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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1913)
1 111 1 mmmmmmmmmmm " mmmmm . I. tsWsMSMiM I . , . , all , I ft I , . The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page Copyright, lilt, by ttta BUr Company. Great Britain Mt-hU Ritrv& The Battle of the Blondes ff m aw if W Hi1 mi,, i Monna Dolza the Celebrated Paris Stage Beauty in the Blonde Ranks, Who Acknowledges That Her Dress Account Alone Amounts to $40,000 a Year. Paris, March 28. NEVER in tbo history of tho gradual emancipation of women from tho form of bondage naturally Imposed by their sex have tho possibilities of beauty's ' independence in modern society re ceived such emphasis as underlies the current "Battle of tho Blondes," which centres in this world's capital of beauty. It may bo news to untraveHed Americans, but It is uone tho less a fact, that In tho other great Euro pean cities, as well as In Paris, con spicuous femlnlno beauty publicly displayed as on the stage attracts valuable tributes which may be ac cepted without any loss of self-respect. These are voluntary offerings placed on beauty's shrine as acts of porsonal homage to natural gifts which glvo pleasuro to all beholders. They bring luxury and independence to popular stage favorites, and en able the "prize beauty," during the period of her reign, to accumulate a fortunes. That Is the capital prize which the (blondes nro now struggling to wrest from tho hands of the brunettes, whoso great champion the ill-fated Lonthelme held it for so long. As Lanthelmo seemed to have no worthy successor in tho ranks of brunette beauty the blondes have entered the field with the lovely and fascinating Mile. Dorgero for their standard bearer. Standing on almost the same plane of eligibility for the capital prize are tho popular stage beauties, Mile. Monna Delza nd Mile. Dastry. But though they aro rivals for the first prize they are uniting their Influence against the brunettes, of whom Mile. Renouardt is at present the most redoubtable. If either Mile. Dorgere, Mile. Delza or Mile. Dastry should gain a signal victqry over Ml la. Renouardt, so much tho better for all tho blondes; tho brunette tradition iwould have to yield to a new regime, with tho chief honors and spoils safe for tho rarer reigning type. At tho present moment it is dirfl cult to foresee what the outcome -will be. The battlo is being proso cuted with vigor, and has separated the interested public Into two dis tinct camps. . Tho theatres where tho blonde leaders appear aro almost de serted by adherents of the brunette cause, 1 and vice versa. The two camps navo not yet resorted to such hostile measures as that of sending delegates to hiss performances by the leaders of the opposition, but it Is noticed that purchasers of photo graphs confess their allegiance la that way quite as plainly as In the choice of the theatres which they patronize the glided youth and the i .1 What Becomes of THE wonderful, figures of our fancy, the heroes and heroines of the books -we read and the pictures that delighted us in childhood, what becomes of them? Most of them lived In tho flesh and inspired the writer or artist before we read the pages or gazed at the picture. What has become of these models for the characters as familiar to us 'as the features of our mother's facet Vivian Burnett was the little boy who sat for that classlo of childhood, "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Mrs. Prances Hodgson Burnett wrote the ten der little story with her own little son In mind for the Little Lord and herself for his mother, whom he called "Dearest" What has become of this little boy beloved for bis white ruffled shlrtB, his velvet knickers, bis blue sash and, above all, his long golden curls that "Dearest" loved to twist about her rich old beaux of Paris buy photo graphs of blondes or of brunettes, rarely of both. " Tho latest of Mile. .Dorgero" 1b the demand of a well-known banker, or a fabulously rich Ruslan noble exile. to the astonishment of the--dealer, who remembers having sold him dozens of Lantholme poses. "I am desolated, -mon sleur," says tho dealer, ibut my supply of Dor gere poses is exhausted. Of new poses of Mllo. (Renouardt, however" "Au revolr, madame, but I stand with tho blondes." And out walks a good cus tomer who formerly had no such prejudices re specting the coloring of stage beauties. Tho sale of rlghtB In their photographs is a source of of 'great revenue to these beauties. But in other ways, too, tho blondes are already gain ing materially by their battle with tho 'brunettes. Respectful tributes to their beauty in tho shape of Jewels, automobiles, furs, luxuriously ap pointed apartments, tables services of monogramed silver and china and inexhaustible accounts at favorite dressmakers and milliners aro flow- slender white fingers. It Is painful to relate that there aren't enough hairs left on top of the original Llttlo Lord Fauntleroy's head to make a wilted looking curl. The cruel truth is that the one time hero Is bald. Worse than that he la that most unro mantlo of human beings, a bachelor. Little Lord Fauntleroy Is thirty-seven years old. How fast heroes grow up I He hates the character we all loved. Ho Is so tired of hear ing people say behind politely screening hands: "You'd never think of it to look at him, would youl" The crown of his hatred for the char acter was placed upon him at Harvard. It was a crown of thorns, for the Harvard students forced the young freshman to put on Little Lord Fauntleroy clothes and march around the campus in what he rudely termed "the blanked duds." But when Little Lord Fauntleroy grew up he didn't grow very far. Like "Dearest," Ms II W1 8 Hi It- AH Ms 'v Mile Dorgere, Photographed as She Appeared at an Afternoon Reception. Her Pearl Necklace Is Said to Have Cost $8,000. dng In the direction of blonde beau ties who never before received moro than a diamond brooch in a bouquet. No male resident of or visitor to Paris can occupy a position too exalted to bar him from worship at Childhood's Idols mnlhrtf. fin r5 S8 mi mi o'eauty'a shrine. Royal princes, oven: kings, on the contrary, have seemed to consider it especially incumbent upon them to be the chief payers of tribute. Miserly as he was, the late King of Belgium heaped favors upon most of the prominent stago beauties of his time. It will be remembered how King Manuel of Portugal en tered into rivalry with Alfonzo of Spain in rendering luxurious the life of Mile. Monna Delza, and remained a victor on that field until the rising fame of Gaby Deslys lured hlra and his valuable favors in that direction. Referring to Monna Delza, an ex amplo of tho profit of being an acknowledged stage beauty is found in her recently published statement, with details drawn from her own experience, that It Js impossible for a fashionable woman to dress on an allowance of less than $40,000 a year. This Is exclusive of Jewels and the la nnna Irinrnhlr Iprb than medium height Mrs. Burnett, now sixty, lives In a country home at Plandome Park, Long Island, surrounded by gardenB of blue flowers. Her mood matches the flowers, for she Is heartily homesick for England, which Is another dlsapr polntment for while the real "Dearest" was an American, the Actional ono Is an English woman, and one Is as sick of hor exile as an other. "Dearest," you remember, waB slender. Mrs. Burnett Isn't. You will have to go to Newark to see the child who Inspired "Helen'B Babies." The original of the tricksy elves who harrassed their relatives Is a sedate young woman who earns her living by lecturing to the women em ployes of a large department store. Faith Habberton, daughter of John Habberton, the author of "Helen's Babies," lives with bor parents at Westfleld, N. J, Mr. Habberton till lives but his health Is precarious. sap Mile. Dorgere, Ac knowledged Leader of the "Battlo of tlio Blonde" to Wrest the Rich Tributes Mo Beauty, Which the Paris Beaux and Gilded Youth So Willingly Pay, from the Brunettes, Who Have for So Long Had the Lion's Share. She Is Pho tographed in One of Her Most Fasci nating Stage Poses. Mile. Dastry, Another Paris Stage Beauty, Who Is a Standard Bearer for the Blondes. many other expenses of a reigning beauty. But it must not be supposed that the generous individuals who pro vide most of the means of all this luxury as a voluntary beauty trib ute receive no personal recognition in exchange. Their personal re ward comes in subtlo ways which appeal to tho pride of ovory fash lonablo Parisian. They tako their turns being seen riding or driving with her in tho Hols or In bolng tho guest of honor at iter llttlo dejeun ers and petit souplrs, or In having the entree to her afternoon recep tions and "Ave o'clocks." Better still, tho knowledge that hundreds of Frenchmen read en viously In the "causerle," or news paper gossip, how the Marquis X., tho Viscount Z., or the Banker T "waB observed yesterday at Long champs as the cavalier of Mile." A., B. or C, the real namo of tho beauty in question helne printed "Stand Aside Brunettes! It's Our Turn Now!" The Battle Cry in the Unique War Now Being Waged in Paris Which Has Revealed the Enormous Fortunes Showered Yearly Upon the Gay French Capital's Acknowledged Queens of Beauty LssLhT' jLiJislsBsHsSK5sl! A French Cartoon Symbolizing the Respectful but Valuable Tri butes Which Are Showered Upon the Reigning Stage Beauties. and hor costume described in "de tail. As for the capital prizo for which the blondes are bat - tllng, It means retirement, eventually, on tho Income of a fortuno greater than that df many a royal prlncoss. In jowcls, equipages, houses and lands, furnishings, art objects and accounts at the dress maker's and milliner's It may amount to anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 a year. ONE YEAR'S TRIBUTES TO ONE BEAUTY 1 Pearl necklace $9,000 Diamonds, rubles and emeralds, sot in rings' 4,500 Brooches, bracelots, etc 1,000 1 Limousine automobile 3,000 1 Touring car 5,000 1 Electric runabout ... 600 1 Silver table service... 2,000 Wine cellar stocked . . . 5,000 Dressmaker's account . 80,000 Milliner's account .... 8,000 Lingerie r.ccount 2,000 Furs 20,000 Miscellaneous gifts .... 2,000 Total $92,000 After a reign lasting four years, this particular beauty a typical case among at least a score converted most of her Jewels Into cash and re tired to her own chateau, not fifty miles from Paris, with an income of 100,000 francs $20,000. Victory for the blondes may mean an era of even greater prosperity for publicly recognized ooauty. Science declares that the blonde typo will continue to grow more and more rare, for the reason that It can porslBt through generations only In cold and cloudy climates, which mitigate pigmentation pro duced by the sun's rays. More and more humanity flocks to tho great cities, and nearly all of these are in comparatively warm and sunny climes, favorable to tho production of the brunette typo. All of which adds to the Impor tant of the present struggle for recognized supremacy of blonde beauty. "Vivo la Blondel" cries one Par la camp. "Vive la other camp. Brunette!" cries the There 1b no chance of Its being a Mrawn battlo." That would be con trary to tho Parisian temperament But which side will win whethor the blonde or tho brunette cham pion will carry off the grand prize as yet remains In doubt