Evening star., 1901-09-28
P R N CE SIS LOU S E
HER FAVORITE STUDIO MODEL
TALKS INTERESTINGLY OF HER.
Has Been Seventeen Years in Her Ser
vice-She Works Hard Before
a RestfuI Smoke.
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star.
| Among the most interesting characters
that have for some time arrived in New
| York from abroad is Signor Antonio Corsi,
for seventeen years the favorite model, not
| only of such distinguished painters as Sar-
gent, Abbey, Leighton, Alma Tadema and
| others, but also of the Princess Louise,
now Duchess of Argyle, and her cousin,
| the Countess Feodore Gleichen.
| Of all these celebrated personages Sig
| nor Cors has many interesting things to
| relate, and in particular of his royal pat
| ron, of whose kindness and generosity he
speaks in grateful terms.
| For the last two years and half says
| Signor Corsi, Il have been posing for the
| figure of the Christ in the Princess Louise's
most ambitious work in sculpture, the sub
| ject being a life-size representation of the
| crucifxion. Generally once sometimes
| twice a week during that period l received
| an order to repair to the studios in Ken
| sngton Palace.
| The studios of the princess, for there
are two, for sculpture and the other
! for painting, possess a strictly workshop
| atmosphere. There are no costly draperleS,
| old armor or easy chairs; but only the
| necessary tools and other paraphernalia of
a real artist.
| LAS a rule Princess Louise works for
three or four hours at time with deep
| earnestness, only pausing occasionally to
| light cigarette during short rest. When,
| however, she considers her work for the
| day over, she casts her tools and her seri-
BUSINESS aside together, and ordering tea
| to be served, seems pleased to spend half
| an hour in converSing upon any topic OF
| general interest. For the information of
| those who may imagine that royal person
| ages are hedged in by etiquette and
| ceremonial that they not well inform
| ed of all that is going on l may say that
such is by means the case: and not only
this, but that to those whom they are
| pleased to accord a certain degree of famil-
| iarity and whom they can trust, they ap
pear to be very like the majority of people
of good breeding and education. OF this l
had many illustrations not only with the
| Princess Louise, but with other members
of the British royal family
| To illustrate this Mr.. sCors then relates
the following personal incident which took
place at the recent opening of the bazaar
| at Albert Hall in aid of wounded soldiers
| by the Princess Louise:
| Old Friends Meet.
| 81 had been to the palace to leave some
costumes" continues Mr.. Corsi, land no
| ticing a great crowd outside the Albert
| Hall, 1 crossed over to see what was 60
| ing on. With some difficulty l managed
! to get near the main entrance just at the
moment that the princess was leaving
| the building to enter her carriage. She
| had barely seated herself, when, CHANGING
| to turn her head she noticed me standing
| close by, hat In hand. Then not little
to my surprise, and certainly to that of
| the bystanders, she called out:
Hello Corsi. What are you doing
| there?
I'm watching the procession, your
| royal highness,' replied. just like the
| rest of the crowd
"'Oh,' she returned. WELL remember
| tomorrow. Be sure you remember tomor-
row.
II bowed the carriage drove slowly
away, but not before she had turned twice
to emphasize her command. What the
people about me thought at my being ad-
dressed SO familiarly by royal parsonage
l don't know, but from their amazed
countenances, in which was mingled even
an expression of awe, 1 fancy they must
have set me down as a foreign prince at
least. Indeed two reporters pounced on
me at once.
She seems to know you very WELL said
one, whipping out pad
Very, 1 replied tersely. Then as thev
commenced to ply me with questions 7
turned on my heel and walked away Next
day when 1 related the incident to the
princess she commended me for NV pru-
dence in not talking to those 'inuuisitiye
people,"
A Property Baby.
In connection with the princess art work
Mr.. Corst tells an amusing story of an as
sistant model and a property" baby. She
was anxious to paint a picture of a SOL
der about to take leave of his wife and
child on going out to the Boer war Mr.
| Corsi was to pose for the soldier, and
| the princess commissioned him to find over
| night respectable woman with baby
for the other two characters, as she wished
| 70 commence the picture early next day
1t was then late Sunday afternoon. so he
| had little time to carry out her command
by dfligent search he managed to secure
| what he believed to be suitable model,
| and instructed her to present herself at
| the palace at the hour named
The woman and baby arrived at the pal
| ace little after Mr.. Corsi, and the pose
| was taken. though not without some diff
cuity, as the infant was particularly fret
| 1ul whether 1t was that baby realized the
| pathos OF the situation in which 1t was act
| ing part was not at the time undersood
but III spite OF all mammals wheedling and
coaxing 1t kept up a most distressing
| racket. Indeed, it persisted in calling loud
iy ior mamma, Just as if she was not there
and then present.
| Under these circumstances ii was found
tnat one pose would not be sufficient, and
the woman and baby were ordered to ap-
pear the next day at the same hour the
mother solemnly assuring the princess that
| never before had she known the infant so
tiresome and that she was quite sure 1t
would behave properly on the morrow
During the pose, though, Mr.. Corsi had
| begun to suspect that there was some
| tning wrong. and so on leaving the palace
ne inquired further into the Woman's an
teeedents. These. to his discomfort Of mind,
he found to be the reverse OF creditabIe to
her. He also learned that the infant was
not hers at all, but a property" baby, one
that was hired out to professional beggars
Lost Her Job.
It was too late then to return to the pal
ace, but the first thing in the morning Mr.
Corsi repaired thither to inform his royal
patron and learn her pleasure or displeas-
ure IN the matter. But the princess had