Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-02-20
Miscell
THE STORY OF GRACE 1NGERsoLL

FoLEoN.
From Goodrch's "Recolociiors Of Lifetime pub
] ishedby Miller, Orton Mullgon
Jonathan Ingersoll, her father, was an em-
iment lawyer, and settled at New Haven.
Personally he was erect, slender, and very
much like his distinguished son, the present
Ralph /. lngorsoll lie was marked by
nervous twitch of the face, which usually sig
nalized itself when he began to address the
I jury. On these occasions his eyes opened
and shut spasmodically at the same time he
drew the corners Of his mouth up and down,
the whole seeming as if it was his object to
set the court in a roar Sometimes he sue
ceeded, in spite of all his efforts to the con
I trary. Indeed, it was impossible for per-
son on seeing this for the first time, 20 avoid
a smile-perhaps broad one. II might
seem that such frailty would have been
stumbling-block in his profession yet it was
not SOL suspect. indeed that his practice
as a lawyer was benefited by it-ior the
world likes an easy handle TO a great name.
and this is readily supplied by peculiar per-
sonality At all events. such was the dig
nifty of his character, the grace of his Ian
guage. and the pc fcction of his logic, his
law, and his learning, that he stood amongst
the foremost af his profession. He became
Lieutenant Governor of the State, Judge Of
the Supreme Court and held various other
responsible offices.
This gentleman had large iamily-sons
and daughters the names of the former arc
honorably recorded in the official annals of
thoir native State--nay, of the United States.
/ The daughters were distinguished for person.
al attractions and refined accomplishments.
Ono of them claims especial notico-Gracc
lngersoll how beautiful the name. how sug-
gestye of what she was in mind, in person,
in character / saw her once-but once, and
! was then a child--yet her image is as dis
tinct as If / had seen her Yesterday.
/ In my boyhood these New Haven Ingcrsolls
came TO Ridgcfeld occasionally especially in
Summer 90 visit their relations there. They
all seemed 20 me like superior beings, cspcc-
tally Mrs. lngcrsoll, who was fair and forty
about those days. On a certain occasion.
Grace. who was "A school companion of my
elder sister. came TO our house | imagine
she did not see or notice me- Certainly she
did not discover in the shy boy in the corner
her future biographor She was tall and
slender. yet fully rounded, with rich, dark
hair, and large Spanish cyes-now seeming
blue and now black. and changing with the
objects on which she looked, or the play of
emotions within her breast. In complexion
she was brunette, yet with melting glow
in her cheeks. as If she had stolen from the
sun the generous hues which are reserved for
the finest of fruit and flowers Her beauty
was in fact so strking--at once SO superb and
SO conciliating--that | was both awed and
fascinated by her. Wherever she went fol-
lowed, though keeping at distance, and
never losing sight of her. She spent the af-
ternoon at our house, and then departed, and
saw her no more.
1t was not long after this that a French
man by the namo Of Grellet. who had come to
America on some important commercial af-
fairs, chanced TO be at Now York. and there
saw Grace lngersoll Such beauty as that of
the New Haven belle is rare in any country
il is never indigenous in France. Even II
such could be born there, the imperious force
of conventional manners would have stamped
itself upon her and made her fashionable
lady, at the cxpence of that Eve-like beauty
and simplicity which characterized her. IL is
not astonishing, then, that the stranger-ac-
customed as he was to the beauty of French
fashionable llo--should still have been smt-
ton with this new and startling type Of fe-
male loveliness.
From the first view of that fair lady. NJ.
Grellet was a doomed man. Familiar with
the brilliant court of the Partisan capital, he
might have passed by unharmed. even by one
> fair as our heroine, had it not been for that
simplicity, that Puritanism of look and man
nor, which belonged to the social climate in
which she was brought up---so strongly in
contrast TO the prescribed pattern graces of q
French lady. He came, he saw. he was con
quered. Being made captive, he had nc
other way than to capitulate. He was man
Of good family fine scholar and finished
gentleman. He made due and honorable pro-
posals, and was acceptod--though on the part
: of the parents with many misgivings. Mar
riage ensued, and the happy pair departed fol
. France
This took place in 1906. NJ Grcllet held a
high social position, and on his arrival at Pa
!, rs, it was matter of propriety that his brid,
l. should be presented at court. Napoleon was
Z then in the flush of his imperial glory II
u must have been with some palpitations o
heart that the New Haven girl-scarcely
/, turned of eighteen years, and new to the grea
s. world-prcparcd 70 be introduced to the gilt
tering circle of ti3a ruileries, and under the
eye Of the EmpdiSf himself. As she was pre-
= sonted to him, in the midst of a glitterins
I, throng, blazing with orders and diamonds
ID she was a little agitatod. and her foot was en-
2 tangled for moment in her long train-thel
an Indispensable part OF the court costume
r. Napoleon who, with all his greatness, neye
8, rose to the dignity of gentleman, said in he
Is hearing, A" VOLTA de Ia gducherie AnericaiRe T
ID American awardness Perhaps a certain
tingo of political bitterness mingled in tn
a. speech, for jerome had been soduced int
't marriage by the beauty Of an American lady
&c greatly to the chagrin of his aspiring and un
principled brother. At all events, though hl
saw the blush his rudencss had created. ma
I, licious smile played upon his lips, ndicativ
n Of that contempt of the feelings of women
D. which was one of his characteristics.
IN Madame Grellct, however, survived th
is shock of this disooutesy, which signalizel
u; her entry into fashionable life. She soon be
~ came a celebrity in the court circles and al
'n ways maintained pre-emnonco, alike for beau
c- ty Of person&9ace of manners, and delicac
and dignity IT character More than ono
she had her revenge upon the emperor, whe
T. in the centre of an ndmiring circle, he witt
cr others, paid homage to her fasoinatons. Ne
zee this transplantation of the fair Puritan, eve
to the paradise Of fashion, was not healthful
re- NJ. Grellet became one Of Bonaparte's re
=, ceivers- general and took up his residence i