The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-09-03

This celebrated weman Of fashion, who died
recently, al an advanced age, was the pride and
glory OF period gone by, and is well worthy Of
her place as a character in history. She was the
loveliest in society where l0Velinesz was greater
and more frequent than in fashionable society now :
for it was :" the rage" in those days, to marry
beautiful women, and every more interested worldly
motive yielded TO this. There NAV be as unch
beauty in the world now as then, but il is more
distributed in the different ranks of society; and
to be born beautiful is not now; as 1t was then a
certainty Of brilliant marriage in high life,
IN. kecamier, the wealthiest Of bankers, followed
the humOr Of the time, in seeking not to contract
the most ambitious alliance, but to marry the hand-
soonest woman. All flags were dropped to him
when he came from Lyons with bride who might
have been his daughter, for be three times her
age-but who willingly took his fortune and posi-
ton as a fair offset TO the difference. She threw
open the Inequalities Of a superb mansion. She
collected around her an assidnous court Of wor-
shippers, and sOOnthe most celebrated and adj
miTed woman of her time. Her rivals searched in
vain for defect in her person, or any recognizable
fault in her character. Madame de Stasl said of
her: This woman, so celebrated for her beauty,
| and whose character is truly expressed by her
beauty" and calumny, which pursues all snperi-
GRITTY, could only say of her that she was fond of
admiration and affected in her manners
Count forbn, great narrator Of the time, has
left on record the account Of his first visit TO Ma
dame Rscamier: q" my arrival in Paris this pre-
sentatlon was great event 10 me. was dazzled,
at my entrance, not so much by the splendOrs Of
unexamped luxury which surrounded her, but by
| the wonderful beauty of the women of her circle,
among whom she was still the most beautiful She
was there, receiving with most graceful majesty the
| homage of her subjects. In the course of the
| evening commenced general petitiOning that the
| fair hostess would dance the ,gd0Otte She refused
| declaring that she was not very we'll The more
she refused, the more they insisted, till at last there
/ was general dropping upon the knees around her,
in supplication-this sort Of entreaty being one O
| the eccentrfeities of the time, and a beau goinl
upon his knees 10 lady upon the slightest provo
cation.
| Madame Recamier, used to this preparation fol
| the pas seut in which she exeelled yielded afte
half an hours entrealy, rose, with smile on hel
| lips, advanced, with careless Incidence, to the
centre of the circle, around which there was an
outer circle standing upon chairs, and making 8
low courtesy which was received in breathlesi
silence, took her tambour and began. The mos
renowned opera dancer could not have eXcelled tlIe
grace and lightness of her dance-but 10 the in-
variable conclusion: all Of sudden the slight rib
bon which held up her magnificent cheUelifre be
came detached, and she suddenly disappeared in
| shower of her own hair Apparently exceedingly
i distressed and overcome at this awkward accident
| she quilted the room, accompanied by two or thre
| of her confdGntes, and, few minutes afterwards
door opened and the company were invited {
| make her visit ia her bed-chamber. twas
| paradise of luxury, decked with fragrant hOwerl
| and lighted by dim lamps of alabaster aud there
| in an elegant nndress, extended negligently upo
her bed, her features EXPRESS ve of the most be
witching languOr, and her prOfuse tresses innnda
| ting the pillows which supported her, lay Madam
| Recamier, ready to receive the sympathizing woF
ship of her friends. / expressed, to one of the in
mates of the house, my fears for the health of GU
fair hostess, but was Immediately reassuFed by
declaration that it was an almost nightly scene
| and that the gazette was never danced withou
| the accident Of the hair the extension upon IN
show-bed, and the introduction Of the company I
admire"