The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-06-03
THE WOMEN OF VIENNA.
They Are Noted for Their Beauty and Good
Nature.

The Orient and the Occident are most
charmingly mingled in the Viennese
woman, who may be described as "a
mixture of both. While she has all the
sterling moral qualities, the common
sense and high standard of intelligence
OF the west, her physical charms par
take more of those of the east. Her
figure is more full than hat of the
Parisienne, Or of the ~latter's counter
part, the New York girl, and is built on
lines that may be described as voluptu-
Gus. Although frequently the blondest
of the blondes, her form is that of one
of the houris of the Orient, where small,
artiticially-compressed waists are un-
known and where nature is permitted
to have free sway with the figure. 1t
is to the Orient, too, that the Niennese
is probably indebted for her love of
bright colors, which, though vivid, are
invariably harmonious, picturesque and
becoming when worn by her. Still an
other Oriental characteristic which we
find very strongly developed in the
Viennese girl is her passionate love for
music and for dancing. People sing,
play and dance at Vienna as no.
where else in the world, ave
perhaps among the Gitanas at
Seville or the Tsiganes 1t Moscow;
and, indeed, SO thoroughly does the
musical and rhythmical instinct seem in
born in them that n would almost be
tempted to believe that, notwithstand-
ing their blonde hair and fair complex
ion, they have in their veins a strain of
| gypsy blood. In the west music as a
rule comes to us by education, and with
rare exceptions we are entirely want
ing in what may be described as the
sacred fire of harmony. The Viennese,
however, seem to possess the gift as a
birthright, and they need no instruc-
ton to produce the most enhancing
melody. Let anyone who doubts this
get some French. German. English or
American virtuoso to play a waltz of
Strauss IN the piano. While the execu-
ton may be perfect, yet it will leave
the listener cold and unmoved. But
let an ordinary Viennese player, a man
of the humblest classes-let us say a
journeyman tailor, a hack-driver or a
waiter-play identically the same piece
on either piano-forte or on the either,
the blood will begin to course more
quickly through our veins, there will
come a sort of delightful, yet inexpres-
sible cold SILVER down the small of the
back, and unconsciously we find our
selves keeping time both with voice
and feet.
This being the case, dancing of course
plays a great role in the life of the vi
ennese 1t did SO in 1915, when the
Prince de Ligne wrote: The congress
dances, but does not make any progress
with its work" Everybody dances at
Vienna, young and old, rich and poor,
the high-born and those of the humber
birth; and so ~passionately fond are the
people of this form of entertainment
hat one almost feels convinced that
they picture to themselves Heaven in
the shape of some grand carnival-time
ball, where lovely angels will perpetu-
ally float around through the air with
archangels as partners to the strains of
Strauss waltzes, played by celestial
performers. But to no one, perhaps,
does dancing constitute sc important a
feature in life as to the Viennese maid
Cu. IL III DClOuSo W t1IC dIISGOCTdCF
no matter whether she is princess,
baroness, or merely entitled to the no
hillary particle of won" she is desig-
mated until her marriage as a ''contes-
sell" which may be translated as little
countess" and the "contessel' has all
sorts of prerogatives in connection with
dancing that are accorded to her by
tradition. Thus at nearly all the
balls that are given by the great
world there is a special room set for
them which is known as the 'icontessel
salon." and which belongs exclusively
to them and their partners There
they dance and hirt unhampered by the
presence of any chaperon; and the mar
+ ried woman no matter how young
bride, who ventures to cross the thres
hold and to invade their domain would
be regarded as an intruder and guilty
of a breach of good form and etiquette
At the supper which follows a certain
number of tables are set aside for the
exclusive use of the ''contessel' an(
of their partners, and woe betide the
married woman who tries to obtai1
room. Unlike Paris, London, and New
York, where it is the young married
woman who is the queen of the ball, a
: Vienna it is the young girl of the ICON
, tessel who reign supreme there, ant
who carries everything before her.
This latitude allowed to the young
girl and this freedom of chaperonag,
would not be possible were it not TO
the fact that the great world at Vienn;
! is a sort of big family, and very clos
: corporation, where nearly all are re
lated to one another, and from which
strangers and foreigners, except whel
related to noble houses in Austria