TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 27, 1916.
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GRANTED you are an average wom
an, with an average -woman's In
come, and you suddenly fell heir
to an income of 14000 a week. Do you
think you would be just about 4000
times happier than you are now? Would
you spend a day or two dreaming
dreams of foreign travel, luxurious
wardrobes, a .garage stocked from
limousine to runabout all the while
visualizing yourself as the central fig
tire and the happiest person in the
world, with nothing to do but spend
your money and saturate yourself
with the joys which money can buy?
Well, if you apply a reasonable
amount of your own common sense and
at the same time give an ear to the
words of one who knows what It Is to
have $4000 a week to spend, you'll
epend no more than a day or two day
dreaming. Then you'll pick up your
work where you left off and send up
prayers of gratitude that you have been
bountifully suplied with the greatest
health and happiness blessing in the
iworld work.
"Money has nothing whatever to do
'with happiness," says Miss Blllie
Burke, whose services as movie star
are rewarded every week with $4000 of
peal money.
'"Work a definite and fixed occupa
tionis the only thing that keeps a
woman young, keeps her happy and
keeps her beautiful" she continued.
Money, with nothing definite to do, is
the deadliest disease In the world."
Though you and I, beloved reader,
might be perfectly willing to become
Infected to the extent of a thousand or
two now and then, the fact that Miss
Billie Burke, who owns a fairyland
country home, a town house, and money
enough in which and with which to
while away day after day if she so
chose, finds more joy in work than out
of jt well, it behooves us to remain
contented with our jobs and to view
them In a "bluebird" frame of mind,
don't you think?
I want to say right here that If the
youthfulness of Miss Burke's figure
and face indicates the value of keeping
occupied, let us pray for more work!
For she Is nothing if not youth(ul
looking. She says she has "left her
teens behind her. But you couldn't
prove it by looking at her.
"Of course, you don't believe in all
work and no play." I protested, the
proverbial "all work dullness" being
shoulders and that there was Joy In
life, after alL"
Miss Burke's dressing-room at the
studio Impressed me. In other hands,
or with one whose work meant less to
her than does Miss Burke's, it might
have remained an uninteresting speci
men of a room in an office building,
with its cold background of tan walls
and its equally colorless floor cover
ing. But the garnishings of gay chintz,
as applied by the little movie star, the
pillowed chaise longue, the dainty
dressing-table accessories, and a huge
bowl of soft pink roses transformed
the room into enticing arms for a tired
little redhead to snuggle into after
hours of strenuous work before the
camera.
Not expensive was this charming ef
fect quite the contrary! But O, such a
nice, cheery place to run to if you felt
the blues were after you!
Perhaps this is why Miss Burke looks
as if she never had met that unpop
ular gentleman, Mr. Blues. But, of
course, she has! No one who amounted
to anything ever grew up without a
visit or two, at least,, from him. But
she certainly knows how to hang out
the unwelcome sign on him and how
to keep him from planting any little
lines on her pretty face by surround
ing herself with sunshiny, happy
colors.
Throughout her entire lovely coun
try home in Westchester, 30 miles away
from the noise and hurry of New York,
in which I spent a happy evening with
her and her mother and her charming
little ward, the thing which made me
feel most as if I were on a childhood
jaunt through fairyland was the de
lightful color scheme. The fairy prin
cess, who was my hostess, of course,
made more complete the illusion with
her own lovely coloring.
Up an Ivory tinted winding staircase,
carpeted in pearl gray velvet, my host
ess led me, on my arrival, to the "room
of honor" at the head of the stairs,
where she introduced me to her dear
mother. Of the devotion between
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ko noticeably absent from her makeup.
"Oh, no, indeed!" she replied. "I have
y playtime. I hope I shall never get
so tangled up with work that I will
not have time to play. Otherwise I will
not be able to work well.".
Then she told me just how she spends
her playtime. But of this I shall tell
you In a later story. In the meantime
I want to tell you of the thing that
impressed me more forcibly about Miss
Burke than even her glorious sunktssed
hair, her exquisite daintiness, her ador
able smile, or any other of her charms.
And in it there is a beauty philosophy
which so many, many women fail to
realize.
It is the influence of warm, "sun
shiny" color, which I shall always as
sociate with her. In her studio and in
her home there is that tonic-giving,
warming, sunshiny color scheme which
Tarely fails to reflect its influence gen
erously in one who surrounds herself
with it.
"Dull, ugly colors affect me terribly,"
Miss Burke said. "I remember a season
or two ago on the road I was assigned
to an ugly room ip what was supposed
to be the best hotel in the town in
which I was playing. Never have I
seen such ugly, drab paper and fur
nishings so consistently depressing. I
stood it for a couple of days because
no other room was available. When I
changed to a cheerier room I felt' as
though the great load had rolled off my.
mother and daughter It was not my
Intention to speak, except to say that
It made Miss Blllie Burke a much
lovelier little lady, in my eyes, so gen
uinely kind and tender was she to her
mother. And the mother well, she
called my attention to the pictures on
the walls of her room. Upon every
available inch of space hung a picture
of '"Billie," from when she was a very
teeny-weeny little "Billie" to her most
recent photograph. There must have
been 100 of them, at least. "I wouldn't
have any but her pictures in my room,"
the mother said most affectionately.
Then, down a long, winding hallway
one of those fascinating hallways
where all of a sudden you go down a
couple of steps and then in another
all of a sudden you go up a couple of
steps again where the walls were
covered with etchings and autographed
photographs and water colors, my
charming hostess led me to her own
private boudoir, off of which opened
her bedroom and bathroom. ,
Two adorable, little, white woolly
dogs were carrying on a heated argu
ment when we went in. One of them.
Ziggy, by name, was being chastised
by the French maid for his soiled face
and soiled coat. The other one prob
ably was acting as Interpreter. They
stayed long enough to get a little fur
ther chastisement and a couple of gen
erous hugs from Miss Burke, and away
they ran, presumably to "wash up."
The quintescence of daintiness and
ravishing color was this boudoir. Again
a bowl of lovely roses played a lead
ing role in cheering color. It stood
upon the baby grand piano, over which
was thrown a rug of delicate shades.
Of softest peach pink satin were the
draperies and the window seat and the
pillows banking it. The same tone ot
pink, combined with rich creams, was
repeated in the Oriental rugs; and
again this color appeared in the little
French sewing basket and tete cover
ings and in the dress of the statuesque
Mme. Pompadour, whose duty ' it was
to hide the telephone under her ample
skirts. In the fireplace of Ivory wood,
a fire burned brightly, and on the
mantel over it were two exquisitely
wrought gold leaf bric-a-brac and a
clock. Across the room was a high,
triple mirrored dressing table, with
soft pink curtained glass doors, and a
writing desk of the same ivory tinted
wood, above which a long" quill pen
rose brilliantly. A fireside chair, cov
ered in daintiest chintz, and reproduc
tions of favorite art pictures completed
this exquisitely lovely room.
In the bedroom just off the same
peach satin was again repeated in the
large bay window, and in the half can
opied bed draperies, and in the lining
for the gorgeous lace bedspread, and
behind the glass doors of the clothes
cabinet, which ran the full length of
the room and; which was ' surmounted
by a mantel covered with photos of in
teresting celebrities.
"It would be rather hard," I thought
to myself, "to open your eyes on such
a pretty scene- and not begin the day
right"
The bathroom, too, with which one
does not generally associate possibili
ties of dainty color schemes, was a
revelation, with its shower bath cur
tained. In the peach pink satin;, its
bath rugs of the same exquisite shade,
towels to match, and a row of 'glass
bottles containing every manner ot
toilet requisite, upon which were
stamped floral designs in pink.
Her own big library was just a door
away from her boudoir. Down a couple
of steps you went to reach it a softly
lighted reading lamp on a huge table,
a couple of large reading chairs by its
side and in front of a fine old fireplace,
the walls lined with books and inter
esting pictures all about an Ideal
place for you and the book you love
to be found.
Downstairs, through the spacious
hall, as you first come in, you catch a
glimpse of the great, big homey living
room to the left and the wonderfully
appointed dining-room at the end. In
both these rooms logs crackled mer
rily in their great, big, beautiful fire
places. A great pillow-laden, cushion-seated
davenport was drawn up in front of
the fire in the living-room. Instead of
being covered with the usual heavy,
dark valour or tapestry here, again,
was the philosophy of cheerful color
carried out in the imported cretonne
covering used in the 'davenport and pil
lows a black background printed in
cerise figures of variable size. The
window curtains were of the same ma
terial, and throughout the long room.
In the center left of which stood a
grand piano covered with a brilliant
Oriental rug, there was repeated here
and there this most effective color
trimming. The large Oriental rug on
the floor was toned to a tremendously
harmonious warmth of color. The big
sun parlor, which ran parallel to this
long living-room, was done in wicker
and gay chintz, with "comfy" rockers
and loungTng chairs and swing seats
and Indian rugs and artistic little
tables. ,
I wish I could have seen it in the
daytime, with the sun pouring in upon
it all. Would I be happy In it? Why.
you'd just have to be in spite of your
self. There would be no use tryni to
harbor ill-feelings of any kin Any
where in this lovely, lovely h-me of
Miss Burke's, Tfea ushine of it all
would put the taboo on them instantly, of sunshine. She doesn't theorize about
Miss Burke certainly knows the value it, however. She practices It. and her
KAISER'S GRANDSON IS STURDY YOUNGSTER
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PRINCE ALEXANDER FERDINAND, SON OK PRINCE Al'Gl ST A II. HAM
OF GERMANY, AND HIS MOTHER.
ALEXANDER FERDINAND, the son known to the outside world, was born
of' Princess of Victoria and Prince in 1013, and he is one of the healthiest
August William, the Kaiser's and rugged royal babies in Germany,
fourth son. although he comes of Since his father has gone to the front
kinsly blood, is as sturdy and as alto- Alexander's training has been put al
gether likeable a youngster as ever most wholly into the hands of the
romped in a playroom or nursery, ac- fond mother, who was. prior to her
cording to visitors who have recently marriage in 1908. the Princess Victoria
been admitted to the royal household, of Scnleswls-Uolstein. a cousin ot hur
Prince Alexander Ferdinand, as he is husband.
happy blue eyes and the merry littl
upturned corners of her mouth b
testimony to the fiirt.
Wliy Not? '
Centry.
It Is awkwnrd to be csufiht on
Fifth-avenue bus with only a B-cent
piece and a $10 bill, for neither is ac
ceptable ammunition for the shiny little
gun the conductor points at you. The
other day the writer found himself in
this predicament and was politely told
he would have to get off, and It was
not the man in front, but the young
woman on the seat behind him who
came to his rescue.
Tlease let me." she snld cheerfully.
"It's a nuisance havinir to get off!"
And the writer found hlmnelf accept
ing the altl in the same spirit he would
have met it coming from a man. To
have insisted on means of repaying It.
or to have been over-cf fulve. would
have spoiled what was a novel and
rather refreshing Incident. It was only
when the brisk young flKure in a
tailor-made suit allKhted a few blocks
farther on that he glanced over the
bus to look gratefully and admiringly
after her. He rather hoped she was for
woman suffrage, becaune somehow in
her carriage and her pleasantly Im
personal manner she seemed to typify
the cause's best Intentions. And the
only concession ho made to sex was
when he raised his hat.
The Furnnce Klre. f
Boston Daily Globe.
Consider the furnace lire. Its season
... h.irun and continues, barring ml-
untll some time next oiirinn.
i, sulks, catches cola, goes on
i. v.. without notice and is ad
dicted' to moat of the vices to whlca
flesh is heir.
It demands almost as much attention
as a smull child and Is far less grate
ful. It becomes tne ruination of many
a good smoking Jacket and many mora
poor tempers. It cases more persist
ently than a German offensive on the
western front, with an effect only
little less deadly.
In patriotic verses and tho like cltl
sens, all and sundry, are exhorted to
perish, if need be. for their altars and
their fires, or their hearths. What Is ex
actly meant is that citizens should be
willing to perish for their furnace tires.
Could anyone imaisine anklng us to
perish for anything more unworthy ot
a blow?
More likely we perish by our furnace
fires.
And perhaps find it a happy release
from the scrtdou ot Uncling them.
hap.
smokes.
sprees.