The Washington herald., 1912-03-03

Paris. March 2-Are Catholic priests
prelates and ecclesiastics. doomed as they
1 are 10 an unnatural state Of celibacy
more apt to fall victims TO the charms OF
lovely women. as displayed by modern
evening dress? The Pope evidently seems
to think so. for by his latest edict, which
has caused quite a futter in fashionable
society, he forbids them to appear al
any functions. public or private. at which
| women appear short.sleeved and in low
necked gowns.
AS soon as the decree had been pub
llished here. / set out to interview a num-
ber OF society leaders and actresses on
the subject and was surprised TO find
! that, while society as a whole were IN
clined 10 treat the edict as the ridiculous
idea of an old man, imprisoned in a
Talace and absolutely incompetent to act
as judge OF fashionable dress. actresses
willingly admitted that the papal edIct
was by no means uncalled for. Nine.
Sarah Bernhardt refused to commit her
self one way or the other, but Mile. Cecile
SoreL one our most charming as well as
most highly respected actresses. who is
favorite guest In all the most exclu-
sive salons OF Faubourg, St. Germain.
said:
Mile. sorers Views.
of course, cannot wholly agree with
the decree, In so far. as II tries TO Danish
all kinds of decollette, but 1 must say
that one must not be too quick In blam-
ing the Pope. What / think he means
and what, OF course, he cannot very well
put into words, is that certain fashions
have to-day become so exaggerated that
they are scandalous. In this l quite
agree. have myself seen examples OF
decollete, which are shocking. Think OF
the beautiful and modest decoIlete, which,
we are told. was permitted in the past.
II was merely decollete OF the shoulders.
Nowadays, society people have carried
the fashion TO extremes. It is no longer
decollete over the shoulders; II Is too eX-
travagant for me. to describe. 1t is not
beautiful 1t is is ugly, as is every
exaggeration. Society people make the
thing they see in the theaters. Many
things are permissible and beautiful on
the stage. which are not SO in a drawing
room. When We are on the stage, We are
at a distance from the spectators and we
have to exaggerate certain things in
dress and costume, which We would not
ourselves wear In town when We go TO a
social function, and find ourselves in
crowded salons with persons who are
entire strangers close up to us.
IAN extravaganza in fashion, such as
the recent styles, clinging to the form
and showing up every outline, instead OF
making the female figure beautiful, makes
the figure hideous. One of the qualities
of beauty Is that It should be poetic and
mysterious, and not show too much. La
femme doit garder son mystere.'"
For Varying Types.
NJ. Frederic Mason not long ago wrote
a beautiful article on this very subject.
He showed what mistake it was for
girls and grcwn-up women. as well as
mothers. tC appear what they are not.
There Is a certain charm in the -decollete
of a girl or of a very young woman which
is entirely lost when attempted by older.
persons.
"a woman should have>sUfficient sense
and taste 10 realize that at a certain time
OF life, when she Is no longer a girl, nor
2 very young woman. she ought 40 dress
in a, way becoming her age. By trying to
outdo the young they make themselves
absurd There are three stages in a wom-
ans nfe-frst that of the girl: second.
that OF the young woman; and third. that
of the mother. A decoilete which is per-
mitted in the first or second is offen-
sive in the third The girl We expect 20
be ''coquette," and the young woman
to be modest. but above all, the mo-
bound to be grave. BY observing these
rules. woman IS charming at each OF her
ages. By not observing them. she makes
herself ridiculous.
Il quite understand what motive
prompted the Pope to issue the decree,
and fully agree with the intention