Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15

must not De 1anCteO LnaI COuTteSdHS WeIo
permitted to fiaunt the badge of their call
ing-and it is a calling in Japan-in the
face of Japan'S polite public. They were
and are confined to a little city WITHIN
city. with streets and shops and govern,
ment of its own, walled and gated and
guarded, called Yoshiwara, from whence
| they could come only by purchase, or as
some mans wife. These are The Little
Cities Without Nights
In addition TO these rules or dress, NIL
Onna has had much to say to Miss Bates
of the sentimental use of the obl-uses that
| are. not prescribed ii The Young Ladles
| Book of Simple Manners" 1t seems that
| the uses of the obi-other than Tor mere
| cincture and adornment are endless. But
| one OF the most curious and tragic is lts
| frequent adaptation to the purpose Oh SUI
| eide; of love suicide, or double suicide. fer-
hapS since the Japanese surrounds every
thing with certain aroma of romance and
pOetry-that IS the reason the obi OF MS De
loved one Is so often chosen for their JOINT
death. For, where man and woman loVe
but cannot marry, they do not THINK nrSt
of elopement-nor of anything, in fact, but
death. Take, for instance, the case OF d
samurai loving an eta-tWo widely sunuereo
castles. The laws of castles are so lmmuta-
Bile and irrefra gible that the two would
never think of 8 contumacious marriage,
but would set about their suicide lhey
would probably fix a time for this at some
distance in the future, and when the time
arrived have everything in readiness. The
man would have arranged his business al
fairs in the most precise order The girl
her domestic ones. They each would write
a long letter explanatory of their course
to be found upon their persons afterWaro.
These letters are curiosities In their way.
On the appointed day there would be few
hours of quiet merry notwithstanding with
feast at some tea house linen tney
would tie themselves tightly together with
the long obi Of the girl, and, with their
arms about each other wade into the sea
or some river lotus pond, or moat,
swearing last to be true for many lives OF
their reincarnation. Little NiJi-Onna mas
told Miss Bates how her only sister oleo
in this manner, and assured her 1t was
the one right way to do. For II they couid
not love and be happy in the world, 1t
was better to pay the price OF honor 1or
eternal happiness in all the worlds that
are to follow. She herself says she would
be glad to die thus for\the JOY and reward
of becoming a darling Of the gods.
Eleonora Duse according to a writer, who
is said to have received the information
from the actress herself. is forty-three
She was born in a railway train on the way
to Venice on October 3. 1859. Her grand
father, who was born at Cigga where the
name Of Duse is still common, was the
founder of a troupe Of Venetian dialect
comedians that is still famous. His four
sons all became actors. Nine Buses father
nau Ill duOIlIOiI ~ Ills seAASAA'S "'
an actor some skill as painter, and he I'LL
tmately left the stage to devote himself TO
that art.
All the children Of this second generation
were actors like the little Eleonora, who
began to play in the company In which her
parents were members when she was four
years old. A curious circumstance attended
her baptism at Vigeyano in Piedmont. In
accordance with the custom Of the country
the child was carried to the church in
cbrIp and amnnteI with Jewels.
A deta chment of Austrian soldiery marched
past the baptismal procession, and mistak-
ing the shrine for the relics of some saint
halted and saluted. When he returned to
his wife the father said to her: Forgive
me, dear that l am too poor to bring you
a present for giving me daughter, but
can give you happy omen. Our daughter
will be something great some day; already
they have shown her military honors."
For a long time after that the little girl
had no honors of any kind, and very little
else but poverty and suffering. Once as her
mother lay i'll in hospital the child visited
her daily to eat the remains of the food
that had been supplied to the patients. She
was fourteen when her mother died, leay-
ing her without enough money to buy
black dress. For four years after this she
played within one hamlet and another In
bands of strolling actors until her famous
appearance of Juliet came a [ Verona, when
she was eighteen. That the turning
point in her career, and d'Annunzio men
tons In his book The Flame one incident
of that appearance that has never before
been made public. With the little money
she had been able to the actress
bought all the roses she could. She came
before the audience decked in flowers, and
In every scene appeared covered with
blooms OF different color. The symbolism
and beauty of the device delighted the spec
tators-
1t was shortly after she went to Naples.
where she acted leading roles and was
warmly disiked by her colleagues 1t
seems rather strange nowadays to hear
that she was not regarded as very gifted
actress. the chief complaint then against
her being lack Of facial expression. She
had her first opportunity in Les Four
chambaults." when the Illness of the lead
ing actress gave her the chance to play the
kind OF role that suited her. From the
time she went touring with Rossi and play
ed In La Princesse de Bagdad." after
Sara BernhardtS visit to Italy her career
has been well known. But it was not
known before that, when dramatic success
was in her grasp, she realized that as a
woman she was not ready to take the place
that must be held by a great actress. She
therefore devoted a certain time every day
to the study of languages literature and
every branch OF her education that had
been neglected.
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