The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-27
MRS. LANGTRY.
a St. Louis Young Woman's Sketch OF the
Jersey Lily.


She Is now 40, enormously rich. very
successful, and still good looking.
She would be better looking If she took
the same care of herself as In the days of
her theatrical tours, when she never trav
eled without weighing machine, writes
Florence Hayward In the New York
Criterion. Whenever her weight went
above a certain point away went some
fat-produoing article of diet until she had
lost the extra pounds.
But the touring days are over, and SO
are the days of the weighing machine
andsthe result is that undeniable fat is be
ginning to, show itself on "tho most
beautiful shoulders in England"
As to her coInplexion-well, to be can
did, it quite depends. Not that Mrs.
Langtry paints in the afternoon and
not in the morning; or by gaslight and
not by daylight She paints, as she does,
everything else, exactly when she pleases
and when she chooses, and without at
all caring whether or not it deoeives.
And rhe ia absolutely frank as to when
she considers it necessary. Being at race
meetings day after day, the sun and
wind and rain makes her face healthy
but beautiful red, which would be perma-
nent but that she has it bleaohed of by
a process that makes the top skin peel off.
This leave the skin under it like baby's.
And for a few weeks it is beautiful.
Then the epidermis begins tv age, and
Mrs. Langtry begins to paint; then she
goes to race meeting and gets on more
tan; after which she begins da capon the
bleaching.
So it quite depends upon what stage
you see her in whether her complexion is
that of baby, a tired--out woman of the
world, or a country squire. I suppose
she dresses well, I have never noticed
her clothes, but have observed that she
looks better in hat than bareheaded;
her eyes are too near the top Of her head.
Her personality Is much more intereting,
il one can only cease regarding her as
woman. HIf you once translate MRS
Langtry'' into 'Mr. jersey in your
mind, you will be able to estimate her
as she is now, and as she estimates her.
self.
saShe sees everything as q man would see
it. She estimates a man as a man would
estimate him. She makes a definite,
general plan regarding a business mat
ter exactly as a man would, and having
done this does not concern herself with
detail, but expects that her wishes shall
be carried out by her heutenants, and
only the results brought to her.
She his had the same business manager
for years. When he begins to handle her
money he sent her at the end of the first
month detailed account of what he had
received and spent. Three or four DAYS
passed and no remark was made by Mrs.
Langtry as to whether she approved of
the report or not; finally he asked her If
she had looked over the account. Eyes,
I have; but after this you need not send
me statement unless 1 ask for 1t. see
you understand managing my affairs,
and I do not wish to know the details. ~
This is no carelessness on her part; she
keeps the running account in her mind
as to how she stands in her own books,
and can tell within a few thousand
pounds-which sounds vague, unless one
remembers what very rich woman she
Is. know of one English bank-of the
many at which she has acoounts-where
deposit of her credit is nearly 600, coo;
and the most valuable part of her proper
ty is in the United States, as you know.
How has she become SO rich? AS much
by racing as anything else. Her recent
winning of EGO 900 on q race.is but one
of the many successes.
Apropose of that remark of Mrs.
Langtry which I have hard is character
istic of her man-like, direct way of
thinking and dealing. Her string Of
horses was ut one time under the direc-
tior of well-known horseman called
well, call him johnson. He had the
management and control of "Mr. Jer-
sey's" stable. Suddenly it was taken
away from him ana given to another
man. very much less well known in turf
circles. Some one said to Mrs. Langtry :
You have taken your horses away
from Johnson-don't you consider him a
good man for your stable?''
None better, and he is a first-rate fell.
low"
AAoh why oio you 1eb Hill SuI
81 never won'
Results are what she looks to.
She is also very direct in matters that
concern her more personally. About
two or three years ago she had made ell
arrangements for an American theatrical
tour. On considering the results of her
last tour in England and balancing it
against her racing interests, she con-
cludcd in favor of racing and sent for her
business manager. By the way, she never
tells anyone to do this or that she is
most civil In asking If you can conve-
niently attend to such and such matter
and the most feminine trait she retains
is the one of seeming to appeal to man
for his opinion and assistance when In
reality she has already an opinion of her
own and wants his work rather than his
advisory assistance. Well, when her bust