Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-09
Special Correspondence of The Star.

PARIS. April 25. 1903.
4 r the I.yceum Club. in the Rue de
~ la Renaissance. there is being
"A held an exhibition of pictures
Il - painted by women. The most in
teresting canvas is Mime. Vigee-
1.ebruns portrait of Nine. du Barry.
Louis XN's favorite. The history of la
du Barry is most curious. As every one
knows this famous beauty was the
daughter OF a charwoman named Recu,
hut in the course of time the Du Barry
became known Jeanne Nauberniar
Married to the Comte du Barry she was
presented TO Louis Nv and became a
court favorte. At this time she was in
her twenty-third year and wonderfully
beautiful. Ii was she who ruled France
for six years. costing that country enor-
nous sums of money to satisfy her
travagant tastes. and there even talk
al one time OF a morsanatic marriage be-
tween the fascinating Jeanne and the
king. but the world was fortunately
spared this scandal. When Louis Nv died
his successor. The i'll -fated Louis XVI. the
very day after his succession dismissed
the Du Barry from court and sent her tn
3 1--WE in convent ut POnt-auX-DameS.
Two years later she was allowed 10 live
. in her Sumptuous country house at on
welcomes. some fifteen miles from Paris.
Like most spendthrifts. Nine. du Barry
was good-naIured. and it vas her grner-
osuy that cost her her life. When tine
revolution broke out She prudentiy be-
took herself To England and might have
stayed there in safety until the storm ia
France had ragged itself out but whii..
there she assisted penniieSs nohlem-u
/ who had fed the country. Not only this
objectionable sin. in the eyes of the revo-
iutionists. did she commit. but she mpu-
n IL
: terror. was AT once arrested and carried
her beautiful head 10 the guiliotine
All this revived interest in the Du Barry
makes me wonder whether the witticism
OF a cynic who presuma bly, spoke the
truth when he said. 1t is better to- be
beautiful than good. but il Is better TO be
good than TO be ugly. Is not actually
truism. Nothing is more obvious tina n the
necessity of good looks 10 a woman, and
people who try 10 make out that kind
heart or good intentions can make up for
an unprepossessing exterior simply do
not know life. The only possible substi-
tute for beauty is brains. and even brains
unless combined with charm, will take a
woman but n snort way the road to
success. OF course, there are innumera-
bic unenterprisne women in the world to
whom the Idea of success has never oc-
Cured. Like the lady in the poem of
whom il was said
For tourscore years this
Life Cieora led
Al morn she rose at night
She went to bed.
their ina ginations have never straxeo he
yond the uninspiring occupation of the
daily round. To such as these the nos
session of a good conscience is doubtless
more comforting than that OF a straight
nose or curling eyelashes. But to the
more human woman. who may be- de-
scri5ed as something more than a cross
between an angel and an idiot the cues.
ton of looks is practically the question OF
existence
The Du Barry Collar.
But. To return TO the Du Barry again.
rhe portrait of Louis XV's favorite has
attracted many we'll known dressmakers
and milliners TO the Lyceum Club. The
latter found little TO copy except in the
omoination of gray white and cream
prettily introduced in the hat and the
bunch Of gray ribbons fastened in the
hair The dressmakers were more fortu-
na'e. for leading house near the opera
has adopted the triple lace collar worn
by the comtesse. This Du Barry collar is
in fact. the novelty of me moment II 10
smart little affair evolved with three
rows OF finger wide lace-alencon ma
lines. valencennes-which are gathered
or foundation of silk or net that ATS
loosely about the neck. extending almost
60 tire shoulders. u is tied in front with
colored ribbons. the brighter the more