Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-06
LOvEL|ESI OF WOMEN
International Contest Must
Decme This Problem.
THE POINTS CONSIDERED
EXPRESSION AND CARRIAGE AS
WELL AS FEATURE AND FORM.
An Amusing Function in an Austrian
Town Where Local Rivals
Compete.
THEPOINTS CONSIDERED

as ever, and gilded apples tempt coy Aphro-
dltes, and even wise Athenas
The contest is often interna tionai, and the
whole world is torn up over the claims Of
rival beauties
IF eyes were made for seeing, then
beauty is it's own excuse for being SEEM
runs the verdict, and nothing short of
twist in the left eye or the crookedness Of
a suppressed smile on one side of a grave
mouth shall prevent the console ntious jury
| man from seeing that it is carried out.
The fact is that beauty, whether con-
sidered in its relation to men and lovers, or
even men and artists, has worldwide
power, felt by every creature of human
breath, and there is nothing like it for lift
ing humanity upward.
To suppose that it is only the masculine
creature who feels the spell of it, o.
realizes its celestial worth, is a mistake and
a fallacy. Woman is quite able to worship
beauty IN woman, even though with a
haunting sorrow that she may not herself
possess it.
More than that she has a thousand ways
of turning beauty to shining purpose in her
daily life and efforts where no man is con-
cerned in it.
Children are the great beauty worship
erS the world over. and no one can meas
ure the good that might be achieved in life
if beauty would use its charms Alright on
them.
Il knew it was all over with me- said
the lovely Nine. Recamier. when the little
street gamins ceased looking. after me as l
passed.
There is no field of benevoence or human
upbuilding where beauty is not a controli
ing power. 1t is a pity about 1t, perhaps,
but 1t is nevertheless true that 1t is the
uglfness of many of the women who enter
into them that spoils the chance of some of
the best reforms in the world. If they
would stay behind and do the thinking and
put the beautiful women in front there is
no limit to the good that they might ac-
complish, provided beauty was knit to
power.
Let US thank our stars" says Thack-
cray, that women are like the beasts OF
the field-they do not know their power"
An Austrian Contest.
A quaint and amusing function is the an
nual contest at Vienna, Austria, for the
title of queen of beauty
1t takes place on the picturesque three
crowned summit of Kahlenberg. Each Wis
itor has voting coupon forming the coun-
terfoH Of his railroad ticket, and this he
hands to the owner Of the face that best
pleases him.
Each competitor has a cavalier, who loud
~ calls attention to her charms. and great
excitement prevails when the coupons are
counted.
This years winner is a pretty blonde
named Christine; the winner of the second
prize is also a blonde. while a brunette
beauty the third prize.
In France, at a recent international beauty
contest. d jury, headed by Sarah Bernhard,
pronounced a maiden named Jeanne La
Dortzal as the most bea dtifal woman in the
world. The task of arriving at a verdict
so momentous was the questiou-occupied
the jury two weeks The members of the
jury included renowned artists. poster art
lists, sCulptOrs. authors and the man mil
liners Redfern and Doucet.-
The verdict was unanimous for La bort
gal
She is young petite, slight, brunette,
with great soulful eyes. and she Is senti-
mental, with sad memories of a handsome
Algerian sheik who loved her. IIe was
charming and handsome. and killed himself
for love of her, her father forbidding the
marriage.
This competition was open to any race or
station in life, and age was no bar to en-
trance into what was announced to be
competition limited only by the sublimated
canons of pure art There was no public
comparison of the contending fair each as
pirant for the honor being examined sep
arateiy by the jury.
At a similar contest, upon a former occa-
sion, an album of photogra phs of the con-
testants issued, and the public invited
to vote on the beauty of the women por-
trayed in the album Cleo de Merode, she
of the wonderful hair and dark, lustrous
eyes, was awarded the first prize.
IIc AIlClAS0A ( dNOI1tS.
At beauty contests in America the favor
ties have been blue eyed and fair haired
One had the wreath tossed to her on ac-
count of her charming expression. Another
because her head was well poised and her
neck beautifully formed: the luxuriant
golden hair of another helped in gaining
the prize for her; the hand of one confess
tant was so lovely that it nearly won her
no ll+l,o
figure of another. her form being cast in
most enticing mold. and the complexion
of superb color, with the blush of the rose
mantling the cheeks, were factors in de-
termining the prizes for others.
The points considered in Judging included
expression, dignity, carriage, as well as
form, color and feature.
Who was the loveiiest woman of the
nineteenth century is question often dis
cuSsed.
was it the Countess Castiglione or Louise.
Queen of Prussia; Pauline Borghese
Madam Recamer, the Countess of Jersey.
Madam Vestris, Mrs. Langtry Mary An
derson or the Duchess of Sutherland?
1t is the general dictum that of all these
lovely women, none could compare with
the Countess Casttglione. The Emperor
Napoleon was Supposed to be her slave
She was extremely eccentric in her mode
of life She seldom went out, but used
to lie on a fsbfa,1wfth her bare feet on a
cushion. when she received her friends.
On one occasion she went to a fancy dress
ball with almost 'as little clothing on as
ST. Elizabethsef Hungary at the altar
Many protested BON which to punish them
she appeared attired nun in some
tableaux at which she had promised to
take part The lady quite conscious
Of her beauty, but she fancied that she
was even more clever than beautiful.
His Little Ways.
Count Castiglione was quite as foppish as
his countess was beautiful. In travelling
even a short distance, perhaps from one
town to anothers he would always stop
three or four times to change his rament.
When we ask who is the most beautiful
woman, what do we mean by beauty?
These questions, as a rule, are answered
by Individual TASTE. Ever so many women
are called beautiful. Very few are really en-
titled to be thus complimented. 1t would
never do. to tell them SO. Oh, no. Still
facts are facts, and every one knows that,
like women they speak for themselves.
To define beauty by rote and rule one
must rummage among the beauty books,
which make up quite a library.
1t is not surprising, perhaps, that ''the
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