Richland beacon., 1873-04-26
A Lost Art.

Paris and banishmcnt of Napoleon Ill :.
the Empress Eugene discovered one day
among a lot of old laces which had been
! tranfe red 10 her as souvenirs of the En-
press Josephine, and which her daughter
Queen HOrtense, had religiously preserved
as relies of her illustriOus mother, about
a quarter of yard of lace f'Ounce of a
most singular and beautiful mesh and pc
culiar design. The eX-Empress is a dlet-
tante and cOnnOisseur i'm laces as well aS
in many other fine arts. She saw at a
glance that she possessed an art treasure,
the more valuable as it was yellow with
age, broken aud mutilased. She sent at
once for NJ. De Lisle. the President of the
COmpagnie des Indies, lace manufacturers
of Paris, and spreading her treasure be-
fore his admiring eyes, said:
Monsieur. | wish this lace reproduced.
mesh and design, in full lace dress for my
self. Can your lace makers do it?"
Bowling low befO e the beautiful woman,
the manufacturer replied:
"I our Royal Highness gives mo diff
cult commission. one, | fear, impossible
to perfO' m. Your remnant is real old
point de Nenise, of which there are but
few samples in existence, and the art of
making ii is lost.
"Can we not revive it?' asked the En-
press. Il give you carte bianehs in max
ing the experiment, and another carte
blanche for my dress when finished"
?" Madame, | will see what can be done.
If possible it shall be accomplished" and
bowling again he retired from the royal
presence, tasing with him the old piece of
point lie VeniSe.
When an Empress commands every
body hastens to obey. So the President
of the COmpagnie DIES hides lost no time.
He first submitted the sample of Queen
HOrtense's relic to his own adult expert
enced lace makers. None knew the mesh.
He placed it under powerful lenses-nO
better success. Its intricacy bafiled them
all. No instrument, however fine, nor
fingers the most skilled, under eyes the
most practiced. could tell how it could be
reproduced. Our manufacturer was per-
picked, but not in despair. His next step
was to ransack the whole empire for the
oldest lace makers living. About forty
old women, sexagenarians and OctOgena-
rians, were taken to Paris. They were
provided with the best of glassen and most
powerful hand lenses. One after the other
examined the old flOunce. Alas! not one
knew the mesh. NJ. De Lisle was almost
desperate. He had tried adult ingenuity
and the experience of age, now he must
resort to youth. He selected from his
young girls twenty of the most intelligent
wOrkers-thOsew with the strongest eyes and
deftest fingers. TO each he gave section
of the old sample. He provided them
with lenses and every appliance for work.
In the mean time they were secluded and
given every necessary comfort, so that
their eyes, their fingers, and their minds
might be in perfect working order. He
watched the work from day to day and
week to week still no progress seemed
to be made. At length he left the house
one evening almost persuaded to give up
the experiment. This was about one
year after the Imperial order had been
given. The next day he was late in reach
ing his Office, but as soon as he arrived
the superintendent of the lace workers
met him with the long wished for, well
come, but almost incredible intelligence
that one Of the young girls had discover
ed the old point de Venise mesh. The
President hurried to the room where the
successful Young worker was bending
over her lace cushi n. He seized a lens
examined the work in her hands, com
pared it with the original, and quie'
smile stole over his features.
"Eh bien"' he exclaimed softly, 81
1
Turning to the successful discoverer HI
rewarded her with the place of teacher tC
the Others and eneral superintendent o.
the work, and communicated with the
| Empress. who among all her engage
ments had kept diligent watch of the pro
gress of affairs.
Now the work was begun in earnest
1t was four years before it approached
completion, but from time to time the
Empress visited the mandatory, show.
ing the greatest joy and pride that LOST
art had been restored by the lace weaver'
of France in her reign. Before the dress
was finished Paris was in ashes and Eu-
genie an exile. But the lace weavers es-
capped the general destruction and Euge-
nie's dress was spared. The generous
and noble woman did not forget NJ. De
Lisle nor her order. She wrote to him
from England saying that "though no
longer IN Empress nor enjoying the in
come of royalty she would take the dress
when finished if he should be loser by
keeping it,"
The manufacturer, not to be outdOne in
nobility or generosity, laid the case as
stated in the Empress letter before the
directors of the company. They were
touched with the misfOrtunes of the beau.
tiful woman, and unanimously decided to
release her from her engagement. This
now historic dress is to be exhibited al
| the Vienna Exposition as the first speci.
men of point de Venise manufactured in
more than hundred years.-N. Y. Sun