The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-27

NEW YORK, Oct 1S.-Sone few
years ago, when Miss Lillian Russell
was engaged in a lawsuit caused by a
broken contract, the lawyer on the op-
posing side asked her why she did not
wear tights, as she had agreed to. Miss
Russell is not addicted to bIushing on
ordinary occasions, but her pretty face
became as red as the deep crimson cur
tains hanging behind the judge who
was hearing the case.
II was an awkward moment. There
were hundreds Of men in the court
room, and every face had an expActant
look. The silence was intense. The
court stenographer waited, with pencil
poised in the air, and a score of news
paper reporters stood ready to tell an
anxious world why the famed comic
opera singer refused to exhibit herself
in tights.
Miss Russell looked appeanngly at
the judge, her lawyers, the reporters
and the spectators, but there was no
sympathy to be found anywhere
Every one was eager and anxious for
the explanation. AT last il came in
this wise:
'Because nature has been too gener-
Gus to me.
That little sentence uncovered an
ocean Of woe. Miss Russell is feet 5
inches in height and, according 10 the
law OF physical proportions, should
weigh 133 pounds At that time she
weighed 165 pounds, with the growing
prospect OF getting deeper into the
trouble OF sUper1luous avoirdupois.
Miss Russell now weighs 155 pounds,
ana if it were not for the perpetual
war which she wages against nature
she would probably tip the scales at
$50 pounds.
Too Much Weight BuEaboO.
1t VIII interest a great many women
to know how Miss Russell and numer-
Gus other lights Of the stage world pro-
tect themselves against the too gener-
Gus advances Of nature. No one not
familiar with the requirements of stage
life can fully appreciate the absolute
need Of beauty in face and figure in an
actress. Many a woman gifted with
rare ability has been driven off the
stage by too much flesh. Weight is the
particular bugaboO Of theatrical wo-
men; it haunts them night and day,
and the physical agony which they
suffer to keep it in subsection is worthy
of the Spartans of old. Hunger, thirst,
fatigue and unceasing care are only
few of the miseries which they under
go.
Miss Russell's system is a vigorous
one. Violent exercise, causing profuse
perspiration and subsequent rubbings
down. are what she relies upon prin-
cipally. She has found the bicycle
pleasant method of doing hard work
She usually gets up in the morning at
9 o'clock and breakfasts lightly, avoid
ing all fattening foods like potatoes.
wheat breads, sweets and milk.
Miss BusseIrs Recipe.
Her mornings work often begins
with a skipping rope. Clad in a loose
gymnasium boomer suit she jumps the
rope for twelve minutes in instruments
of two minutes, with a minutes in
terVdl for resting. This is really a very
severe task, and when the exercise is
over she is bdthed from head to foot
in perspiration a strong armed maid
then gives her mistress a vigorous rub
bling, which is followed by a resting
spell of an hour.
Then a bicycle costume is donned
the light nineteen pound wheel is car
ried outside, and a. minute later Miss
Russell is going on a spin along the
Riverside drive or through Central
park.
The fair singer claims that she can
ride twenty miles an hour, which is
certainly very good time for a woman.
but generally she rides at a tenmile
gait. The ride lasts but an hour, and
on her return her maid gives her Vigor-
Gus massage treatment and then the
hard work Of the day is over. Of