davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
COMPOSER PERFORMS OPERA
At Rehearsal, Miss Smith Sang, Played
and Danced the Whole

Miss Ethel Smyth, the English COM
poser, who came over here to produce her
opera, Der Wald,'' at the Metropolitan
Operahouse, last week, is a most interest
ing woman, says Jeanette Glider in her
dramatic letter. She is, I believe, the
daughter of an English army officer, but
she received her musical education in Ger
many. Miss Smyth conducted her rehear-
sails at the Metropolitan opera-house. The
first one was with the piano. She not
only played the music herself to an audi
ence composed Of the principal singers
of the company, but she sang all the parts,
including the chorus. She is a most ener-
getic and volatile woman and reminds me
in her manner as we'll as in her appear
ance of the late Kate Field. She seems
more American than English, for we are
not in the habit of associating an alert
mercurial temperament with the English.
Not only did Miss Smyth go through all
the musical parts Of her opera, but she
showed the ballet master and the ballet
dancers to their no small amusement, how
she wanted the ballet danced. AS she
was dressed in a tweed walking suit and
wore heavy golf shoes, the effect was most
amusing, and no one appreciated this more
than Miss Smyth herself. She is deter
mined to have this ballet right. She says
that it Is one of the most important feat
ures of her opera. Not in my day has
an opera by a woman been given, or If It
has, have no recollection of It, Miss
. Smyth Is the first woman to achieve the
, distinction of having an opera performed
by great opera company.
, Not only has Miss Smyth written the
music for her opera, but she has written
the libretto as well, in which she follows
! the example set by the immortal Wagner.
:, She writes her libretto first and her music
. afterwards. Curiously enough, although
an Englishwoman, she writes her libretto
1 In German and then turns it into English.
{ Miss Smyth credits much of her sue
! cess to robust health. For you must
i, know" she said, that the life of any
q composer who loves his art better than
I his ease, and especially that Of a woman
tmusician, is one long battle from start to
finish. And that, I think, is one reason
q why SO few women have lived to pro-
tduce any very great thing In the music
t world.
n "Other women have had just the same
amusical ability, I do not doubt, but 1t
has been my good fortune to win the race
Fit seems to me the hour has struck fol-
1woman's work in the music world.
dhappen to be on the hour. And I feel
t,that I have q duty to all womankind in
n 1persevering in this field. Every woman
tlthat comes after me will find it easier
hbecause Of my journey first over the
{ rough road Yes, am English; my home
Sis in Frimley, near London, but I have
spent very many years on the continent
chiefly In Germany, and this is my first
visit to this side Of the water Yes, al
my family are musical. my mother espe.
cially. My home public, you know, has
been very good to my little opera. Its
second night was a record one, you see
in London, and that in itself is record
happening. That was what decided me tx
bring it over here"
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
DYSPEPSIA AND DIVORCE
Women Unable to Cook and to Keep House
Also Unable to Keep
Husbands

Bad cookery and slovenly housekeeping
were the direct causes of 400 divorces in
the city of Chicago last year. This state
ment. by the head Of the Chicago bureau
Of charities, furnishes every housewife in
the land with subject for serious reflec-
tion, for husbands tempers and digestions
are equally frail in Maine, Illinois and
California, and divorces know not geo.
graphical limits. During 1902, it appears.
400 deserted wives who applied at the
bureau Of charities for assistance, and
later obtained divorces, admitted that they
could neither cook nor keep house." and
of course they could not expect to keep
husbands. For these unhappy marriages
the men themselves were to blame in great
measure, and they need not pose as OBJ
jects of popular sympathy. Why did they
marry women ignorant Of the first requis-
ties Of a happy domestic life? .-N
If this unfortunate condition of affairs
is paralleled elsewhere, sociologists will
have to wrestle with the knotty problem
of how young man before proposing
matrimony may gauge accurately a young
Woman's knowledge Of domestic science,
| says Robert Webster Jones in the March
| Housekeeper. Shall he seek the advice
| of some noted authority like Mrs. Hitler,
and receive thorough coaching in the sub
| ject in order to become a competent judge
| Of his beloveds qualifications? Shall the
question: "Can you cook?" precede the
question: "Will you wed?"
While the adoption of such unromantic
| expedients would crate upon sensitive
| nature, something must be done If af-
fairs are as bad as Chicago's superin-
| tendent Of charities would have us be-
lieve. 8 Perhaps it would be as well for
American masculinity to take q few les
sons in the gentle art Of frying eggs and
boiling coffee as a preliminary training
for matrimony (for who can tell when
this knowledge might come into play?)
or test personally the possibilities of the
chafing dish, that close culinary compan-
ion of the lonely bachelor. Evidently logic
can trace an intimate connection between
dyspepsia and divorces, and wise wives
will not be slow to take the hint.
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
sHoE-sTR1NG BELTS
Woman,g Home Companion

Woman's Home Companion.
One of the latest discoveries Is the
shoe string belt. That smart touch
could be evolved out Of just an ordinary
shoe string sounds almost incredible.
doesn't it? But the shoe-string belt,
nevertheless, has all the airs and graces
of an imported novelty, and in addition
to this 1t fits the figure to perfection, and
there is no end to Its wearing qualities.
Black and white linen shoe-strings are
generally used for this novel belt The
shoe strings are braided and the number
chosen, depends upon the width of the
belt you desire, and incidentally on the
number Of strands you know how to
braid At the ends Of the belt the shoe
strings are tied In hard little knots, then
left long enough to be fringed so that they
look like tassels. The linen shoe strings
when braided make a very pliable belt
one which fits the waist line prettily. In
addition to the black-and-white belts
there are others In brown and tan, brown
and white, as well as black and white
plaid Baby ribbon in two or more
colors braided in the same way as the shoe
strings also makes an effective shirt-waist
helt. t3a
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21

says she. You don't give anybody what
they want an there's never anythin' left.
had nervous prostration the night the
Eltons were here, wonderin' if you could
carve twelve-poun' roast so it would go
roun' six people, says she. You're more
extravagant in carvin' n am in cookin'. ;
ut got so they didn't dare have anythin'
to eat but what could be spooned, an
then Mrs. Allen took, things in her own
hans.
".You've got to take lessons says she.
Surely there's a place where you can
learn Maybe the butcher d show you
bout the joints, or p'raps you could pick
up a few ideas at RESTRAINT. They don't
waste things there, an when you can
learn to carve a roast in thin even slices,
we'll have the family to dinner. I'd be
ashamed to have father come now says
she. Mr.. Allen said he could learn at
home, but she toT him she couldn't afford
to have him. an he's been goin' to some
RESTRAINT up town ev'ry noon an Watchin'
a man carve for over a week now.
'It doesn't come any more natural for
ev'ry man to-carve N for ev'ry woman to
cook an poor carvin's as bad for a wo-
mans min as bad cookin' is on a mans
stomach, seems IT,
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
EX-EMPREss cARLOTTA's SAD FATE.
Many Will Be Surprised to Learn That the Brilliant Leader Of the
Ephemeral Empire Of Mexico Still Lingers in
Living Death.

started with his wife in an Austrian man
of-war for Mexico. The ovations that
greeted them on their way to the capital
had been carefully manufactured and
they reached the City of Mexico with no
conception OF the real feeling of the
country. They made triumphal entry,
Marshal Bazaine gave them a state ball,
the castle OF Chapultepec was chosen as
the royal residence and the court Of the
new empire was opened there with all the
splendor Of an old world capital.
For a time all went well. Then the truth
of Prince "Plon Plon's' remark became
evident: "One can do anything with bay
onets except sit on them" The Mexican
army was a heavy drain on the French
empire, the country was not paciaed, the
United States became insistent, the rela-
tions between Maximilian and his sup
porters grew strained and Napoleon noti-
fled his protege that he must depend upon
his own resources. This was the time for
the emperor to abdicate. His failure to do
so is attributed largely to his wife's In
huence. She could not bear to give up her
crown to become an archduchess. In
July. 1855, she set out for France to make
a final appeal to Napoleon. About the
time Of her departure symptoms Of cereb-
raj trouble developed When she saw
Napoleon In Paris she was so violent In
her language that she aroused the en-
peror's resentment. The interview must
have been a painful one, but most of the
lurid accounts Of it are apocrypal. Ma
poleon could do nothing. The empress
was crushed by the refusal.
She apepaled to Pope Plus TX. for aid
and could not understand that he was
helpless in the matter. Her malady grew
steadily worse and she was put in the
care Of her mother.
Meanwhile affairs in Mexico were grow-
ing worse. In June of the next year the
empire fell, Maximilian was betrayed into
the hands Of the patriots an dsentenced to
be shot. On the 18th a report reached
Queretaro that the Empress Charlotte was
dead. The emperor was overwhelmed by
the news, but it proved a help to his last
moments. Zone tie less to bind me to the
world he said. Ins letter written on
his last day on earth he asked that his
body be buried beside that of his wife.
The frigate that brought the young SOW
ereigns to Mexico carried back the body
of the emperor. It was buried In the
mausoleum Of the Hapsburgs in Vienna
Charlotte never learned of her husband s
death. She was soon taken back to Bel
gium in the hope that the scenes of her
youth might restore her mind. The hope
proved vain, and at the age OF 62 she is
still confined in palace near Brussels
awaiting the end.
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21

!'1f you call this shirt waist then what
Is a fancy waist?" .H
The masculine voice sounded puzzled
and the masculine finger poked the white
mass of tucks and dainty hand embroidery
inauringly.
Fancy waist queried the feminine
voice and then a note of amusement crept
into it. you must mean blouse. Don't
You know that the fancy waist is old,
years old? No one wears anything now
but blouse"
The summer blouse is glorifed shirt
waist which is as different from last
years fancy shirt waist was this win
ter's coat sleeve from that of a year ago.
1t is embroidered and embellished with all
manner Of fancy stitches, but the patterns
are not like those ever used before. They
seem to consist of lines and dots with
scrolls filled in with cross stitches, all in
a soft mercerized embroidery cotton which
stands out we'll from the linen. Last year
at this season every other woman was
busy drawing with her needle vines,
climbing roses or garlands of chrysanthe-
NUNS and daisies up and down the front
Of her waists. This year the convention
allied pattern runs just above the should
ers and many Of the waists will be worn
with tucked guimpe and stock.
White is still the popular color. and the
smart shops where embroidered shirt
waists are a specially, declare that they
nave lew ISQueSlS lOT COlOIeu WdlSlS. one
woman, who leaves the last Of March for
Europe, has ordered half a dozen Of these
waists to be made up in cream and dead
white silks and satins; but stunning as a
white waist is, one would hesitate about
donning it for travelling unless took
a maid and a good sized bottle Of clean
ing compound with one. m.
Some OF the pongee waists are embroi-
dered In blue and black and are Won
derfuly smart. The soft silk waists are
much cooler than the linen, and pongee
is such a sought after material this spring
that every woman Is sure to want a shir
of it. A Park avenue girl is making hel
own waist Of coarse pongee, and around
the sleeves and stock and down the from
she IS working a quaint, old-fashionet
cross-stitch pattern in soft pinks an6
( black to bring out the colors.
+ Hand work is the hallmark Of the up
/ to-date waist and women show you will
pride their misunderstanding, their fagot-
tirg and their embroidery. Stocks are
made of stripes Of material fagoted to-
gether and the same idea is carried out
in shallow round yoke which fits over
Z the shoulders in a marvelously becoming
fashion.
One can make these blouses as plain or
as fancy as one pleases but even when
covered with stitchery there is a sim
plicity about the cut and finish which i'm
presses one with the fact that after all it
is only a shirt waist, albeit a glorif1ed one.
The sleeves are but slightly fuller than
those Of last summer, and some Of them
are tucked and some are not. The cuffs
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
BLOUsEs, GLORIFIED SHIRT WAISTS.
The Entirely Novel, Convenond Designs
In Spite Of Endless Embellishments of Needework
the Shirt Waist Cut Is Retained

are narrow, loose or faring. to choice, and
the fronts Of the waist are tucked and
plated and brought into the waist with
slight blouse. There seem to be as
many styles as there are women and the
individuality is shown in the hand work
rather than in the cut.
A line of drawn work about the cuff,
stock and down the front Is simple en-
bellishment which Is within the power Of
any woman who handles a needle. but
when she pulls her threads let her re-
member that the fewer she draws the bet
ter her work will laundry.
Half a dozen women over in Sunnyside
have a small sewing club and each woman
Is embroidering shirt waist. No two Of
them are alike and after they are all fin
ished, they are to be drawn by lot and
while each one will receive a waist it will
not be the one she made herself. AS each
privately thinks the one she is working
is the prettiest, the drawing promises to
be interesting and one Of the husbands
has Wagered that each will be so polite
and courteous that it will end In each re-
tanning her own.
One husband became so impatient over
his wife's devotion to her embroidery that
he persuaded her to abandon it evenings
by promise of as pretty waist as he
could buy She sealed the bargain in
minute, and when the generous man had
selected the only blouse which quite suited
him, he concealed his amazement at the
size Of the BILL which was just $2S, in
most creditable manner. 'Phew," he
whistled, when he and his wife and the
blouse were in the street, lit does cost
to dress a woman. But it's worth it, f"
he added, ernphatically, as he looked at
the smart little figure beside him.
The embroidered shirt waist in the
shops cost all the way from So to $2S, and
the difference in work is as great as the
difference in price. Many women are
buying the embroidered pillow slips and
Transforming them into blouses, but the
pattern is not as pretty as on the waists
which are first made up and then en-
broidered
These b1ouses are, Of course, only fol-
dress wear and the shirt waist to be wor1
shopping and on the street depends or
it's pearl buttons for the trimming. II
Is made with tucks or plaits and is worr
with plain stock or low turn over col
lar and narrow black tie and the favorite
materials seem to be white cheviot or
linen, although there are some smart COM
binations Of black and white. The pink
and blue shirt waist, once SO popular, will
be seldom seen this summer.
The tub gown and shirt waist suit are
said to threaten the popularity of the
shirt waist, but no matter how stunning
they are they can never take it's place.
With tailor suit there is nothing so
smart as a crisp white waist with linen
collar and tie and though the embroidered
blouse is more appropriate for afternoon
wear it has not the style Of the palmer
waists regardless of the dots and lines
which meander over the front Of it.
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
A CASSEROLE CHAFING DISH

Women who a6e tired of the bright and
shiny chafing dishes of the stock designs
found in shops may find a suggestion in
one lately made and displayed III a stag
party by a clever bachelor in town. Many
a woman who knows how to do the artistic
and inexpensive bent iron work can make
a chafing dish after this bachelors idea
and yet throw her own individuality into
the design.
First get casserole with lid They
can be purchased in any well equipped
store for go cents, or more, according to
size. There is no choice in material, for
they are all earthenware of beautiful red
brown tones and high blaze, sometimes
scrawled over with a decoration in white
and black and blue. The iron to be used
as well as the rivets must be as heavy
as you are able to manipulate with the
pinchers Fit ring exactly to the casse-
role, for it must rest firmly in this ring.
Fasten On to this ring three or four
legs, whichever number you prefer, of
bulging Dutch curves, and give them feet
firmly planted. Your measurements must
be perfectly exact to prevent any wob-
bling. Brace the legs near the base and fit
inside another ring to hold the vessel for
alcohol. The frame should be ssquatty to
be artistic and practical as well in bring
ing the casserole close to the fame.
The vessel to hold the alcohol should be
Of earthenware like the casserole, strong
ctIlu ulSuly SIdZSu, dHO uuSL nave d iiQ
so the flame may be shut off when desired.
The Japanese make charming little vessels
almost exactly like a casserole; they have
a little handle and are perfectly practical
as well as delight to the eye.
A very small baked-bean pot would an-
swer perfectly we'll Bachelors and BACH
elor girls who use the chafing dish most
practically have found that the simplest
arrangement for using the alcohol is the
best. To, prevent burnt fingers fantastic
handle OF bent iron should be riveted on
| the top of the lids Of both earthenware
vessels. but this would have to be done by
a professional; a riveter Of broken china
could do it.
Large fiat plaques Of earthenware ars
made by some Of the North American In
dams and by Spanish peasants, and one
Of these would serve perfectly for a tray
on which to rest your casserole chafinE
| dish, which finds its place perfectly in q
den of mission furniture and Navajo
hangings.
Anyway, you know, we have caught the
love of things cooked en- casserole from
the French, and a chaf1ng dish made AZ
described would I'LL an epicure with dee
/ lltghtfu1 anticipation.
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
WOMEN AND THEIR WORK

The Lack of male heirs among leading
English military men is remarkable. Lord
Wolseley has but one child, an unmarried
daughter. Lord Roberts has now no son.
Lord Kitchener is a bachelor; and Sir
Redvers Butler. who once was regarded as
quite in the running for hereditary dis
tinction, has an only child-a daughter.
The cause of universal peace has no
ADLER living advocate than the Baroness
Won Sutter, whose husband died recently
at their home in Vienna. Her Lay Down
Your Arms the czar Is known to have
read Immediately before issuing his peace
descript Within two years of its publica-
tion Lay Down Your Arms had been the
inspiration Of twenty-four peace associa-
tions in Germany and Austria, the chief
Of them being the Austrian League of
Peace, Of which the baroness is still the
president.
Beatrice Harraden, the novelist, is just
bringing out a new book. Miss Harraden
has lived for long time in a pretty place
near Hampstead Heath, London, where
things move along in singularIy quiet fash
ion. The author of "Ships That Pass in
the Night" is a retiring, bird like little
woman, who makes no pretences about
anything. But, she recently consented to
act as a member Of the governing COM
mittee in the Writers club and so ningles
frequently with the work-a-day women
journalists Of Fleet street. ~.
American women in London are about
to institute the perennial agitation on be-
half of Mrs. Maybrick. Certain earnest
ladies decided In grave conclave the other
night that they would Immediately start
petition round and get the signature
of every American woman they could find,
asking King Edward to LET Mrs. Maybrick
out Of jail. Most Of the American colony
feminine are laughing at the idea and re-
fuse to take it seriously. But there is no
levity in the attitude Of Mrs. Alfred Stead.
Mrs. ,Mulholland and others Of ''the COM
mittee," who boldly state their determine
tion to stump the state from this time
on until they liberate Mrs. Maybrick.
Mrs j. Mitchell Clark Of New York has
invented resounding board for the piano
which has been given public trial The
resounding board is convex lid which fits
over the top of the piano and takes the
place Of the ordinary lid.
Miss Sophie 3: Wright, principal Of
| the Home Institute, school for girls In
New Orleans, began about twenty years
ago to teach a class OF six boys who
| worked during the day for their living,
and came to her at night to be taught.
| From this modest beginning there has
| grown great and noble institution, the
| Sophie B. Wright free night school, with
| 1000 pupils, taught by faculty OF over
| twenty teachers, without charge, the only
requisite for admission being that the ap-
plicant be a worker by day and express
| Willingness to comply with the require
| ments of the school.
The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-21
MhAT HlLDA LApSONSANS

nv JEs' foun' dollar bill comm
over from the store. It looked
like dirty rag, an I sppose
that's why other folks passed 1t
4 by. You can't get fooled nine
times 'thout CROWN suspision on the
tenth, seems if. I kicked this bill three
times fore I could bring myself to pick
it up, but never made a dollar easier
n jes' by reachin' for it.
Now if I was Mrs. Carlson I'd pin it
in the window an let the air blow the
germs outen it. I'm not much 'fraid Of
germs myself an I'm of the 'pinion t.
folks lived more comfortable fore they
were discovered. You can't be real easy
in your min if you expec' to meet a dipv
thery microbe or a scarlet fever germ
round ev'ry corner. It isn't cause she's
'fraid Of germs t makes Mrs. Carlson air
her money, but it's her dislike to dirt.
She's ies' about the cleanest woman I
ever met, an I've heard her scrubbin'
down her from steps after IL o'clock at
night more'n once. dunno but what
she's as much triaLto the folks in the
neighborhood as Mrs Smith, who don't
wash her windows once a year. 1t makes
the light too strong, says she, we've
all got weak eyes. It's a Smith charac-
terlstic,' says she.
Mrs. Carlson pins all the paper money
she has in the window to air evry Sat
urday,5 an she polishes up her change
once a week with silver polish. It's an
sight to see her a sittin there
cleanin' up what money she's got. She
keeps two pocketbooks an in one she
puts what's polished an In the other she
keeps what comes in durin' the week an
she'd rather eat bread an milk bought
'th clean money n beefsteak If she had
to handle the dirty silver to pay for it.
We've all got our peculiarities, says
she to me, says she. If we didn't, we
wouldn't be ourselves, but jes' duplicates
of ev'rybody else. like to handle clean
money, an the only way to get it is to
clean it myself. dunno as I'm any more
peculiar n Mr.. sloner, who insists or
maxim the hash for breakfas' himself, sc
he'll know what goes into It, says she.
".I should think you'd be robbed, a.
f1auntin' your money in the face of ev'ry-
body says /, lookin' in the window where
she'd pinned three one-dollar bills an 9
five.
".Folks don't know it's real money an
they wouldn't b'live you II you toP EN-,
says she. Mos folks spen' their none.
too quick to notice whether It's clean o.
dirty but there isn't anythin' t goe:
through my hans but what's cleaner wher
lit leaves 'em n when 1t comes. That.