Evening star., 1902-03-22
Do DARING THINGS
FOREIGN WOMEN SHOCK AMERI-
CANS OFTEN,
They Have Not the Real Liberty of
Our Country, but Are Not Con-
ventional Always.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written Tor The evening star
Nowhere in the world do women claim
and enjoy more real liberty than here in
America said a keenly Observant man,
just home from Paris; but there is free
dom from certain conventional restraints s
INDUCED in by the fair foreigners that our
women have really not got the courage to
practice This was impressed upon me by
what l saw this spring the Riviera,
where all the great ladies of Europe are
just now collected. Even to a man the
costumes seen at Nice and Monaco are
matters for marvel, and he can pick out
the American born from the foreign wo-
man every time, at least | could and did
The Americans wore rich and lovely gowns,
but it took the Russian princeSseS to make
our pretty women look like modest Violets
beside their bold and original gorgeousness.
"One. princess wore what the ladies OF
my party explained was a f1oWered muslin
gown, trimmed with sable tails, and though
her head was crowned with a straw hat and
flowers, her hands We're thrust in a huge
muf of the finest Russian fur. | can only
tell YOU that she looked a perfect beauty,
and to my eyes wonderfully distinguished,
but my compatriots shook their heads when
L suggested their following the fashion as
set by the Russian lady.
Not for worlds they said: they had been
20 see costumes made by the famous Sara,
and while her things were marvelS of ar
fessed herself. bought by Americans. Such
Wondrous toilets as hers would make a wo-
man SO conspicuous at the Metropolitan
Opera House, so uncomfortaby noticeable
in a New York restaurant and so stared at
by Newport that In a week her name and
picture would be in the paper Sara dresses
Austrian archduchesses, French duchesses,
English comteSSes and Russian princesses.
but the American women go elsewhere, and
my feminine friends candidly admitted that
in matters of dress the foreign woman en-
joys far greater measure OF liberty, and.
furthermore. can wear a striking frock with
an easy grace and iach of sef-conscious-
ness that our country women have not yet
a their command.
1t Did Seem Odd.
'Then l noticed other little liberties
French women especially take, that with
all their freedom our women never dare
assume. ! can best illustrate my point by
telling you what l saw in an exceedingly
fashionable Partisan restaurant. Not far
from the table al which my party dined sat
a handsome Parisienne with her husband
and son. She was in full evening toilet of
no small degree of splendor. and there was
no mistakng the fact that she was
grande dame. holding successfully to her
youthful beauty. The dinner of this group
was chosen with French taste. and l could
hear that they Were going on TO the opera.
AFTER the liqueurS madame drew a charm
ing reticule before her, took from it a tiny
mirror and surveyed her pretty face: eX-
tracing bit of a powder puff from her
reticule she touched her nose and chin
daintily, and then calmly lifting out a long
silky, brown curl. she pinned it to her back
hair. at that point where its shining length
would fall gracefully over her bare white
shoulder. When everything was to her sat
isfaction she rose, her husband put her in
to luxurious long coat, and away she
went, leaving my party the only astonished
observers. No other man and woman IN
the room seemed to think her action in the
least outre or worthy even thought: but
you see, we were thinking all the while OF
the sensation that simple and not only
inoffensiVe but distinctly pretty little side
show would have created in one of our high
class restaurants.
why, the other diners would have been
paralyzed with amazement and promptly
set down as no lady and the next time
she came to dine the head waiter would
have been careful to discover that all the
tables We're engaged. So. even in effete
Paris, you see,' laughed the clever and OBJ
servant man, there are some privileges
enjoyed that our code of liberty does not
allow"