentng
themselves with insnuating a little advice
Behold tie lady going from one 'repOus-
In Ina
poor girls either too ugly or not ugly
enough, and claiming that none of the ug-
illness matched her beauty. 1t was in vain
that the clerks praised tie crooked nose Of
this one, the enormous mouth of that one
or the fiat forehead and imbecile air of an
other; they had their elOgueDcefor their
pains.
At other times the lady herself was hor-
ribly ugly, and Durandeau, if he was
present. telt a mad desire To secure her for
his stock at her weight in gold. She had
come to enhance her beauty she said; she
wanted young and not too ugly "repous-
soir," having need Of only a slight adorn-
ment The clerks in despair planted her in
front Of huge mirror and made the entire
stock take up position beside her in turn.
She still carried eff the prize for uginess
and withdrew indignant that they should
have dared TO offer her such objects.
Little by little, however, the patrons got
suited and each "repoussoir" had her reg
ular customers.
Durandeau could congratulate himself on
having caused humanity TO take another
step forward.
l know not If the reader fully realizes the
condition Of "rep0ussOir."
She has her joys like laughter in the
sunshine. but she has also her hidden tears.
The ''repoussOr" is ugly and slave.
She suffers from being paid because she is
a slave and is ugly. But she is we'll clad,
gives her arm TO the celebrities Of CALAMITY,
lives in carriages, eats at famous restau-
rants and spends her evenings at the
theater. She is on familiar terms with
handsome girls, and simpletons believe that
she belongs to the fashionable world OF
promenaders and first representatio
All day she Is gayely itself. At night she is
enraged and S0bs She has removed the
toilet which belongs to the bureau; she is
alone in her garrett before bit of looking
glass which tells her the truth. Her ugli-
ness is fully set forth in 1t and size feels
certain that she will never be loved. She
who serves TO whip up passions VIII never
know tie taste Of kisses
My sole object at present has been to mar
rate the creation of the bureau and transmit
Durandeau's name TO posierity; some day,
perhaps, ! will write Les Condolences dun
Repoussoir."
| knew one of those unfortunate women
who touched pe by telling me of her suf-
feriugs She had for customers ladies
n y
ness toward her. In mercy. mesdames, do
not tear the lace which decks you; be kind
to the ugly girls. without whom you would
not be pretty.
My 'repOussoir" was soul OF fire, who
had read great deal of Sir Walter Scott l
know nothing more sad than hunchback ia
love or an ugly girl blotting the blue of the
ideal. The miserable gill loved all the
young men whose glances her lamentabe
visage attracted and fixed upon those OF
al. l. a. F.II
ing in love with the larks which X brings
within range Of the hunters shot.
She has lived many dramas. She has been
terribly Jealous Of those women who paid
for her as they would pay for a pot OF po-
made or pair of boots She was a thing
hired at so much an hour and II appeared
that this thing had feelings. just think OF
the bitterness she felt while she smiled and
used endeariDg terms toward those who
were stealing from her her share of love.
Those pretty girls. who took a WICKED
pleasure In cajOling her as friend before
the world. treated her as n servant In pTi-
vate and would have broken her through
caprice as they break the gewgaws Of their
etageres.
But what difference does the suffering Of
soul make to progress? Humanity
marches forward. Durandeau will be
blessed by future ages because he has put
into circulation merchandise dead until
now and because he has invente an article
Of toilet which will facilitate love.
Translated from the French of Emile lola ex-
pressly for The MORNING CALI.
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