The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09
TEA AND POETRY
SALONS SUCCEED
Duchess de Rohan Is Protect
resS of the Muses.
GREAT LOVER OF VERSE
American Church PreIates Takes Up
the Work of Reforming the Spirit
ual Atmosphere Along the
Riviera In France.
GREAT LOVER Of VERSE
BY MARQUIS DE oAsTELLANE.


Paris, January s.-(Special. 1.-THE new
tea and poetry salons are the successes
Of the season in Paris. Naturally they
attract the most celebrated poets and
poetesses These interesting and clever
writer's are, of course. a great drawing
card for any hostess.
The chief of these poetic salons is that
of the Duchess de Rohan. The Duchess
Is known as the "Protectress Of the
Muses." She is great lover of verse and
verse writer's. Many young poets owe
their public recognition to her generous
encouragement and assistance. The Ouch
esse herself is writer Of high order.
The Dowager Duchesse de La Roche
Guyon likewise presides over a tea salon
consecrated to the Muses. She Is the au-
thor Of the Heart in Tears" and recites
her verse with great art and feeling. The
Comtesse Charles de Pomairols also at
tracts many poets to her salon. Madame
Aphonee Dudet often recites her verses
here, where she Is applauded by such well
known women OF letters as Madame Re-
lix-Faure Goyau. Madame Jean de Cas-
tellane, and Mile Marie de Sardent.
But foremost of all Is the poetic salon
of the Comtesse de Noailles. Almost as
] write I hear the coupiets of an ex-
quisite sonnet called Maternity" COM
posed and recited by the Comtesse de
Villarson. Tea may not be good for the
nerves, but poetry touches the heart.
And when the hearts of the flower of
French womanhood are awakened they
are indeed seen at their sweetest and
best
We have at this moment two distin-
guished American prelates preaching
the gospel at our winter resorts on the
Riviera. They are Bishop Mackay- Smith
of Pennsylvania and Bishop Poret of
Maryland And they are heartily well
come to our shores. for we need all the
religion in France we can get nowadays.
But I fear the sanity church men will
have more than they bargained for If
they hope to convert the habitues of Nice
and Monte Carlo, or teach them to see
the error of their ways.
You may remember once upon a time
an American missionary attempted to
convert the habitues of the Moulin
Rouge. Had the good man only known
1t, he would have seen 1t had been far
easier to bring the cannibais Of the Fill
islands into the fold.
The Bishop of Pennsylvania is ably sec
onded In his work by his charming wife
and daughters. Mrs. Porst accompanies
her husband also These wise prelates
frequent the best circles. They entertain
as well as preach They are seen every
where. even at grand opera, at least their
wives and daughters are. ! saw them re-
Gently at gala performance OF III Trov-
atore." When the bishops have finished
with Nice and Monte Carlo they will
make tour Of Italy, ending their travels
at Rome, where they viii arrive during
the Holy Week.
The three Rostands, father, mother
and son, are all poets. Madame Rostand
has just published q poem OF 200 lines of
Aexandrino verse. This must have been
no small work for a woman who is known
to be delicate physically, but she chose
her son for her hero, and 1t must always
be a labor of love for a mother to be
able to sing the praises Of her only SON.
She frankly avows that he 10 the JOY Of
her life. No doubt young Rostand Ii ex-
ceedingly clever. / understand he has
already translated ''Chanticleer- into
English. His father was the youngest
member ever elected to the academy. He
was also the most romantic.
Rosamond Gerard. now Madame Ros-
tand. is one Of the most beautiful and
fascinating young women in France to-
day. She is the daughter Of q brave SOL
der, and it Is interesting to note that
there Is an American side to the house
OF Gerard. Madame Gerard IL q direct
descendant Off the founder OF Gerard
college, and, as we'll. she IL related to the
Gerards of Pennsylvania. notably to Gen
eral Gerard. who settled in what was
then the wilds Of Minnesota So this
famous house of poets may rightly be
said to have kinship with America
The critics speak very favorably of
Madame Rostands last poem. Some as
sert 1t compares favorably to any her
husband has ever written. This may be
chivalry on the part of gallant critic.
but it is indeed rare to ind a whole fam
Ivy, father. mother and son. successfully
wooing the Muses..
The Queen of the Kingdom of Franco
American dressmaldng has confided to
me some secrets. / refer, of course, to
the charming Madame Paquin, widow OF
/ the first dressmaker who ever received
the Legion of Honor. During the course
of my conversation Madame Paquin re-
marked that a successful dressmaker
sought inspiration In nature for his or
her effects. l asked her II this explained
/ the reason for the very low cut dresses
SO often seen, not only on the stage, but
/ in the houses Of the best people. / ever
went so far as to add: Because the
more nature the more inspiration,
! Madame Paquin, is It not so?''
But the lady was coy. She would not
answer. She said: "Fashionable dress
makers are not, as has been said. servile
inlitators Of past modes and styles. Ev-
erything we create is the outcome of IN
finite toll and work. We must stimulate
our imagination by constant study OF
books on costuming. We visit museums
for IDEAS; we study the classic draperies
of pictures and statues. Modern as well
as ancient art enters into our combina-
tons. get many admirable hints from
old prints and engravings. or course
these / modify Then there are docu-
ments without number on the subject OF
clothes to be mastered. When all Is said
and done and have my ideas In order
l am then obliged to combine them and
study effects on the maniken or lay figure.
Here 1t IL that one idea gives birth
to another. But nothing is left to chance
or hazard-everything Is thought out
with almost mathematical precision.
have In my employ the brightest and
most artistic men and women In Europe.
They devote their whole lives to this
kind of work. 1t Ii the most important
branch of the dressmaklng business.
When the dresses are completed they
are worn by the prettiest and most styl-
ish young lady models we can secure"
The girls who do the mechanical part
of the work-the sewers-rnay be seen any
day--a joyous army-from IL to 1:8.
promenading up and down the Rue de Ia
Paix
Prince Albert Of Monaco has undertake
en- the office of peace-m maker between
France and Germany. His magnificent