The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-28 00:00:00

A SAD TRUE STORY.

" A young actress," says the Paris journal, Droit,
"who will be remembered, by the frequenters of the
theatres, on the boulevards, has just died, in a state of the
most cruel suffering and neglect, in the hospital Saint-
Louis, at the early age of twenty-five years. Beautiful,
graceful, and intelligent, Mlle. Estival had made herself
remarked at her debut in several characters of the
modern drama, and her place was already marked on a
stage of more importance than that of the Ambigu-
Comique, when a singular circumstance, which had the
most fatal influence on her future fate, induced her to
leave Paris and to contract an engagement with the
director of the French theatre in London. A young
man, calling himself the Comte Gustave de Boncourt,
wearing the decoration of the Legion of Honour, and
living in great style at No. 11, in the Rue du Fauborg
Poissoniere, where he gave himself out as Garde-Ge-
neral des Forets, procured an introduction to the young
actress, and made her considerable presents. This
young man, whose luxurious style of living, whose
horses, carrriages, and prodigality had promptly seduced
the young actress, this pretended Comte Gustave de
Boncourt, was no other than a man named Henri
Journet, who had been previously condemned to five
years' confinement in irons for forgery ; had been alter-
nately a sub-officer in a regiment of cavalry, then a
domestic servant ; and who, while in this position, had
robbed his master and mistress, M. and Mme. Champy
de Boizeraud, who lived in the Rue de Bautne, of
50,000 f. in notes, I,Boof. in cash, and a considerable
quantity of jewels, shawls, plate, &c. In 1836 Journet
was condemned, by the Court of Assizes of Paris, to
twenty years' hard labour at the hulks. Mlle. Estival
was summoned to appear as a witness in this case ; but
it appeared, according to the indictment, that she had
received the greater portion of the stolen jewels, to-
gether with a considerable sum of money, without,
however, being able to suspect from what source they
had been derived ; and that, in order to avoid appearing
in court, she had set off for England. Since that time
she had not returned to France ' • but a few months ago,
her health being exhausted by late hours, by excesses,
and perhaps moved by regret, she found herself in so
deplorable a condition, that the medical men, recom-
mended her, as a last resource, to return and breathe
her native air. She came back to Paris, but here she
found every thing changed as much as herself. A prey
to incessant suffering from a disease of the chest, she
exhausted her last resources, and soon found herself re-
duced to the necessity of soliciting admission into the
hospital St. Louis, where, however, she entered under a
false name. For four months Mile. Estival waited for
death ; calm, resigned, uttering not a single complaint,
indulging in no regret, and obstinately refusing to so-
r licit favours from any one, or to call to her bedside any
of those who had known her in the height of her beauty
and her fortune. On Thursday last, however, when she
found herself at the last point of her incurable malady,
and perceived that she had only a short time to live,
she yielded to the solicitations of one of the religious
sisters, who watch by the bedside of the dying. She
pronounced the name of a person, from whom she had in
former days received not merely favours, but proofs of
sincere affection. A few minutes afterwards an express,
sent off to the Vicomte de -, announced to him the
approach of the last hour of the young woman, in whose
future fate he had once taken so warm an interest, but
who had disappointed his intentions. He immediately
went to the hospital St. Louis. On his arrival a smile
played on the pale lips of the dying girl, a ray of glad-
ness sparkled in her eyes. With a grateful voice she
thanked him, asked his pardon for the past, and said that
she should die satisfied and resigned, since he had not
repelled her memory from his mind. In another hour
the young girl, once so brilliant ; the actress, once so
applauded—died in the asylum opened for indigence by
the hand of pity—a terrible lesson !"

EXTRAORDINARY SURGICAL OPERATION.—That
splendid specimen, the Royal tigress, had been suffering severely
in consequenee of one of her fore claws having grown in a circular
direction, and penetrated deeply into the flesh of the foot, produc-
ing suppuration and lameness in such an increasing degree as
called far some prompt remedial measure. The superintending
director accordingly got a large and powerful pair of cutting forceps
made, with which he made several unsuccessful attempts for the ex-
cision of the claw—the operation having failed in consequence of the
remarkable hardness of the claw, and the difficulty of getting the
foot so conveniently placed as to enable the operator to get a firm
hold and purchase with the instrument. He then got a strong iron
hook made under his directions, having a long handle, and the in-
side circle of the hook sharpened. Watching his opportunity,
when the tigress lay with her paw near to the outside of her den,
the hook was dexterously and quickly inserted into the offending
member, and whilst two men held on the tigress exerted her own
mighty strength, and thus, unwillingly, aided the ingenious and
benevolent plan contrived for her relief. The pain must have been
great, and her roarings were terrific, but the relief from the ex.
traction of the claw was almost instantaneous, and in the course of
a day or two the foot will be quite sound.—Caledonian Mercury.
The Corresponsal states, from Manilla, that a revolt
had broken out on some point of the Philippine Islands—it does
nit say which—under the following circumstances :—An adven-
turer, pretending to have a celestial mission, and to have made his
appearance !or the purpose of marrying a native Princess, had
gathered round him a number of partisans, and set the forces who
were sent against him at defiance. The officer in command, after
having attemptedin vain to bring this madman to reason, attacked
the point in which the insurgents had entrenched shemselves, and
carried it after a vigorous resistance, killing some of the rebels, and
hiking others with their chief prisoners.
FRENCH AND BELGIAN PIRACIES OF ENGLISH
Wouts.—The attention of the Legislature and of the Govern-
ment is loudly called to the subject of foreign invasion of British
Copyright, which is daily increasing to a most serious extent. To
take the most recent instance :—Mr. Warren's Tale of " Ten
Thousand a-Year," after having been first published, during nearly
two years, in Blackwood's Magazine, was thoroughly revised, and
in many parts entirely re-written, by the author ; and though
three times the length of Sir Walter Scott's " Waverley," was
published, about Christmas last, in three vols., post Bro., closely
printed, price It. I Is. 6d., at a considerable sacrifice. It has hail
a very large sale, but has had to encounter a serious obstacle in the
French and Belgian editions, in the English language, published at
Brussels, and by Galignani, at Paris, which have been poured into
this country to an extent of many thousands ofcopies, in two thick
12m°. vols., sold for four or five shillings. These are all mere re.
prints from the retires of Blackwood's Magazine, and one moment's
comparison of them with the authentic English separate editions
will demonstrate the injury thus done, not only to the author and
publisher's pecuniary interests, but to the literary reputation of the
former, and to the British public, on whom is palmed oft' a vastly
inferior edition of a very celebrated and successful work. To such
an extent is this carried, that we positively know of circulating
libraries and private book.clubs, both in town and country, to say
nothing of great numbers of private persons, to whom these foreign
editions have been disposed of easily, and as a matter of course.—
We understand that the attention of Parliament is to be speedily
called to this subject, with a view to either altering the law, or at
least securing a rigid enforcement of the existing law. It is well
known that Mr. Murray suffered to a tremendous extent by the
French editions of Lord Byron's works surreptitiously introduced
into this country. Our French and other foreign friends forget
that they have nothing, as our publishers have, to pay to the author!
—The Publisher's Circular.
TORY LAMENT.—We have this day to present to
our readers a choice sample of popular ebullition, as exhibited at
the municipal fabric of this city. Who ever dreamed that a "com.
mon hall," convened by the Mayor of this loyal city, should have
determined on forcing the attention of our rulers to the" points"
of the Charter—involving universal suffrage, a total disregard of
the rights of property, and the adoption of a sneaking and un.Eng.
lish mode of suffrage. Verily, these are among the signs of the
times. We have not leisure at present to analyze and compare the
curious " flights of fancy" indulged in by the principal performers
in the scene, the meeting not having terminated till three o'clock.
—Worcester Journal.
A few evenings ago the dwarf, Matthew Gullia,
who is the great attraction at one of the cafes in Lyons, being at
a masked ball at the theatre in disguise, where he bad the appear-
ance of a child, a person, who knew him, took the liberty of tear.
ing off his mask. The dwarf, justly indignant at this piece of
insolence, and possessing plenty of courage, although with so
diminutive a form, instantly challenged the aggressor to fight a
duel, and it was with great difficulty that the Commissory of Police,
who interfered, could restore his mind to a state of calm.
THE PRICE OF BREAD IN GLASGOW.—Our atten-
tion has been called to this subject, and we must say that we
think there is something in it which requires at least an expla-
nation. The price of the 41b. loaf, it seems, has been 10d,
for many months past in this city, and nothing less, whilst in
other places it has been selling for some time at 9d., and even
as low ai Bd. On looking over our file, we find that of late the
price of bread in Perth has been as follows :-41b. loaf fine Bd.,
second ditto 7d. ; Society's fine 7d., second ditto 6d. In
Paisley, Edinburgh, Dumfries, &c., 41b. fine loaf 9d. From
the Caledonian Mercury, of 12th February, we learn likewise
that in Cupar of Fife the price of the 41b. loaf, as in Perth, is
only Bd. This is certainly an extraordinary difference, and
we have no doubt but the public must be satisfied as to the
cause of it.— Glasgow Saturday Post.
Monday week Lord Pantnure formally made over
to the new Mechanics' Institution, Brechin, the handsome
apartments which he had erected for its use, together with
the fine collection of paintings which decorate the hall. His
Lordship at the same time handed to the President and Vice-
President a check for 1,0001., to be vested in Trustees for
behoof of the Institution. Thus, by the enlightened liberality
of this Nobleman, the youth of Brechin have been provided
with elegant schools and the mechanics with a splendid hall,
and the means of obtaining instruction in useful knowledge and
rational amusement in all time coming.—Aberdeen Herald.
A DISTRESSING CASE.—Tuesday afternoon, about
three o'clock, the feelings of the people passing along the High-
street were excited in no ordinary degree, with deep sympathy
and pity, for a poor woinah;who was wending her way in the
direction of the High Church burying-ground, with a coffin
under her arm, evidently enclosing the remains of her dead
child. She had an old tartan mantle thrown over her head,
and with the skirt she was endeavouring to hide the sad
emblem of death. Her squalid features bore the marks of ex-
treme grief, and her legs, which were without any kindly
covering, tottered beneath the weight she was carrying. At
her side was a boy, about ten years of age, the only being ac-
companying her in the last melancholy duty of conveying her
child to the "narrow house," Altogether the scene was one
of the most soul-liarrowing description—it was sufficient to
make humanity blush. Who could think that in Britain, "on
whose dominions the sun never sets,"—that in religious Scot-
land, in Glasgow, her commercial capital, such a display ()tea-
treme destitution should be witnessed in her streets ?
This
single occurrence speaks volumes. It is, indeed, a lesson of
awful importance to our legislators; but when will they turn
wise ?—Glavov, Saturday Post.
We have before stated that the occasion of the
soden removal of the Court to Brighton was for the Improvement
of the health of the Princess Royal, We are now happy to state
that Mr. Harry Blaker, the eminent surgeon of that place, having
been called in, has lanced the gums of her Royal Highness, whi.hli has allayed the irritation, and she has since cut three tion, The
Princess's health is now much inaproved.—Obserip:,..
Miss Eliza Spiterstone, young. 4 g. lady, 19 years
461.4%. reOdipa N4"4l'l4tNet T•ortland-Place, on Wednesday
""Ple-cl "I""lie'll7,i taking laudanum and oxalic acid.
VoXhillattilr
circumstance was discovered in time to make use

stomach pump, and it is to be hoped that she will recover
from the effects of her imprudent act. Disappointed love is the

cause assigned for this attempt at self-destruction.
NEGRO WIT.—A. short time since a gentleman
driving on the road between Little River and this town, was
overtaken by a negro boy on a mule, who attempted for a long
while, without success, to make the animal pass the carriage.
At length the boy exclaimed to his beast, " I'll bet you one
jippenny I make you pass this time ;" and after a short pause,
again said, 'you bet ?—very well." The boy repeated the
blows with renewed vigour, and at last succeeded in making
him pass ; when the gentleman, who overheard the conversa-
tion between Quaco and his steed, said to him, " Well, my
boy, now you have won, how are you going to make the mule
pay you?"—" Oh, Sir," says Quaco, "make him pay me very
well ; Massa give me one tenpenny for buy him grass, and me
only buy him a fippenny-worth !"—Brighton Gazette.