Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-11-28
III ! S C E j. l. A N Y.


The prison on St. Lazare, So called because il
STANDS on the site OF an ancient hospital for epers
contained within its walls some wears ago an inter
esling Inmate, commonly known as La FoIe DIES
losses. One morning shortly after The Restora-
ton, some laboerS, going to their work found the
body OF soldier who had apparently been assassi-
mated, and close al hand young girl who was
well known in the neighborhood. On seeing the
men approach, she attempted 10 escape /; but thew
stopped her, and, as she either could not or would
not account for her being there at that early hour
she was arrested under suspicion. On being inter
rogated, she said that she had been on the proceed
ing evening at a iete with some young companions.
where she had danced and amused herself like the
rest In tier company she had returned TO her ia
ihers house, and when they left her she had seat
ed herself on a stone bench at the door She re-
membered that the evening breeze had borne 10 her
powerful odor from the roses, that cultivated
In prolusIon In that neighborhood but what han
pened subsequently she could not tell as she recol
iecled nothing further, could conceive how she
came To be found the dead soldier Under
these circumstances, Marie NJ was commit
ted TO st. LaZare but her confinement was short
II being soon asceTialned that The soldier had been
Killed by one OF his comrades in a drunken fray-
he prisoner was free, but public curiosity remain
ed unsallsfied nobody could make out how she be-
came mixed up with the affair at all. and manv
persons persisted in believing that she was not alto
gether innocent of the crime that had been imputed
10 her.
year had elapsed, and again the gates of St.
LazaFe opened TO receive Marie Nj and this
Time she was really convicted of stealing roses -
Repeatedly the owners of the flowers had forbprne
to prosecute, in consideration of her YOUTH but their
patience was exhausted, and she was sent TO prison
Sentence was pronounced upon her as on common
thief but every thEg tenced to show that her of
fence should have been considered from another
point of view. Some peculiar sensbiliiy to the per-
nj H., I,t1f 81.
nelghbohood is redOlen at certain seasons appears
to have caused sort of mOnomanical desire TO pos
sess the flowers and The first invasion Of the NAL
ady had taken place on the night the soldier had
been assassinated. Innocent, simple, and almost
child in years, Marie thrust into the den o.
punity, where every vice was rife but sfrance to
say, the refuse of Gods creatures that nha bed The
Jail understood the poor girl better than The elite Of
The wise who had sent her there. They surnamed
her La Rose. and, Instead Of ridculino her fancies
they plcd and INDUCED them; they made subscrip-
lions aiming themselves, and not only procured her
real flowers. as far as they were able but the wo-
men obtained gauZe and wires, and made artificial
ones 10 please her.
Fortunately, one Of the owe rlookers was sensible
and humane enough to encourage, instead Of SUD-
pressing this singular charity and perceivne the
dexieriiy the female prisoners, inspired by good
VIII, were acquiring in this art he established
mandatory ~ artificial flowers, and set Marie [,
work amongst The others. She took 10 this employ
ment with ardor, and al the end Of six months size
no longer thought that the roses bcckoneJ TO her,
or that they uprOoted themselves from the earth TO
follow her f,oisreps though she always retained
tender reverence for The plant which had teen the
cause Of her misfortune. Size became, after her re-
lease, Of the most celebrated makers of artiic
flowers in Paris. and was Of ,he prirc pal man
ufaciurers employed by Monsieur de Bernird ere, ,
by whom Louis XVIII commanded sampl Of /
The indigenous plants in France to BE- Constructed
in whaebone.
This ro-tica lunacy Of poor Marie reminds ms of
that OF lady-young, beautiful, and rich-called
Mademoiselle Jeanne de Month, who was surnam
ed La FolIe do Soleil. She believed herself the
destined bride Of the sun. and declared that the rosr-
Iiage ceremony only waited for the spring. wien
her corbeiNc would % feady. The corbeHyc q .