Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-17
MADAHE LIE VERT.
The VicIssItudes Of a Brilliant Liter
airy Southern Woman.
washington Correspondence OF the Cincinnati
Commercial,

I Washington Correspondence OF the Cincinnati
Commercial,
She is already a historic figure in Wash
| ingtOn, as was her father before her. Her
/ Grandfather, George Walton, signed the
Declaration Of Independence, married the
| daughter Of an English nObleman, was
! Governor Of Georgia, and a millionaire.
| Her father, Colonel Walton, succeeded Gen
eTal Jackson as Governor of Flor
ida. He was handsome, accomplished
and noble, and lost his large fortune by
endorsing for his friends. He spent many
Of his later years in Washington; genial,
full of anecdote, sunshiny to the end, never
arraigning the tickle world that so quickly
forgot him and that he so long adorned.
His daughter, Octavia Walton, was born at
Pensacola, while her father was Governor
of Florida. In early youth she accom-
panied her father to Washington and be
came a famous belle Of successive admins
tratiOns. She married DR.. Pierre LIE Vert,
Of Mobile, and as a young wife accompanied
her husband to Europe. She was a favor
tie at the Court Of Victoria, winning the per-
sOnal friendship Of the Queen. Although a
Protestant, she received Il e blessing of the
Pope at the Vatican. She spent years
abroad, and her 'sSOuTenirS Of Travel" are
a graceful record of European life. For
many years her home in Mobile was the
center Of the most generous and elegant
hospitality. She entertained there many
of her European friends. Lady Emmelina
WOTtley, in her notes on American life,
makes especial mention of her visit at the
beautiful home Of DR.. and Madame lie
Vert. She, beyond question, is socially
and personally the most famous woman
the South has yet produced. Never pro-
found, she is simply marvellous in her grace,
versatility and in an outraying radiance of
being which neither time nor misfortune
has found possible to diminish. The
Madame lie Vert who entertained the
titled and distinguished in her Southern
home, and who, till the first year Of the
war, gave grand levees to the wealth and
fashion of New Ork, wherein she would
carry on sparkling conversation in half a
dozen languages at the same time, and the
Madame lie Vert Of to-day, "penniless,"
no longer young, trudgng over the long
spaces Of the capital on the little feet that,
till of late, never had need to touch the
ground, an umbrella fer a staff and her
pockets full Of tickets that are 10 earn her
bread, are one, the same. Nothing could
be more changed than the cOndi-
ton of her lot, while she is utterly IN
changed, UnbrOken, undimmed, loving,
enthusiastic, ever delightful. Il saw you
lift up that little finger TO stop a car" said
her friend, Mrs. Paran Steven, to her not
long since. "As you got into the car, you
smiled as If you were perfectly happy, and
| asked myself, what in the world now can
she find TO smile abOut-ihis woman who
has lost fortune, friends, everything that
makes life delightful. Tell me, want to
know. Were you as happy as you looked?
1t seems impossible"
Il was" said the little lady, Gust as
happy as l looked. 1t was so delightful to
have Just five cents left 10 take me home in
a car"
Is not such a nature the fortune beyond
price, after all?