Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-23
HE COMMANDED THE EMPRESS
Worth's Word Regarding Her Cos
tunes Was Final

IE oOMMANDLD LIE tMBRESS.
Worth's Word Regarding Her Cos
tunes Was Final
The London GIObe:-WOrth was ad-
mitted to the Tuileries whenever he
had something fresh to show her ma
jeSty. He would arrive there early in
the morning, and lay out the new
toilets and stuffs he brought with him
in a small room near her beI-chamber.
He would then withdraw. leaving his
assistant behind him to give all the eX-
plantations that might be demanded.
On other occasions the empress, who
possessed a great deal Of taste, would
send for him to discuss ne various
fashions which he had laid before her.
But he would rarely change his mind,
and it was almost impossible to obtain
from him the slightest modification in
his dresses. AS rule, it was the SOW
ereign who had to submit to the will
of the man-dresSmaker When the
the presence of her majesty as soon
as she had put on the dress. At q
glance he detected the slightest i'm
perfection, and instructed his assist
ant how to remedy it. He would never
allow the empress to wear a costume
the effect of which was not what he
expected.
A curious anecdOte on this point is
related by the "Gaulois." The Com
tesse de MOntijo, mother of the en-
press, was always a strict observer of
court ceremony, and it was Worth who
had the making of her dresses. She
ordered them ''decOlletee," and, being
afraid Of catching cold, she wore a
kind of transparent "maillot' to pro-
tect her arms and shoulders The en-
press had often begged her not to wear
low dresses, pointing out that at her
age she might we'll wear high ones, but
the countess would not give way.
Thereon her majesty sent for Worth,
and warned him that if he made any
more low dresses for her mother she
would withdraw her custom from him.
The countess protested, but in vain,
and Worth for once obeyed orders
He employed over 800 hands. His
stOck-in-trade comprised perhaps the
richest and most variegated collection
of silks, SatinS, and stuffs to be found
anywhere. One of the Lyons silk fac
tories worked solely for MIN He had
a certain talent for designing, and
drew a sketch in colOrs of the toilets
he invented. Later on he employed an
artist to paint his dresses in an album,
which will remain in his family as a
precious relic. The fall of the second
empire affected him deeply, for he was
stanch imperialiSt. Every year he
sent to the empress in exile nosegay
of viOletS tied up with a ribbon bearing
her name in golden letters. He had
his own peculiar way of dressing his
customers, and his tastes were absO-
Iutely original. He was great lover
Of jeWelry, and his fingers were al
ways covered with diamond rigs. He
had visited all the capitals Of Europe,
and there was hardly a parsonage of
mark whom he had not come across.
His memory was prOdigiOus. and only
equalled by his discretion.
He was as generous as he was rich,
and there was not a philanthropic in
stitutiOn to which he did not sub
scribe. During the siege he turned his
apartment in the Champs ElySees into
an ambulance, where he supported
twenty-five soldiers sick or wounded
Numbers of persons who had seen bet
ter days were relieved by him in the
most delicate manner Charity never
appealed to him in vain. His good
deeds made him popular, and his name
will be found in most of the memoirs
of the period. The GOncourtS a1lude
to him several times in their Journal
and Mime. Octave Feuillet, widow of
the romancist, gives an amusing ac-
count of her Souvenirs of how, when
she wanted a dress for court ball at
once, ne imprOvised one for her in a
couple of hours. The rapidity with
which he could turn out costume at
a moments notice was one of his many
talents, which his rivals tried in vain
to initiate with success. He leaves
behind him two sons, who appear to
I have inherited their fathers capacities