The San Francisco call. [volume], March 30, 1902, Image 13

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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Pose by Miss Eby 6f the TivoLL
Con tinned on Page Fourteen.
but the blonde chestnut of our
France. She was not: in any
sense pretty; . we must not for-
hour of action that' I can see her
only, blonde; not the blonde of
the fair-haired races of the north,
get that .warlike companions,
men not overburdened with
testified that she never
heart — so much pity — I find in
her so much of womanly grace in
contrast with her decision in the
"While at work on my series of
designs I have often been asked
to describe my conception, oi
the personal appearance of Joan
of Arc. At this question I have
always seen before me a figure
which little by little has grown
more distinct until now it is as
though I saw Joan, to use her
own words, 'with the eyes of rav
body/ Of actual evidence noth
ing remains; no portrait exists,
nor has there come down to us
the smallest shred of her vest
ments, or fragment of her arms.
We know that she was tall and
well jjroporliosicd, that her phys
iognomy v.as agreeable; but all
this is vague. Some have it "thai
she was fair- other's that she was
dark. Her hair 'was, in all prob
ability, neither the one nor the
other, but of a shade between the
two, which would account for the
difference- of opinion. To me
she must have been somewhat
fair, as thus she seems more fem
inine. Judith had black hair;
Jeanne Hachctte. who from the
ramparts opposed the. enemy
with her battle-ax. was dark; but
Joan of Arc had such a tender
We have no definite record of
the personal appearance of Joan
of Arc. Necessarily she must
have had form and feature in
some way worthy of the beautiful
soul that dwelt within. No bet
ter idea can be gained of what
she must have been than the de
scription of the artist, Boutet de
Monvel, who spent years of study
upon the incidents of her life for
the purpose of depicting her ca
reer by means of his brush. He
says in the Century Magazine for
November, 1896:
If any question the right oi
this national heroine of France to
a place among" the most beauti
ful v.oir.en in history, I would
say that the claim is to spiritual
rather than physical beauty
Thus the term is 'used in a far
higher and nobler sense " than
when applied to such as Cleo
patra. What beauty could be
more worthy of reverence 1 and
worship than the loveliness of the
simple, sincere, courageous soul
that inspired armies to success
and rescued France from de
spair?
The life of Joan of Arc has a
lesson for our age — in fact for
every nation and for all time. It
is not set forth in simple'terms,
and the world has been slow to
understand its meaning. It is
given iii a parable — rather' it is
contained in miracles. The
achievements of Joan of Arc
were so wonderful.- so mnacu
lous, that men have been back
ward b receiving their true im
port. Their lesson, however, is
simple when once we compre
hend the miracle. :
\'W */ **A*v meaning can the
\)A// » Ie of this child-saint
*-* and woman-warrior of
fifteenth century France have for
women of twentieth century
America? Little need has
the present world for saints
of the old-time description. Still
less is there need of women-war
riors, in our time, pledged
to peace, and in our land, filled
with brave men. It must not be \
expected that the lesson be one
of example for imitation. History
teaches by touching the soul, by
quickening the moral insight, by
an in-breathing of noble spirit.
Imitation, mere copying the past,
is futile; for conditions are ever
changing; and never repeated.
Who could rescue France from
this depth of degradation ? Who
could unite the warring faction?
against the invader? What was .
denied to princes and captains
was granted to the peasant girl
of Domremy. To save France
was the mission of Joan of Arc.
History contains nothing more
wonderful than this, and yet it
is nothing supernatural. It is as
natural as the rainfall replenish
ing the thirsty earth. France was
in , ruins through partisanship.
Only the spirit of patriotism
could rebuild and restore. Joan
of Arc was the embodiment of
that spirit. In her patriotism
was made riesh and dwelt among
Such was the condition of
France during the childhood of
Joan of Arc, born January 5,
141 2. The battle of Agincourt,
fought three years later, gave
half of France ' into the hands
of Henry V of England. In 1420
came "le traite infame" of Troves
by which the conqueror gained
the daughter of the King of
.France for his bride, the regency
and the promise of the throne
upon the King's death — and, all
this with French help against
France.
At the end- of the tenth century
France was a feudally divided land
with ten thousand separate fiefs,
and a score of great lords, any
one of them .equal to the King in
power. By the end of the thir
teenth century a long road had
been traveled toward national
unity. Private warfare had been
forbidden; uniformity of law had
been established; the authority
of the King's courts was recog
nized. Still the goal had not yet
been reached ; and a succession
of weak sovereigns and the evils
of the endless wars with the Eng
lish sent the nation far on the
backward course. Province
broke away from province. The
great Dukes sought to recover
their lost power, and upon the
ruins of France to rear the tem
ples of their own s^fish pride.
There were no Frenchmen — only
Burgundians, Armagnacs, Bret
ons, Provencaux. To such a de
gree of bitterness and hatred did
men carry their partisan strife 1
that either side was ready to wel
come the foreign invader rather
than see the success of the rival
faction.
To many the career of Joan of
Arc has seemed an inexplicable
mystery; to some,- a product ol
mere superstition. To view it
aright one must study it in rela
tion to the condition of the lime,
as one would study the work oi
Julius Caesar or of Abraham
Lincoln. What was the France
for which Joan of Arc lived, an
angel of healing, and died, a
inspired the thought of gallantry.
If not pretty, however, she had
probably the beauty of the peas
ant; a firmly, well constructed
head; her eyes were bluish gray,
not too light, for they flashed fire
at times; her nose was somewhat
heavy, but with sensitive nostrils;
and her mouth strongly marked,
with full, red lips. Her complex
ion was browned by exposure,
rich and healthy in color; her car
riage free and somewhat boyish,
for she was a girl of the fields,
free as air, and her limbs were
vigorous, and her chest was
deep. She never knew fatigue,
say the chronicles of her time."
I - -
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THE SUNDAY CALL.
13
MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN HISTORY AS LESSON FOR MODERN WOMEN