beautiful
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kT la more important for a woman to pos-
Sft a beautiful figure tlian to have a bcau
tiful face. This Is the rnnst npiis of opiniein
among the stage beauties of Paris, as ex
pressed in a symposium held by a leading
French periodical for wnm n.
Such a statement from such a source
ha peculiar Interest. Nowhere In the
world are to be found closer stueb nts of the art of femi
nine beauty than among the actresses of France, who are
expected to please the public by transcendent personal
charm, as well ns to Impress it by the superior quality of
their dramatic talent. Besides, it Is the Frenih woman's
superb figure, and the Importance it holds In her elaborate
and finished coquetry, that (five to the brilliant avenues
of Paris that distinction of elegance and charm which
makes this city an unchallenged leader in fashion and the
delicate artifices of the toilet.
Fine Figure is Rarely Found. '
"There is no doubt that a beautiful face Is more com
mon than a beautiful figure, and may, on tills account,
be considered more generally pleasing," Said Cle'-o de
Merod6, the actress. " A really tine figure is rare Indeed,
and should therefore be highly prized. It has this ines
timable advantage over beauty of face;lt Is easier to pre
serve Its youthful lines. By observing due care In exer
cise and ulet, one may retain a rnundi d slenderness of
form long after It Is necessary to burnish up one's faded
locks with dye. ami freshen up one's tired skin with ar
tificial bloom. For the woman who would retain her
queendom past the springtime and the early summer of
"The figure Is by all nvans more Important." asserted
DorgPre, who Is saluted by admiring Paris for the child
like freshne ss of her bewitching face, as well as for the
grace of her exquisitely modeled form. " A woman's
figure expresses her personality so completely." she
claimed. "Is she aristocratic, distinguished, elegant; It
Is written on every outline of hi r figure. In the pols- of
her head, the turn of her shoulder. It Is cxpn ssed In
every motion, every gesture that she makes. You do not
need to see a woman's face to read her character. You
have only to study her back."
life a
face."
handsome figure Is more desirable than a lovely
V
4
Either is Gift of the Gods.
" Beauty of either face or figure is a gift of the gods,"
said Suzanne Avrie. "The woman who has both Is ex
ceptional, but she does exist, and wnen you behold her
you find that you cannot decide which of these great
attractions of hers you prefer or, to put it more accurate
ly, with which one you could more readily dispense. Shut
out the face from view, and you regret Its absence. Shut
out the figure, and the face, however fair, does not fully
compensate. And so, when you see a woman who has
only one of these charms you experience a sense of In
completeness. You long for the absolute perfection which
the beauty which Is present inevitably suggests. Yet,
of the two attractions named, beauty of figure la for the
actress more Important, for it Is easily possible. If In r
features are passably good, for her to create an illusion
of facial beauty. Many means are at her command to
brighti n her eyes, ndd luster to her hair, fredu-n her
complexion, and give to her countenance a pleasing ex
pression. But the figure Is more difficult to change,
though it may be improved through the dressmaker's
skill, and attention to Delsarte. It cannot be made,
however, to give an appearance of perfection If nature
did not originally so Intend."
. J
Kara Praises Grace of Figure.
" I regard grace of figure as the spirit of coquetry,"
affirmed Kara enthusiastically, '"of that coquetry which
marks the woman of Paris as different from all other
women, which gives her that. Indefinable air of a princess,
which Is the secret of her surpassing elegance, and of her
magnificent distinction of bearing. It Is the French
woman's fine figure which has enabled her to develop
dress Into an art, giving It power truly to embellish
beauty."
" O, the figure, by all means the figure," declarec"
Mine. Yahne. 'A pretty face is only one detail In the
picture. A head that Is well shaped, and well s i i
more distinctive; but a graceful, sinuous body, tap.ihlc
of eloquence In the expression of emotion. Is all that one
really needs to make a notable npjnaranv. and to hold
an audience spellbound beneath an overwhelming sense
of the actor's charm."
"The figure, by all means the figure." echoed Roggers.
and De Toh do did not hesitate to agree that a line figure
was a richer fortune to its possessor than a pretty face,
nor did Aldercron whose faultlessly regular profile Is
cameollke In its chiseled falrness--fatl to vote in the af
firmative. .1
Grecian Costume Beauty's Aid.
Pe Vfre had something Interesting to say about the
classic costumes of ancient Greece, which of all styles
of raiment she believes to be the one most becoming to
perfect feminine beauty. " It Is at once the simplest, and
the most beautiful." she declares. " Indeed, It Is poetry
Itself, and poetizes the human form which It adorns, mak
ing it truly divine. The play of light and shade upon Its
pure white folds give s all the ffect of color to the senses.
It suits all ages, whither Its wearer is as girlish and
youthful as a Daphne or a Psyche, or if she has the
ampler proportions of Venus, of Juno, of Melpomene.
Of course, t he mole;n figure differs from that of an
cient models." she admits. " In general It is smaller, and
more feminine. It Is slender, devoid of angle, exquisite
ly symmetrical. It hardly suggests that there Is a frame
work underneath. It Is so round, and molded with such
delicate variation of line. But the Oreek garb becomes
It well, and gives It that freedom which Is essential for
elo4uent expression of the soul within."
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