Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-02-21


LrcTuRE.-Rev Mr.. Lord Iectured at the Smith.
eonlan last mig to large audience on Madame
DeStael. The lecturer prefaced his lecture with
few remarks relative to the sphere and influence
OF women In early times Scarcely had women
begun to be recognized in society before she as.
tonlshed the world Of literature. Those who
adorned the European capitals in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries were distinguished for
their tact, wit, accomplishments and attainments
They were sought after by princes and mobiles,
and their names have been honered In later years
Modern times had seen a new development In the
history Of woman. They had become writers and
authors. and had come to be respected for their
intellect and talent Female authors had become
clsss In communities. and claimed an equality
In the rank of mind with those who asserted to
he her master. She had shown her ability TO cope
with man in intellect and poet novelist, critic
or historian, she had borne off her share of prizes
ard distinction In the world of literature. But
no truly immortal female writer arose until Mad
anne DeStael astonished the circles Of wit and
genius with her brilliant productions.
she was born in Paris In 1766, In an era Of great
Ievoutions not only In political but In social life.
me great minds who hourished In the reign Of
Louis XIV were servile In their style, and chung
with a pertinacious tenacity to the writings of
antiquity But In the reign Of Louis XIV and
Louis NV. the greatest hts of literature broke
forth with a briliancy unequalled before. The
French, English, and Germans were all strug-
CLING for superiority in the feds Of philosophy,
and that intellectual freshness Succeeded which,
ness and a luster to the age. Her father under
stood her character much better than her mother,
and he synpathized and aided her, and She in
return, chung to him to the last. Her mother was
cold and exacting, yielding nothing concerning
business for what she deemed TO be trifiing, and
restricted her daughte TO the limited sphere Of
her own ideas Her father, however, gave her a
splendid education, and at early age intro
duced her into society, when she soon made her
power felt At fifteen she wrote a work that cx-
cited much attention, but health finally gave way
under her arduous mental labOrs, and she was
compelled to suspend her writing for a season
Ii was no doubt best for her that she was CON-
PEELED to do so, as II removed her from the re-
straints OF a rigid system to life Of poetry and
mental freedom.
Before she twenty she wrote poetry; but
growing impatient under the trammels of French,
she abandoned il for prose. She was not techni-
cally beautiful, but there was attractiveness
about her face that was irresistible while her
conversation eEtranced the listener She was able
10 talk upon all subjects, and was said by a great
writer to be an expression Of many souls blended
1nto one. Highly educated, talented, accom-
pitsaed and fascinating, well the richest
heiress In the kingdom she was eagerly soug BIT
after by the great men of the times, and hear t.
ana fortunes were offered at her shrine. In 1856,
whsn at the age Of twenty, she married Baron
Holstein, and presented him with a dowry Of
2,G O,UOO francs. Their married life was neither
miserable nor hTPPy. They finally separated
without a divorce, but she returned to him and
nursed him in his last illness At her country
seat near Geneva, she wrote her first work Of dis
tiDctioD
In 1893. upon the very day that Napoleon, az
hrst consul, seized upon the Government she re-
turned from her exile in Switzerland ana came to
Parls That she nigh pay her tribute Of homage to
ms genius. But when she saw him, she turned
from him with aversion and dislike While she
felt awed before the CLEAN Of his cold gray eye
YET she saw in him, by intuition, the DESTROYER
OF her happiness and the liberties Of France. Ma
poleon's tact at once detected her sentiments and
he Immediately hated her-not through envy nor
fear, but because she detested the principle that
governed his career. Her house became the center
of opposition, the headquarters of enmity and
wrath; and afraid of the influence of her writings
Napoleon Danlshed her to within forty leagues Of
Paris. She tarried short time in Wiener and
then travelled through the German States, accom-
panied oy the translator of Shakespeare, who was
tutor to her son. Her history Of Germany was
then written, and she astonished the world with
the brilliancy of her genius the acuteness of her
poleon destroyed this work, and annoyed her
In switzerland that she was forced 10 leave.
Her second marriage was to an officer I'm the
spanish army, who was twenty five years old, and
she twenty years his senior. This marriage
proved happy one; and soon after she went
through Austria, Russia, aud Sweden, to Eng
land There she was welcomed with great en-
thusiasm, and was taken from palace to palace
Attic death Of Napoleon she returned to Paris,
after an exile OF twelve wears, and enjoyed her
ptoudest reign. ChateaubriaDd, LafaT ette, Gui-
rot, Wellington, Butcher, and Humboldt, with
manv other great men, sought her society; Louis
XVIII sought the fascination Of her conversation;
the press sought the power Of her influence and
all France paid homage to her genius. But she
did not live long to enjoy her triumph. She died
at the age Of ffty-one- victim 10 opium used
not TO stimulate the mind, but to enable the phys
ieal system to endure the toll and labor Incident
20 her life.
ana her memory will never pass from the world
OF literature, but she will be ranked with the mas
tes minds Of the age; with the Napoleons and
Washingtons, and Websters of the world In her
. yNY2l I'M and
and exceedingly greedy Of adulation. She was
tender hearted and sympathetic, and was almost
wessh1 30 By her friends. She was declared by
Jsnfey and Macintosh to be the greatest mind
sisce vel6ire and Rosscau, aud as a woman su-
PGfes 70 any that had ever lived.
Ire LECTURER discussed at considerable length
TIC turafe Of women in civilized countries, and
believed that she would stand side by side with
nm naA the ACHIEVEMENTS Of intellect and genius
Ma. CHARLES DE VILLIERs mentioned In the
star, Of yesterday In connection with certain
transactions wherein he had displayed more
shrewdness than honesty, was tried yesterday be-
metz out of a set of furs worth s35, by means OF
bogus check on the banking house IF Riggs Co
TheYgoof Of the purchase the identity of the pris-
ooef - ee man who gave the bogus check, and
thefefusal Of the bank officer to honor it, were all
given In detail as well as the testimony of detec-
i've oflcer Boss to his having recovered the furs
from apawn broker with whom thu polite French
maaShzd Pawned them for SIS. MIR Charles Dc
A Dslaroque, was accordingly committed to Jail
MFrFf
TrxBALIINoRg NJ. f.. CONFERENCE As the
ana al u5eeting of the Baltimore Conference at
std eBn, Va, approaches, much interest is felt
ss " the action Of that body, which will consist
Of 49, btschers Seven districts, viz: Baltimore
wsstfh<on, Alexandra, Winchester, Rocking
hang Roanoke, aud Lewisburg White men,
berobip 26 $40; probatoners $50; local preachers
2IIHV2 30,4lO Colorsd 10, $50. They have
an eknje hes, valued at S773 $50; 81 parsonages
slO01Cr Sunday schools 337; officers and teach
erS1x1Hln,hola % .2D2, volumes In Libraries
81 fhe oldest member of this Conference Is
the - Joshua Wells, Of Baltimore, who en-
ss,sd IA Use.
RWeRD TO TIE wIsE.-A detective officer in
fo}718 % that at the present time there Ii a gang
of mol onals Of the swell mob order lurking
abS1 ,W0hington, watching for opportuniti
ofpfo1table exercise of their skill Most Of them
sroire0the large cities North and South, and are
wsnDDVwn to the detectives In those cities A
fe&oose game Is the patent-safe locks are
: amoA& them. Passage thieves have been lettering
+ 8oouf ths city for some time A close observance
Of SUSPICIOUS strangers will be Of advantage
duri1G'tb crowded state Of the CITY, which VIII
co6q9Q til the:middle Of the coming month.
KWnkD By HORSE -Yesterday, private Shee-
nsr Of the cavalry corps quartered at Burch's,
,rkg A. -