The Nevada journal., 1855-12-07

brated ortiste, Rachel, is creating such a
Juror in New York the following sketch
OF her grlhood may be read with interest:
"Some years ago, the summer ha6itues
of the Champs Elysees used to find amuse-
ment In listening to an open air entertain-
ment of some singularity. A pale, thin,
fragile, but bright-eyed and intellectual
looking girl of perhaps ten or twelve years
of age, used to appear in the most crowd
ed part of the walk, an hour or so before
sunset, attended by an old woman who
carried violin, tin cup and a carpet
While the girl stood apart for moment,
with something of ra pit look, the old wo-
man spread the carpet, put down the cup
at one corner, and scraped a preliminary
air upon the violin. The air was not al
ways appropriate to the drama that was
to follow. for the fayorite overture of the
performer was "Ma'm 'selleP Piinson est une
6fonde!''-and that was like making Cyan
kee Doodle" or "Nancy Dawsono pass as
introductory symphonies to "Hamiet'' OF
Macbeth" However, the orchestra
having terminated the prelude, the girl
stepped on to the carpet with the air Of
little tragedy queen, and recitcd long
trades from Racine and Corneille. But
then she recited them superbly; and de
spite her air of suffering and her exceed
lngly poor attire, she produced such an
effect upon her hearers, that while she
rested, the audience were never weary of
filling the cup carried round by the old
woman, with sous and half-franc pieces.
in order to encourage her to new efforts.
The collection was always a large one;
and when the delicate looking child retir-
cd, all palpitating and with flush upon
her cheek, ofwhich it were difficult to say
whether it were the flush of her own tri-
umph or that of death destined to triumph
over her, the acclamations and cordial
compliments of her hearers greeted her as
she passed. Well, winter had gone and
summer had come, but with it did not
come to the loiterers in the Elysian fields
the tragic muse whom they were disposed
and eager to welcome. But during the
year a marvellous child appeared on the
stage of the Gymnase Dramatique. She
came like meteor and SO disappeared =
The truth was, that her friends saw at
once that she was too good for that stage
and she was withdrawn, in order to appear
on one more classical Well do Iremem-
Der that we loiterers in the shady avenues
that lead to Neuilly used to dispute, and
we youths the loudest of them all, as to
whether the debutante of the Gymnase
was or was not the inspired nymph that
used in the public highway to create as
much delight as Duchesnois herself be-
fore the critical pit of the "Franeais. y
The dispute was not to be determined by
US, and in the meantime we spoke of our
absent delight as of lost Pleiad. and so
the year wore away And then come the
eventful night on which girl, of whom no
one had previously heard by the name
which she now wore, glided on to the stage
of the Theatre Francais, and in a moment
awoke French tragedy out of the shroud
in which she had been decently enveloped
since Duchesnois had laid her down to
die: The name of the girl was Rachel;
and SO pale and unearthly was she, yet so
inspired in her look, SO commanding, SO
irresistible, that every one was not only
ready to acknowledge the new sovereign
ofthe tragic throne, but all Paris declared
that the Rachel who was now famous for
ever, was no other than the poor girl who
used to stand on carpet in the Champs
Elysees, and recite Racine and Corneille
for sous and half-franc pieces.