Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-04
,g. She knelt as the Pontiff passed


ing upon her. Rachel bowed low. His
Holiness addressed few kindly words TO
her, and asked her some questions on
her religious opinions. Whether pur-
posely or by accident, she is said to have
answered IN the words spoken by Pau
line in Comedies superb drama of "Poly-
ecute," when that heroine becomes a
Christian, "Je vols, je sails, je crois, je
suis Christienne enin"-a speech with
which she was used to electrify her au-
diences in the days Of her glory.
Her life at LIE Cannot was very simple.
She rose at minday, and spent deal of
time In sewing, an occupation which
whilst it kept her employed, did not ex-
cite her as did reading and conversation.
She also received few visits, and some
times, when feeling well enough, played
cards--her favorite amusement. She was
now always gentle and kind and still
paid considerable attention to her dress,
which usually consisted of white mus
lin or silk peignoir, with natural flowers
In her hair. The kindness and attention
OF her sister Sarah cannot be exaggerated;
she who was usually impetuous and i'll
tempered was now beyond praise patient
and loving.
1t would be difficult to pescribe the
interest which was manifested, not only
in France, but all ovet the world, in the
welfare of woman who had once
played the guitar in the street
OF Paris. kilograms of inquiry were sent
daily from half the courts of Europe, es-
pecially from that of st. Petersburg and
the quantity offruit and flowers which
arrived for her acceptance was positively
incredible. Many ladies and gentlemen
of distinction, from Nice, went in person
to inquire after her. I remember that
one day Nine. S. went with her daughter
and took me, then very small child.
with them. was perched on the box
with the coachman.
On arriving at the Villa Sardon, we
found Rachel, as the day was very fair,
in the garden. She wore white dress
and an old black-and-white plaid shawl
wrapped round her body and head. She
came to the door of the brougham, and
received the flowers my friends brought
her with pleasant courtesy. 1 had be-
come in the meantime rather restless,
and manifested strong inclination to
get down. The ladies entered the house,
and still I renamed on my perch, no one
paying me am attention. Presently
Rachel turned round and said to the
coachman in her peculiarly resonant
voice:
"Faites, done, descendFe Get enfant.n
l shall never forget the tone of the
woman who uttered it. 1 can see her
now: A very small, nake-liked, but
beautifully shaped head; features small,
but straight and regular; hair raven black
and simply bound up behind In a knot;
eyes peculiar-one, am sure, smaller
than the other. The last peculiarly was
so remarkable, at least to me, that took
special note of 1t in the room afterwards.
l cannot recollect what occurred during
the visit, but do remember being pre-
sented with handkerchief, containing a
quantity of marrons glances, which, ike
the contented witch, I munched and
munched on my homeward journey.
On January /, 1858, she became sud-
denly worse, and on the following Friday
her life was despaired of. She rallied
again on the Saturday, but On Sunday,
the 9Th, all hope was again abandoned.
~ am dying, Sarah, she said, and shall
soon be with my sister Rebecca, and then
God will show mercy Rebecca was
her favorite sister, and died, when only
twenty, of consumption.
Early IN the morning of that fatal Sun
day, she wrote affectionate letters to her
parents in Paris. Sarah, seeing her sis
tiers danger, summoned the Rabbi and
Jewish singers from Nice. They APP
preached the bed and began mournful
chant in the Hebrew language. "Ascend,
o daughter of Israel, to God. Behold,
o Lord God, the agony of thine hand
maiden, Rachel, and pity her sufferings.
Shorten her pains, good Lord, and break
these bonds which bind her to life, that
she may be at rest. Lord God, pity Thy
servant, and take her unto Thee, and let
her agony redeem her sins, so that she
may find peace" Whilst they were still
singing, Rachel fell asleep in death. Just
as the soul and body parted, she pressed
her devoted sisters hand and opened her
eyes, to fix them on her with an express
sion of tender affection. Six hours later,
Dr. Mature felt the corpse and found it
flexible, even warm; and it was long be-
fore he permitted 1t to be placed in the
coffin.