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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1913)
1 THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, JUNE 1, 1913. 0 MME. BERNHARDT LETTERS ON LIFE TO AMERICAN WOMEN Injection of Perfumes Under the Skin Is Condemned Isadora Duncan's Resolution to Become a Nurse Is Lauded Care and Grief Enemies of Vigor Plan Given to Reduce Stoutness. BY MADAME SARAH BERNHARDT, Translation by L Martiul de Castelhomond. (Copyright. lfti:S. Rochambeau Newspaper Syndicate, Philadelphia. All rights reserved.) THE fashion of the moment in England is to make injections of perfumes, and I do not think it at all judicious. In the first place it does not pro duce the effects which one expects from it, and it is quite sure that if women do make subcutaneous injec tions It is to exhale the odor, but that end is not always fulfilled. The much-regretted Grand Duchess of Leuchtenberg" obtained extraordi nary results in the abundant use of perfumes, but it was only at first. She made punctures of verveine, and all her person was redoient of verveine. Then she began to eat the prepared root of the iris, until finally the un fortunate Duchess became intoxicated by her perfumes and they often turned her head. One afternoon about 5 o'clock, in St. Petersburg, mv troika passed hers and she signaled for me to stop, which 1 did. She invited me to get into her troika and took me to her palace. On the way the charming woman said: I have found a perfume which I believe will revolutionize the world. Now, you can do me a great service If I inject this perfume 1 cannot tell the effects, because I am already im bued with perfumes and have great difficulty in Judging them now. But I will make a puncture on you and tomorrow morning you must come and see me early; we will then see what effect it has had. But." added the de lightful woman, "do not take a bath before seeing me." Kicked a Little. But Submitted. I kicked a little at this. The idea of an injection filled me with horror, but how was it possible to resist charm itself? She punctured me above the knee. I went home, dined quickly and then went to the theater. I played the "Dame aux Camelias." Between the acts T asked my leading man: "Do you notice any particular scent about me?" "No," he replied, "you seem as sweet as usual." But quite suddenly, during the last act of the "Dame," at the moment of her death, I noticed him sniff with astonishment. I even no ticed a slight smite in his eyes. The moment the curtain fell I asked the poor boy what the matter was. He shook with laughter. "Madame, I beg your pardon, but it is horrible: you smell terrlby of onions, and ,that, all over your body. Your hands, your neck, your breath everything." I laughed when I saw him laughing, but I was a bit cross, all the same. I sent a line immediately to the Grand Duchess. TThere is what I said: Madame, madame, I am most un happy. I must have a bath; I reek of onions." Ten minutes later the most Inti mate friend of the Grand Duchess, the Grand Duke Alexis, came to call for me. "The Duchess wants to see you be fore you bathe." and as lie bent over my liand, he, too. burst out laughing. "Yefl. yes." he said, "onions, indeed! At the palace the charming great lady scented my hands, my hair, my neck. X had put on a ball gown to ac company the Grand Duke Alexis. "Ah!" she said in her voice of crystal "it is horrible. horrible!" and she laughed with that pretty mouth which is now closed forever. 1 "Will you take supper with me?" she asked. "Ah. madame. 1 must go back and take my bath," I said. Had Supper With Them. "No. you must take it here; the Grand Duke and I will wait for you." During supper the talk was all about new perfurnes. The one mentioned was condemned, but what dreams were in dulged in about the others! Well, now, I warn my friends, the English, that they must take great care, because perfumes produce ab scesses. The best perfumes to put under the skin are rose and verveine. They never do any harm and they give a delightful scent to the body in general. On the Secrets of Youth I RETURNED to New York yesterday, after a six-months' tour, and it was with joy that I saw once more the friends who came to see me. Among them was a woman who em braced me effusively. I was a little cold in replying to this display, be cause I did not recollect the lady. At least I thought so. Then she suddenly drew back and said: "In what way have I offended you. my dear friend?" Then suddenly her personality flashed upon me. She was an American actress with whom I was very intimate, but she had changed so greatly in five months that I could not recall her on the spur of the moment. I rebuke myself for my forgetful- ness and invited her to lunch next day. I wanted to know the reason for her dreadful change of appearance. When she arrived I made her enter my boudoir, where I embraced her ten derly and I then learned that she had suffered a great deal in consequence of unjust things said about her by tne newspapers, who had criticised her at the instigation of a young actress who was jealous of her. I remained speech less at the recital of such idiotic fu tilities, but I guessed she must also have another reason. I asked for news of the man to whom she was engaged to be married. She bui-st into tears and I pressed her to my heart, thinking he was dead. No! No!" she said, "he is not dead; he has lost all his money." This time I Jumped out of my chair and questioned her angrily. "What? Is it for this you have changed so much as to be unrecog nizable? "What? Because a little goose makes an attack on your talent and against your person, you collapse, and have not the energy to shrug your shoulders and laugh? But I think you are silly be yond anything I can put a name to. "What? because your fiance loses all his money, you fall to weeping over it? But the day you heard your poor Dick was ruined you should have mar ried him if you loved him still; he is good, he is handsome, young and full of intelligence.' (next Left Her Very AnRrj. As I feel strongly about things I let myself indulge in all the reproaches which the weakness and cowardice of the young woman stirred within me. She went away very angry. So much the worse for her; but I will take the opportunity of saying this to my young readers: You should never waste life In futUe emotions. The secret of youth and health is to give no more importance to things than they really merit. If one worries over trifles no room is left for a great and true sorrow. One should not love too many people. One can have but one great, immense love, whether it be for a husband or for a child. Consequently one can have but one great and immense grief, which breaks up all one's life. People who are martyrs to every thing that happens become aged be fore their time. Those who think they ire always being persecuted are cow ards. One must march bravely through. life; must march, bravely onward to the grave, which is open for us all. One should not fear difficulties; they are always to be overcome. One should not lose time lamenting. A lost day will never come back never, never! ' Care and Grief Youth's Enenlcs, Every care, every grief leaves a line on the face. It Is really too' stupid to allow oneself to look old and to get ugly because of trifles. It is worth while dying for a great passion, but it is also worth while to live so as to enjoy the beauty of the sunshine, the splendor of nature and the achievements of human genius. hope, with her help, to start there a branch of the American methods ol nursing. , Praises American Nurses THE dreadful calamity which has be fallen Isadora Duncan by the death of her children, when an auto plunged into the Seine, has made her resolve to become a nurse. I quite understand the desire of the poor actress and approve her despair- ng intention, which will not be sterile of good. I must say that I can quite imagine Isadora Duncan throwing herself heart and soul into the task of succorlfig- those who suffer even more than those who are cloistered, and vow them selves to eternal contemplation. Trie renunciation of tiuna is egotis tical, the renunciation of Isadora Dun can is from motives of humanity, and she will surely find more consolation for her terrible grief in being a nurse than by going into a cloister. Likes American Nvraei. It is reported that she will come and establish herself in America, and I regret it, for she should try to in troduee into France the excellent ad ministration of American nurses. With us, those who fill the functions of sick nurses are women of very in ferior condition.. They have no medical education. They are almost the same as household servants. Here the system is admirable, and if I should happen to be ill in America, I would take one of these nurses about with me. I met here the daughter of one of my old school companions. Her family, which is of the rich bourgeoise, had money losses and the unfortunate young woman lost her husband and child one after the other. She gave hr.rself up to soothing the sufferings of others, and It is from her that I was able to learn all the workings of this magnificent method. She had to study three years before being able to practice as a nurse. Hopes Isadora Duncan Will Study, Would Isadora Duncan have the pa tience to give herself up, during three years, to studies which are wanting in Intellectuality? I hope so, because awake and intelligent as she is, she might certainly render great service in the career she has chosen. In England nurses are of a class somewhat superior to those In France. They make very serious studies In giv ing newly-born babies all the best of care, and these studies which I in vestigated on three occasions in Lon don are of deep interest to young mothers. It is a course which all young mothers should follow; it is as simple as it is absolutely necessary. All young couples cannot go to the expense of a nurse for their child. It is necessary, therefore, to prepare young mothers for a hundred little troubles which may befall their new born baby. I will do everything in order to take my friend's daughter to France, and I How to Grow Thin A YOUNG woman, very young, writes to ask me what she must do to combat stoutness. She says, "I walk a great deal and restrain my appetite. but still I get fatter, and it causes me great unhappiness." I will tell you. madam, with great pleasure, all that I know upon the sub ject. You are quite right to walk, but you must not overdo it, because it sharpens the appetite. lou must, therefore, walk less, but give yourself up, as much as possible and without sitting down, to the hundred and one little needs of your household and of yourself personally. Never Ent Bread or Soup. The first thing forbidden by the lead ing specialist is bread. Never, never eat bread; never eat soup. A grilled Beefsteak, without sauce. Is sufficient for the day. You can divide it and eat it at two meals. In the morning. for breakfast, take two glasses of water, as hot as you possibly can. You may add a few grains of gray salt to render it more agreeable to the taste. Take another glass one hour before each of your meals, and two big glasses at night before going to bed, three hours after your last meal. Choose one day a week to go all day without food, taking nothing but your hot water. If this seems too severe, take a finger's depth of red Bordeaux wine. Tvith a morsel of sugar. Take a very hot bath, remaining In it no longer than brief 15 minutes. Massage will also render you im mense service; but this is rather an expensive means, and if you are not very . well-to-do you must not try It, because one should never allow one self to be massaged except by the mest masseusses, who ask two, three and even four dollars for each treatment. But it is undeniable that a general massage all over the body by a woman who knows the right treatment, gives results which are surprising. Trying; Programme, but Good. This is a trying programme for a young woman, but if you follow my advice, I promise you that in three months you will write me a letter of thanks and that would give me great pleasure, charming madame. to turn toward Germany and cry. thanks," because it is her unqualified hatred of France which has awakened our slumbering patriotism, or at least our patriotism blunted by the weight of grief! This festival was wonderful. The country's youth vibrated with patriotic emotion. The voluntary enlistment un der the three years' law. though not yet put into force, was filled on the very same day by more than 7000 men. The municipal council, by an enor mous majority, voted for a national fes tival to be held annually in honor or Jeanne d'Arc. Around her two statues lilies were scattered, making a carpet sucn as is spread about the feet of Mary, the mother of Jesus. From all sides one saw the maidens of Paris coming down the grand ave nues, carrying flowers in their arms. Young boys with lilies of the valley in their buttonholes carried banners em broidered by women of France. During the evening the whole of Paris was il luminated and hymns in honor of the Pucelle" were sung in every place im aginable. A friend of mine, who is most intelli gent, wrote the following lines for e, which I reproduce because l tninK them beautiful: Over the whole of Paris fell r. lumin ous trail of love, which enveloped every soul. A fervent respect for the past; a juvenile ardor In those present point ed, as with a finger to the future. It was very beautiful, very Impressive. , i regretted your absence. I. too. had my heart wrung, but nev ertheless, I arranged my room in the hotel like a flowery chapel In honor of the holy child. Ah, poor little Jeanne d'Arc! So betrayed, so cruelly aban doned by King Charles VII and by the French people. Poor." sweet little peasant, so brave In the face of the enemy, so much a child among the flames of the stake. What cruel tears must have flowed from her big eyes. How much despair must have been seen" in her arms ex tended in their appeal for justice. And what an overflowing grief there must have been in her loyal soul when she heard the sentence passed by all those wretched men wearing the holy miter. If anything survives in us, what must she think? Memory of Joan of Arc I N FRANCE a national festival has been held at Paris in honor of the sweet Joan of Arc. When one thinks that it is hardly four years since a professor of the Torbonne, M. Thalamas, insulted the virgin martyr from the open pulpit be fore 3000 people When one thinks that certain mem bers of the city council ordered the removal from the pedestal of all the religious offerings that were put there with so much love and devotion by thousands of young men and young women When one thinks that Anatole France, the wonderful author, -wrote a pam phlet of absurdities against the heroic peasant maid When one reflects that all these ma ligners had their followers and that four years later the whole of France is uplifted by. the sentiment of enthuslas tic gratitude toward the young hero ine When one thinks of all this, one has makers, jewelers, the hairdressers who unplied hair or dressed it, the florists who decked the women invited and also he home of the hostess. (I was at a ball in London where 60,000 francs were spent on orchids alone. They fell in garlands from the roof to the en trance door.) Then there were the confectioners and the fruit sellers, the carpet layers. tne cabmen, etc. They all benefited. Do you think the money they go is lost ? Quite to the contrary; to a great number of people it is most welcome. it is money spent in making people i happy, and it is received joyfully. 1 think that the rich people of Ameri- ca are, for the most part, very miserly. They give scarcely anything towards etes. ell, now, two or throe multi millionaires should join together to give the people two splendid festivals every year festivals in which every one, rich and poor, could take part; festivals which would benefit com merce in every way. ith us. in France, there are some beautiful festivals, which put all the country in a state of effervesence eight days before they are held and eight days afterwards. Everybody goes to them joyfully. In France there are no multi-mil lionaires, but there are some million aires, though not many. But they are enough and they set their wits to work trying to devise how best to make the people happy. Here in New York there Is a multi millionaires theater, which does bad business, and in this fact comedy reaches its very highest pinnacle. The reason for its failure Is to be found in the avarice of its proprietors. And so their theater is closed, closed. closed It is abominable! But I shall not enlarge upon the sub ject. My Latin blood begins to boil I might say what I should not like to say Millionaires Are Miserly READ an article which surprised me, 1 In it the writer railed at the ex travagant folly of those very rich American women who spent $100,000 for a reception. I find the argument of the writer false. I detest and despise people who hoard up wealth. I quite understand that one might make millions of money, but I want to see them spend it, or at least spend a large part of it. Again, I think that when one invites friends and acquaintances to one's house, it is in order to offer them hours of Joy and beauty. Hence nothing, in my opinion, is too dear. The signer of the article says tha it is a want of good taste to parade one's riches. But no! but no! it is avarice to leave it accumulating in the banks. Just think how many people one could bring happiness to in giv ing one of those splendid festivals which are only too rare in America, Does Good All Around. In the first place, the 600 individual invited were enchanted. The dress makers and tailors of those 600 also benefited, and so did the shoemakers who made 600 pairs of shoes: the ho siers who sold stockings, the glove no longer. It was the same as in yout husband's case, only he did not beat her. That might have been, however, because he was indifferent. And per haps, madame, your husband still has some affection for you. Only you your self can Judge. I advise you to get a divorce without making a noise about it; without scan- -dal and dragging confidences to light which make divorce proceedings ler sons in immorality. Advises Getting Divorce Sees Auto Kill andMaim R "VlON DIEU. MADAME, your letter I I embarrasses me very" much. You ask me If you should get a divorce. Your husband is 20 years younger than yourself. He Is unfaithful to you and you say he beats ycu. I think you must be gentle and good. But permit me to say that I think you are a little silly. As your husband Is 20 years younger than you I conclude that you are 45 or 30. This age, which ought to be the age of reason, seems to be the age of folly with you. If he is false to you you must ex pect it. madame. The difference of age - gives him a certatn right, which he abuses. It would seem. That is not his greatest fault. In my opinion. But he beats you. And you ask if you should get a divorce. For my part. I could never under stand how a man could ever beat his wife asecond time. If my husband had ever raised his hand against me I would have broken everything that came to hand upon his head. But as you are a peaceable creature, you could never have recourse to the same means as I would. Thus I advise you to get a divorce. And that as soon as possible. At least do not do as Lady Churchill did, who applied to the judge to oblige her husband to share her apartment, which he had deserted for some time. I do not counsel you to proceed in this way. . Although nothing to me, it seems to be more absurd than the legal request of Lady Churchill. What can you possibly expect by it but ridicule? Her husband loved her. He loves her EALLi , in New lork the automo biles have a mania for going at high speed. Within the last five days I have wit nessed two frightful accidents and was the victim of an accident which was. very fortunately, merely stupid, not harmful. But I am becoming really nerve-shaken by this odious mania for speed. It Is much more dangerous in places where modern inventions all around are ringing bells which add to the clamor of traffic. , At the junction of Thirty-sixth street the elevated railway passes with a ter rific thunder, whilst immediately be neath it two tramcars come along from opposite directions, sounding their bells to warn the automobiles, which, cross the line blowing their horns. The crowd, as it surges along to the' station, contributed still further to the infernal noise at that point. There are policemen there, but they are insuffi cient In numbers. Yesterday I returned to my hotel and was ranged behind other carriages be neath that abominable elevated rail way. A group of children played In the middle of the street not far from me. ' "But send away those children." I cried ,to the policeman. He raised his brows and, turning his back to me, he lifted his staff to stop an auto wagr. But its driver tried in vain to stop the machine and it ran into the group of children. Ah. the cries of those poor little souls! Three of them fell to the ground. One child. 12 years old, had its head mashed and died on the spot. A little girl, S years old, had both her legs crushed and one little thing of 6 years fell under the wagon. By a veritable miracle this child sustained absolutely no injury. But the spectacle haunts me always. I bear the cries of those children in my ears at all times. A sec. ond before an auto just missed being cut In. two by the tramcar. Really, the autos should be foridden to go at suon speed in cities. Two days befcre this accident my carriage pulled up to allow the chief of the Are department to pass in his mo tor as he rushed to a fire. An unfortu nate woman had not the time to get out of the way and was thrown into the air like a shuttle-cock and fell to tha ground some meters away. But the chauffeur of the fire department has no right. It seems, to stop, and the auto crushed her poor body. No, no, I think humanity should be the first principle In great nations, and young America should, more than any other country, show that it is merc ful. When she came Into being all ttirt arms used by civilization were put into her hands. She had not to fight. She should, therefore, practice love In all things. She puts too much stress upon "Each one for himself. God for us all." A maxim such as that begets indif ference, followed by cruelty. The American people, which is the happiest, the richest among nations, should take this motto: "Everyone for his neighbor." NEW EMBROIDERY DESIGNS FOR PRETTY BLOUSE AND SKIRT These designs for biouse and skirt are quite easy to work and very effective. Detail drawings show methods of working. There are two ways to apply the designs to the material upon which you wish to work them. If your material is sheer such as hand kerchief linen, lawn, batiste, and the like the simplest method is to lay the material over the design and with a well pointed pen cil draw over each line. If your material is heavy secure a piece of transfer or impression paper, lay it face down upon this, then draw over each line of the paper design with a hard pencil or the point of a steel knitting needle. Upon lifting the pattern and the transfer paper you will find a neat and accurate impression of the design upon your material. There are two points to observe in this simple process if you would execute it satis factorily. One is to see that your material Is level cut and folded by a thread and that your design is placed upon it evenly at every point. , The second is. when placed accurately se cure the design to the material with thumb tacks or pins so it cannot slip during the operation. Do not rest your hand or fingers upon any part of the design you are transferring, else the print of your finger will be as distinct upon the material as the drawn lines of the design. O n o o o o Qp o OUTLINE , EYCLCT, SATIN AND SUTTON -HOLE STlTCH&S yf , i I . ! 1 1 . -"' . o O CQp o ! S f CU - :A TiU Skirt Desf&h