Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-03-02
M i s G @ IL a n ".
MADAME sWETCHlNE.
BY ELIZA wooDwoRTH.

tK ELIZA WOODWokTH.
While the annals of the Roman Catho-
lie Church have abounded in lives of su-
perstion, they have also given to the world
some of its fairest examples of sanity ex-
cellence.
That holy woman, St. Elizabeth of Thur
mgia, who, although the daughter of a
king, '.wandered about in humble dress, y
relieving the wretched, exhibits one Of the
most perfect characters on record.
Madame Swetchine's biography is Of the
same lofty type.
In the midst of society she lived in the
odor Of sanctity; and was jealous with
out intolerance, liberal to the poor with
out ostentation.
Her history is full of interest; for, apart
from her moral and intellectual supeliori-
ty, her life was passed amid the most ex-
citing political events.
She was a Russian, and was born at
Moscow in 1882. The. father and hus-
band we're closely connected with the Gov
ernment; and her position in society gave
her the best social advantages, both i'll her
own country and in her adopted one
France. She removed to Paris with her
husband, General Swetchine, in conse-
quence of political difficulties, and died
there at the age of IS, after residence
of more than 10.
She was still living in Russia, when
Napoleon invaded that Empire, and burn
ed Moscow.
In Paris she passed through two revs-
utions,-those Of 1880 and 1S4S. Born
in the latter part Of the reign Of Gather
Inc H., she watched with deep interest
the eventful and mighty changes that were
wrought in the Norlsnd, during the times
Of Paul L., Alexander l., and Nicholas
Chateaubriand, Count De Maistre, the
Able Lacordaire, Nine. De Stael, and
Mme Recamier, weee her contemporaries
and in her biography some very interest
ing correspondence with distinguished men
and women Of her time is given.
Many of the most pleasant details OF
Nine. swetchino's private life refer to her
habits Of study.
She was an immense reader Perusing
books in which sht was interested, was a
severely luxurious labor. Count De Fal-
loux, her biographcr, says:
Reading with her was never simple
relaxation. She had not done with book
until she had filled it with her notes and
comments, and, in some cases copied it
entire. The earliest Of these enormous
masses of extracts bear date in 1S0l,-
that is, in her nineteenth year, and the
second of her marriage. The collections
are n n common paper rote books, COW
cred with fine and close writing, and af-
forwards bound up for the sake Of preserv-
ing and keeping them in order There
are thirty-fvc Of these volumes in exist
cnce, besides some that have been lost.
The smallest are in octave; thirty are
quarto."
Count DeMaistre was voluminous CON-
mentator-carefully preserving his books
of extracts and reflections, through all the
changes of his stormy life. Many quota
tions from Nine. Swetchine's note books
are given.
She read everything. We meet with
Pythagoras and Horace; LaHarpe, Rous-
seau and Voltaire Fenelon and Pascal,
Massillon and Bossuet; with "Zimmer-
man on Solitude, Young's Night Thoughts,
and st, Pierre's Paul and Virginia.
She had this experience with an English
poet, who is too often accused Of gloom,
not to say morosncss. 81 have rarely
been able to read Voltaire without being
painfully affected, while Young's Might
Thoughts often leave me an agreeable
frame ofmind." There are several graphic
quotations from Nine. Necker-among
them these: "Those persons who never
speak till they can make hit, are insult
cradle. They oblige you to fill up the
embroidery of which they will only do the
flowers" And again "'Ihe man who
is most inferior to us as whole is our
superior in some one particular" ''M.
Thomas said that an expressionlcss face is
born deaf and dumb"
Here is a thought from Pascal Goth
er religions, as the Pagan, are more po-
pular than the Christian; they consist
wholly in externals, but they are not for
people Of ability. A purely intellectual
religion would answer for the gifted, but