Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-13

tract from the letters OF arlington lady now in
Eur ope, TO her friend L,r1 ed. F. 2. and T
GrNRvA, May 1871.
We have had many walks and drives in
ti.i- lovely 81. ing weather, with incompar-
able views Of lake and mountain from the
hills around, or we have visited the luxuri-
Gus and expensive villas around Geneva, and
wandered entranced through the grounds,
gardens and parks with fine views, conserv-
atOries full of flowers, and libraries full of
books. At one villa, Favre de Ia Grange,
the library occupies three rooms filled with
books to the lofty ceilings and busts OF Greek
poets and philosophers stand around, at one
end a group by Canova representing the
parting of Venus and Adonis. Apart from the
house is a large building for theatre where
they have private theatricals. 1t is lined
with orange trees and large and beautiful
park surrounds the house with fountains and
flowers everywhere We drove out to
Ferney one day. There are beautiful views
on the drive out, and from the house and
grounds, where stands the chapel with the
ostentatious motto, "Deo erexit VOltaire.
Two rooms are shown full of souvenirs Of
VOltaire, portrait taken in his youth, an
arch, acute. intelligent expression, bust
taken in his age, sharp and sneering, both
full of the pride of intellect, as of person
accustomed to be looked up to. Portraits
of his friend Madame de Chatelet, of Cath
crime of Russia, of Frederic the Great and
many other celebrities, small head Of
Franklin, Diderot, D'Alembert, etc, etc,
tapestry said to be worked for him by Cath
crime, chairs worked by his niece, vase
said to contain his heart, long arbor form
ing sheltered walk on the garden terrace,
commanding view Of the Alps and enyi-
rons of Geneva, vineyards on the slopes. He
knew how to establish himself in pleasant
places. Are you not glad | do not quote
Childe Harold? We know NJ. Dirdati,
who owns the villa Dirdati where Byron
lived. | forget to tell you of the pianist,
Saint Saens. Passing the evening in the
down and see him He played well and in
sisted on others singing or playing, all the
time. They sang Faust. each taking part
He was Faust. Finally he acted and sung
Margaret's part in the church in the most
ridiculous manner, e1aggerating, and tear
ing 1t all to rags; put chair for a prize
dieu, seized photograph book for a prayer
book, and went into despair and passion,
trailing himself on the floor.
There are l 500 Communists here, who
cannot return to France. One, Pero Gail
lard, has vowed not to wear hat till he
can return TO France. His grizzled head is
to be seen in the streets exposed to wind
and weather. but he is Industrious if theo-
retical, does good work as a shoemaker to
earn his living, but his children are famous
in the neighborhood for drowning cats in
puddles for amusement, and to keep his
wife quiet he throws her out of the window
sometimes. The marquise de Loreati seems
to me like beautiful Circe.-an en-
chantress with magic spell hidden under
the valenciennes lace puffs and pink bows of
the drapery over her. She gets herself up
most coquettishly in her couch, like shrine,
where her adorers bow and worship. She
bewitches all one man 5 death Wits said to
have qeen brought on by the intensity of his
love and pity for her. Some people look
upon her as a miracle OF perfection, others
set her down as an adventures, though they
own to being under her spell when with
her, they think she trades on the sympathy
she knows how to excite.
Back of the academy extends the green
Bas,ein garden and then the botanical gar
dens, filled with interesting plants and trees
"a Pawlownia with purple blossoms l
noticed, and many Others, but the most de-
lightful is the collection of Alpine flowers,
large square with parallel walks, between
them artificial rocks, covered at this season
with the sweetest and most delicate Alpine
flowers, all with their botanical names; you
can 90 there and study the plants, without the
toll of climbing after them such "a lovely
show as it was, orchids, gentians, primulas,
silents, large yellow violets like pansics, the
tniest little ones, large purple crimson
primula. which did not look Alpine at all;
such collection of little dears the rocks
are now one mass OF flowers | was quite
wild with pleasure, all the friends nave
read of, and seen pictured, united in one
group. A yellow lady's-slipTer boxed very
natural and sweet