Feminine Loveliness

At a recent dinner at wliieh several diplomats wcre present the cver-fertile subject of beautiful vromen caine up, and as usual evoked niany commenta, criticisms, and of ]:it beauties as compared with the belles of the present day, saya a writer in the New York Tribune. 'Who is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen?" Tras asked of the ministerio , who has gfrown gray in the service and had lived in i larg-e town in Europe. "tJiMjnestionably the empresa of Austria," he replied, without a moment's hesitation. "Of conrse I speak of the time when she was younger and happier than she is now. I remember wel] the first time I saw her. Wc were all assembled in a largv salon of the palace when some heavy vclvot portieres wcre suddenly drawn back and she appeared, by her ladics. lt was like a veritable fairy scène. I suppose I was young1 and foolish and impressionable, but - what a visión of loveliness I thought her! She was dressed in violet, with somethinjigllstening- all over lt, and I took it all in at a glance - her reg-al figure and carriape, her maffnifloent eyes and the siiperb coronet of hair whieh she wore plaited as one seea eren now in her pictures. She spoke most graciously to me, a yonngster, and it was then and there that 1 became her slave and s'iall be till I die!" "Well," said one of his listeners, "I never saw the empress of Austria, but I have a picture in my mind that I would not like to lose. My beauty was a Brazilian who had lived in l'aris most of her life. She was too perfect in looks to require any wits. I suppose, for I must confess she was rather stupid: but it suited her style to be apathetic and indifferent. One evenmr my angel was a cigarette and a spark feil on her light muslin gown. Khe only said: 'Look, mon ami, dress is on Cre; pray put me out.' and I really feit frrateful to her for not up and as most women would, thus shatteringmy ideal of the absolute calm and ! fulness of her g-rea beautj'."