THE LADIES’ WORLD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2585, 20 August 1909, Page 7

THE LADIES’ WORLD.

A PRIMA DONNA INTERVIEWED.

MLLE. ALICE VERLET. Among the many notable musical visitors to London just now, says the "Daily Chronicle,” is Mile. Alice Verlet, the prima donna from the Paris Opera, who is giving recitals at Queen’s Hall. In conversation Mile. Verlet explained that she had come here for a rest, and not professionally. "I have worked so hard during the past twelve months that I feel I have earned a holiday. That is why I am enjoying myself in London by singing at occasional concerts, a blissful occupation for a prima donna, who, when she is fulfilling an operatic engagement, is worried from morning till night with matters of which the public know little and care less. "During my brief career my, experiences have been somewhat varied. In one of my early appearances in ‘Traviata,’ I was acting so seriously that I felt in the last act as If I were really dying. I was so ill when the curtain fell' that I could not take my call, and a doctor had to be summoned. This was crarying realism a little too far, and now I am more restrained in my dramatic moments. "One of my worst experiences happened at the opera in Paris. 1 noticed while I was singing and laughing that the spectators were smiling and laughing, and, not understanding the reason for this, I continued my aria.; I had nearly finished it when I felt my skirt slipping down. Happily I did not lose my nerve. Continuing my work, I pulled up the . garment with my left hand, and held it in position until I had finished. “In a performance of ‘The Hugenots’. I was mounted on a horse to ride across the stage. I thought: I was right on bis back, but the man who was responsible for seeing to the saddle, had not fastened it securely. When the stately Queen was riding before the audience she fell plump upon the stage. That meant eight weeks; in bed for me! "On a tour a prima donna has to put up with all-kinds of discomforts. I particularly recall a visit to —Hero we were giving a concert. The man supposed to be in charge of our trunks forgot to see them out of the train, with the result that they went on ill the express, and there was no possibility of getting them that night. But nob wishing to appear in our travelling attire we hustled round to the biggest private houses in the city, and succeeded in borrowing garments, which, though suitable for this ‘grand entertainment,’ did not suit our figures ! An elderly lady generously lent me a black frock, which made me look three times my age. Another member of the company, a tall, thin girl, was supplied with a very thin dress, the bagginess of which we attempted to conceal by using towels as stuffing. Tho next day the manager said wo had not worn proper clothing, and audaciously endeavored to deduct money from our salaries. How we forcibly explained

to him that he had engaged us for our voices and not for our attire need not be related. But we were not finod. “Am I still Mademoiselle? Yes, and so long as I am a professional singer 1 shall remain single.”

HAIR ORNAMENTS. Among the numerous decorations for the'coiffure (says a London writer), the ribbon wound bands, wnich come singly and in clusters for fillets, are both popular and becoming arrangements. Thin, wide bands set in the front, with fancy jewels, that suggest a regal coronet, are still much in use, but those that lie flat on the head, decorating the back more than the front, are the favorites. The latest vogue in smart hairdressing .is' the wide velvet ribbon strap that is fastened under the puffs and curls at the sides; sometimes it is brought over tiie top of the head, and attached with a tiny bow or fancy buckle set. with sparkling jewels. Some of the jewelled bandeaux of one, two, or more bands are arranged to fit ‘ either the front or the back of the head. Sucli ornaments are qften mado of jet, of shell, or its imitation, or of platinum set with brilliants and jewels. The woman with the fair complexion and light hair is rejoicing over the revival of jet. One thing is noticeable in all the jet now seen, and that is that it is lighter in weight and highly cut. the new muslin flowers which make so brave and uncommon a show in a hat are being elevated to .a position of great importance as ornaments for the coiffure for full-dress wear. In this connection, they twinkle with precious stones, and particularly diamonds, cast over them. in the similitude of dewdrops, and from one side falls a feather floating down on to the shoulder, or posed as if blown by a breeze across the back of the head. A VILLAINY IN PICTURES. A seventeen-ycar-old boy (says the “Ladies’ 'Home Journal”) sent a threatening letter to a wealthy man demanding that he leave £2OOO in a certain place at a specified time on pain of having his house blown up and his -life and that of his fiancee taken. The boy was arrested, and in court acknowledged his guilt and explained that the idea of sending the “hold-up” letter first occurred to him while seeing some “Black Hand” pictures at a moving picture show. The , same week a fifteen-year-old nursegirl in Chiicago stole some costly clothes from her mistress, ran away from home, and set out to seek “the knight of her heart in armour,” as, she explained, she had seen a girl do in a mowing-picture show. “Silly girl,” we say. True. But it so happens that there are thousands_ of such, not silly girls and boys, but impressionable chilren in our homes who are allowed by their parents to go to .these five and ten cent, moving-picture shows, and who accept what they see there as chapters from real life, because the actors in them are made real and have a being. Parents do not seem to realise the vicious influence of the pictures shown, in the average “mov-ing-picture show,” but it is high time that they did not permit their children to attend these shows.