The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-29
Information.
Jeanne FRANCHISE Julie Adelaide Der
nard Recamier.
by JOSEPH II. BROWN.

easily than his biography, how they can make
money for themselves more easily. If they can
not utilize his history, it will afford them little
interest. There are always a few men, women
and children-whose supreme function is the
power of simple admiration they are born-idol-
alters. 1t is enough for them that Apollo is
Apollo; il is enough that Jupiter thundcrs; it
is enough That Dickens IS unique. For these
am not writing of late; not since 1861. 20
Madame Recamier lived life of great usefnl-
ness, although neither missionary, nun, nor
tho wife OF u New England clergyman. God
set her in place which she could never have
chosen, and made her useful in a way she never
knew 1t is better, after all, tn be obedient, than
TO aspire. God provides plentiful opportunities.
1T was the mission of this woman 10 show stable
and uniform VIRTUES OF unusual and almost alb
surd relations; to remain pure, true, quiet,
steadtast. not as Il Christian,-for she was none,
after ordinary standard, at least-not az mar
tyr, not as wife or mother, not as a bcneiactor
OF the POOR not as a womanVf fashion; although
her trials were s0rei than some martyrs trials
have been, and she was wife, a Dorcas OF good
deeds, and the brightest star in all the social
ornament Of her time. Her great power, her
great usefulness, her wonderful poisc, her spot
less integrity, conditions and results sim
ply of rare woMASHooD. Ia
The history Of her life, therefore is one OF in.
terest to all thoughtful men and women. As
given in the only form accessible to American
readers, it is far from complete satisfactory
but the glmpses get are the more precio,s,
and stimulate reflection.
Facing the title-pagc, TO begin at the begin
ming, il the portrait Of tho most beautiful wo-
man known to the public. One must look upon
this face before reading of its conqucsts, or the
history will gain but reluctant credence. Hav-
ing first seen, nothing is easier than belief Of all
that is written.
Of such beauty q weak woiran--nay, any
woman other than Madame Rccamier or the few
like her. who distinguish ganeration-would
find it hard TO DC unconscious, while perfectly
aware. To know herself by far the most beauti-
full woman III France, and for her beauty alone
to be loved and hated, admired and cursed by all
Paris and the half Of Europe for fifty years to-
gether, WAS severe trial certainly; yet this was
but part Of the whole-ths was the checkercd
wrought. va ~ ~@
She was but fifteen years Of age when a clever
Partisan banker such bachelor as tho Paris Of
eighty years ago would naturally educate into
single life for forty years, charmed with her
simple beauty, dazzlcd her humble parent with
the offer Of marriage and the finest private es-
Enlistment in she city. In a quiet routine way
the girl consented TO the ceremony and to the es-
tablishmcnt-to nothing more. She was mar
RED and for nearly forty years led wfely life,
so chaste that not even Partisan gossps dared
once to couple her name with doubt The biog-
rapher says, concerning the death Of her hus-
band, in ls3O ,
at would be difficult TO find two persons more
unlike in tastes, temperament mind, and char.
aeter than were Monsieur and Madame Reca-
Inier They had but one quality in COMMON
that Vt good nature and yet in the singular tie
that bound them together for thirty-seyen years,
there had never been tho slightest interruption
| of their kindly relations. In losing her husband
Madame Recamier felt she was losing second
father.
She seems to have found her safety amid the
incessant storms whirling about her. in the per-
feet equanimity Of her temperament, and in
rigid and unvarying obedience to the best In
aincts Of a noble wonanhood.
Napoleon the Great honored her with public
attentions which would have ruined a weak wo-
man, would have terrified a good woman Of but
ordinary sclf-possession. Madame Recalnier
quietly, but with stony frmness, ignored Napo-
Icon as she would have ignored any other man
whom she did not like. This she did apparently
without counting the cost, and when the Emper-
prs terrible revenge crushed her husband st a
blow, she accepted the result with perfect intel
igence, yet without surprise, and wholly with
put regret. .-s s44 d.. ..i O. sraa ~
Chateaubriand, then the greatest man in all
Europe, sought at her feet the honor Vi friend
ship refused 10 royalty and won it. For many
years she received an homage sufficient to have
turned the head Of woman less truly womanly
II the noblest sense The man. TO know whose
plans and plottings any court in Europe would
nave given PRICES ransom, came daily 70
little cell in retired Abbey, as humble as u
evereut disciple may be, to learn fortitude, gem
rosity, love and peace He himself, describes
his quiet retreat: '''e
at was furnished with book ease, a harp, a
'iano, portrait of Madame dc stael, and view
( Coppet Madame dc Staels home by moon.
ight, On the window Ewers pots of flowers.
When quite breathlcss from having climbed
hrec flights of stairs, | entered the cell at
he approach Of evening, I was enchanted X
isre l found silence and solitude far above the
umult of great city
This great statesman, scheminS and compass
ng the rise and fall of empires more a king than
he king himself, wrote and talked to the little
oman, in a little cell, of all his plans, as he
either wrote nor talked to any other man or
enax. Secrets of State, for which cAbinct min
tiers would almost have given their own heads,
Fere known to two only-the Prime Minister
nd the little woman in the coll Why Not
ecause this little woman was more beautiful in
zee than any other: but because all her soul
as as beautiful, as translucent, as intelligent as
err face The Prime Minister never brought a
ard question but he found help to answer it
meyer confessed sore dilemma, but he found
clip out Of it. He esteemed this woman only
r what she was truly worth. .v,,,,
The narrow limits of such fragment as this,
rbid even a birds eye survey of this rare and
onderful life. Its history will be Greek 10
any, and a stone cf stumbling to many more.
ut to the wise in heart it ia a well-.priny of
nmortal truth.
How much so noble a life might have been
orc ennobled nv the know ve and love NJ q Al