Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-05

The following obituary notice from the Rap
pei, red republican paper Of Paris, was part
of the balloon mail lately received by the Gin
cnnati Gazette from its correspondent in Paris:
A man died few days ago whose talent as a
writer dry, correct, superior on all points, never
has been popular addressed rs il was TO the
jOUrnIHetS in literature, theinhnitcly small mum
Der. His style, appreciated, nay, admired by
many, never tasked the sympathies of his read
er. totally wanting as it was in that essentially
French quality, charm. His words are to be
compared to swords of great price: chaste pol
ished, and cold as steel.
His name was Prosper Merimee. He died a
senator, at Bannes, and his death, which would
have been an event in ordinary time, has made
but little noise in the immense times of this ter
rible and disastrous war
And yet his was a peculiar, an original physi-
ognomy. He was Of the empire, and deserved
to be of it. The adUiTable narrator, the care
full painter of the COrScan nldgipS, the retro
spective chrOnicer of the eighteenth century,
cunning and prone to literary cheating, was in
politics what may he termed skeptic. He be-
lOnged to that numerous class of men who have
no belief? A passion? A love? Hate2
Anger To what end? Protest against crime
triumphant, defend liberey in mortal peril,
struggle, resist, what lollyl Let us rather take
things as they are, the world as it goes, the
wind as it passes by, and, should it happen TO
change, lei us put about and steer before it.
Prosper Merimee had been early bitten by the
fierce, dry austere spirit Of Stendhat. Stend.
hat had taught him how to strangle every emo
tion OF the heart, how TO master and tread down
Indignation, and to find consolation for such eff
forts in success and disdain. Once, and once
only did be show himself risk something, con-
front public opinion, and that in defense of a
conirere, and what a conferred robbcr Of
books, NJ. Libri.
For the rest once more be said, icy irony,
cold disdain To despise those you serve, to
despise those who pay you, bnt 10 execute their
orders, nevertheless, and pocket their money and
proclaim yourself their most hun bic servant, a
worthy and noble existence, only!
At court, Prosper Merimee was the personif-
cation of disdan. A courtier, his lips compli-
mented what his intelligence Knocked and rallied
at He would say my emperor, and he would
think trjple idiot. COnversing one evening on
literature, Bonaparte expressed himself with al
most fearful sentiment on the novels of La
motto, Fauque Merimee answered: Your
majesty is right; but once the door of the salon
closed behind him, he shrugged his shoulders
with indscribabe contempt. He could, how
ever, be outspoken upon occasions. During his
sojourn in Spain, he had met Madame de
Montijo, mere. He installed himself in the
Tuieries as an old friend.
He was the contour lstory teler) in ordinary
of her whom Camille Demanding would have
designed as the wife of the executive power.
and there has lately been found in a drawer of
the empress, a curious little gilt-edged book,
written and illustrated by Prosper Merimee. 1t
is there still before my eyes, placed not far from
bulky volume, the contents of which are the
erratic tales, written by Louis of Holand-this
little book, precious autograph Of the senator,
IS a short hiStoriette gd'ante written expressly
for her majesty.
The subject is an adulterous adventure in the
chamber of an inn, and the title, "Thc Blue
Slipper" Speaking of the heroine, Merimee
says: Her garments were impregnated with an
Odor of VANILLA She adored the fayorite per-
fume of the empress"
This tale la Brantome is signed-mark to
what skepucism can bring talent, how it can
bend and twist its - this tale is signed: Prosper
Nlerimee, fool in ordinary to her majesty the
empress.
The author of the chronicles of Charles the
TX. DOMINIC the cap and bellies of TTibaulet to
amuse his sovereign The fierce sneerer, who
believed in neither God nor devil, searching his
brain for obscene butfooneries, and offering
them as on a salver-nay illustrating them with
his own hand! He painted expressly for it an
aquarelle, he completed with a yignette, "The
Blue Slipper" which doubtless one day will be
published And this man was one of the indie
pendent among the wallets! This man held his
peace in the senate silently passing Judgment
on men and things. This man found the his
tory of Cesar ridiculous. This man, at dessert,
among friends, portrayed with a'cruel, ScaTty-
ing pencil all the actions Of the macaronic farce
that was called the empire. By him judge of
the rest By these men Of science and ntelli-
gence judge of those that were to be found in
the barracks and on the highways
Q. pride of talent, righteousness of the heart
and veins, PRIDE sainted pride, thou who
makest men, we shall find thee again, and thou
wilt restore 10 us, or rather thou wilt reconstruct
for us, France, now that the kuayes, the mer-
ry-andrews, the eXploiters and the skeptics are
dead or departed from among us
To all of which il can ONLY be added O.
France, thou art Prosper Merimee, the "Bluc
Slipper the empire, the republic, and-the
author Of this article! There is but one name
for thee-"France."