The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-05-18
OUIDA SKETCHED.

The Ce:ebarted Novelist - Hel
Scandals, Her Horses and Hel
I, Dogs.
o-,cn Herald.
The present century Is credited will
having produced two writers Of un
fathomable designs and sentiments
Byron and BENJAMIN Disraeli. Il
this brief category ought to he adde's
the name of Miss Louisa de Ia Rame
better known as .'Ouida.' She is q
highly extraordinary parsonage. ..
her writings plainly Indicate, and the
Obscurity which haloes her existence
added to the yindictive feelings "a
which her social thunderbolts GOm
time to time give rise, has been the
cause of much gossip detri mental ia
her reputation. In her books prudes
find withal to cavII at. while society
bellies trembIe for fear of being
,ransfxed by more of her well-aimed
darts but the Younger and less
sophisiical Of Oudias readers love her
for her earnest and forcibIe appeals
in behalf If dogs and others of the
dumb race. OF Ouida's early life
very little is known. Her mother
either died or Was separated from
her father when she was quite al
infant but. As Mr.. de Ia Rame was
unfortunately a man Of abandoned
habits. although possessed Of q
splendid education and fine literary
abilities. it is to he promised that i,
was NOT death that deprived the great
novelist Of mothers care BE this
rs il NAV. the father devoted his
otherwise wasted talents to one sole
"hject-ihe
EDUcA ION OF Ills LITTLE GIRL
with so great success that. so it j.
said. at the age Of four years. she
wrote n chiIds story in printed
capitals She accompanied her father
in all his many and promiscuous
wand-rings in foreign countries and
to this fact are attributed the scenes
Of al,>inthe drinking, If CAV an !
wanton revelry. which are from time
to time cropping up in the works Of
the versatile aud brilliant writer.
Ouida's decisive temperament is al
NEST as great a. the ob-curity of her
origin. Ii is to this characteristics he
il indebted for. her noM de plume.
Her father, although q naturalized
Enslishman. Was of Franch origin,
and French WAS in consequence the
young lady's vernacular. To any
question which nece-sitated an afiir.
native reply Mile. de la Rsme could
never content herself with simple
"oui," it was invariably ''Oui ds.
''most certainly" BY her father and
his companions was she ever known
n Ouida. and, on entering the field
Of literature, she took the endeariDg
epithet a. the cognOmen under which
To launch ou. the productions Of her
clever pen. Ouida, she says, is her
pet name, and the world has no
right to any other. Not a few of
Ouida's many cslumnistors have
asserted that she has changed her
maiden name to that of Mrs. Some
body-else. but that her husband has
been compelled to separate himself
and property from her. on the ground
Of her singular temperament and
strange mode of life. Even worse
things than this have been alleged,
but never were
SCANDALS NJ r: UNTRUE.
A Florentlne marquis of youth and
property once wOoed and almost won
the celebrated writer; but Ouids
happily discovered in time her suitor's
fascination for the wife of another,
broke off the engagement, and. by
diving 80. probably saved her un
suliied name from being involved in
a sad scandal. This narrow escape
gave Ouida two characters before
unknown to her, at least practically
She has impalet both male and female
offender in one of her novels in 81
unmistakable manner as to necessi
tate them to abstain from the gay
world they love so we'll. and to purg'
their offences BY living q seclude,
life in the suburbs of the Tuscan
capital. Ouida's abode Is also in tn,
outskirts of Florence. Her will
stands upon a green eminence, SUI
rounded BY corn fields and meadows
vineyards, hills aud streams, som
three miles from the city. Tn
interior Of her residence is gail
adorned with flowers and curiositie
. from all parts Of the civilized world
as well rs BY paintings. many ,
which are from her own brush. b.
:: as IN artist Ouida will never
known. although she is proud Of h
, productions. She shines fur bett,
with her pen than With her palett
. She works out doors in summer. il
doors in winter. A greyhound, b,
E hvonte dog, is always her COZ
panion.
; HER EOGs AND her HORSES
> appear to Be the only living thin,
.. with which she u not ut variasce