Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-02-18
MADAME LIE VERT.
The VtcfsNttudes Of ~ brilliant LIT
erary Southern woman.

The ViofsHitudes Of n Brilliant LIT.
erary Southern Woman.
Washington letter to the Cincinnati CONNER
cial.l
Then Madame lie Vert will give her
usual Lenten reception, full of music
and readings, as one evenings delecta.
ton to the world of fashion. II will 20,
and it ought to 90, 10 gladden. the eyes
and fill the pocket of this wonderful
little lady. She's already a historic
figure in Washington, as was her father
and her grandfather before her Her
grandfather, George Walton, signed the
Declaration of Independence, married
the daughter Of an English nobleman,
was Governor OF Georgia and million
aire. Her father, Colonel Walton, sue
ceeded General jackson as Governor OF
Florida. He was handsome, accom-
plished and noble, and lost his large for
tune by indorsing for his friends He
spent many of his later years in Wash
ington; genial, full of anecdote, sun
shiny to the eud never arraigning the
tickle world that so quickly forgot him
and that he so long adorned. His daugh-
ter, 0ctavia Walton, was born at Pensa-
cola, while her father was Governor of
Florida. In early youth she accom-
panied her father to Washington and
became famous belle OF successive ad-
ministrations. She married DR.. Pierre
LIE Vert, of Mobile, and as q young wife
accompanied her husband 30 Europe.
She was favorite at the Court of Vic.
toria, winning the personal friendship Of
the Queen. Although Protestant, she
received the blessing of the Pope at the
Vatican. She spent years abroad, and her
Souvenirs of Travel are a graceful re-
cord of her European life. For years her
home in Mobile was the center OF the most
generous and elegant hospitality. She
entertained there many of her European
friends. Lady Emmeline Wortley, in
her notes on American life, makes espe-
cial mention OF her visit at the beautiful
home of DR.. and Madame LIE Vert. She,
beyond question, is socially and person.
ally the most famous woman the South
has yet produced. Never profound, she
is simply marvellous in her grace, versa
tility 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 York, wherein she
would carry on sparkling conversation
in half dozen languages at the same
time, and the Madame lie Vert of to-
day, penniless,' no longer young,
Tudging over the long spaces Of the
capital on the little feet that, till of late,
never had need to touch the ground, an
umbrella for staff, and her pockets full
of tickets that are to earn her bread, are
one, the same. Nothing could be more
changed than the condition of her lot
while she is utterly unchanged, unbro-
ken, undimMed, loving, enthusiastic
ever delightful. /" saw you lift up that
little finger to stop car, said her friend
Mrs. Paran Steven, to her not long since
CAS- you got into the car you smiled as
;f you were perfectly happy, aud | asked
myself, what in the world now can she
find to smile about-this woman who has
lost fortune, friends, everything that
uakes life delightful. Tell me, want
to- know. Were you as happy as you
loo ked2 1t seems impossible. "
{" Twas" said the little lady, just as
happy. as looked. 1t was so delightful
to have inst FIVE cents left to take ne
home in a car
Is not such a nature the fortune be-
yond price, after all2