Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-04
THE DEATH OF RACHEL /.

emory at the Jewish Synagogue of New
York IN 1866, and that through her hay
ing unfortunately neglected it, it eventu-
ally settled on her lungs, and in a few
months utterly destroyed the constitution
Of this very remarkable woman. A WIN
ter in Egypt, far from improving her
health, seems rather to have aggravated
her malady, and on her return to France
she was advised to spend the following
session of 1867 at Nice. M. Sardou, with
exquisite politeness, at once placed his
villa at her disposal, and, on her accept
ing it, M. Mario Nechard, the accom-
plished author of "La Fiammeta," who
was inhabiting it at the time, withdrew
to another residence near Cannes.
When Rachel left Paris she was fully
aware that her last days were drawing
near, and before bidding long fare ~ell
to her relatives and friends she ordered
her carriage and drove to the front of the
theatre Franchise, where she stayed a
long time contemplating the scene of hel
greatest triumphs. According to her
sister, Mile. Sarah Felix, who was in the
carriage with her, she did not, while thus
employed, utter single word; but the
rapid changes of the expression on hel
wonderful countenance spoke volume
of mental sufterings and blighted hope.
The journey to the South was per
formed by short and easy stages. At
Dragulgnan, one of the stations on the
road, beggar woman happened to come
to the door Of the Inn just as Mile. Rach-
Ell was getting into her carriage.
Touched by the story told by
the poor old creature, the great traged1-
enne opened her purse and gave her two
or three gold pieces. This act of gener-
osity exasperated Mile. Sarah, who was OF
a very parsimonious character, and she
demonstrated sharply with her sister for
her prodigality. Rachel quietly an
swered, "My sister, what does it matter?
In a few days I shall be dead. Let me
do what little good I can before I 60. If
the old woman is an impostor, SO much
worse for her; God will Judge with what
intentions gave her aims"
On arriving at LIE Cannot she was re-
ceived by several eminent persons,
amongst others, by DR.. Mature, her physi-
clan. When she was introduced into her
sleeping apartment she was seized with
such paroxysm of terror at the sight of
the statue of Polymnia that her attend
ants thought she had lost her reason.
She stood before it, trembling from head
to foot, her brow contracted, her eyes
flashing, her usually pale cheeks glowing
with an unnatural hectic flush. "Take
away the dreadful statue; tor Gods sake,
take it awayw she cried IN the hollow
voice which had so often struck awe into
the hearts of thousands. "Take it away
It has sealed my doom, for under its
shadow I shall surely die In few
minutes her delirium, for such it really
appeared to be, so increased that, before
the statue could be removed, she was In
strong commissions, which were succeed
ed by death like torpor. On recover
ing her senses, she explained the cause
OF the horror the statue had occasioned.
On the night of July s, 1852, she had a
dream, in which she fancied herself In a
chamber all draped in white; in the cen
ire stood the figure of Polymnia, which
seemed to cry out to her, Under the
shadow of nay hand thou shalt surely
dle.' This story was no invention, as
was afterward found by reference to an
entry in an old diary. Strange to relate,
the statue could not be removed from the
room, and was onlySconcealed, without
her knowledge, IN an alcove behind her
bed.
Rachel, like many exceedingly imag-
NATIVE people, was given to what IN otE-
er people would be called lying. She
would at times tell the most extraordin-
airy untruths, and in perfect good faith,
so that her brother Raphael once told me
it was really difficult to sift the truth
from the falsehood in what she said. If
she liked people she imagined and relat-
ed thousand agreeable anecdotes about
them; and if she hated them, any num-
Der of enormities to illustrate their evil
qualities. At LIE Cannot, however, a
gravity came over her which showed that
she was inwardly preparing for the great
change that awaited her. Almost the
only book she now read was the "Imita-
ton" Being asked by askeptical Trend
what she considered its literary merits to
be, she gravely, 81 do not care what they
are If, monsieur, had been carefully
educated and trained from my youth, and
had read this book earlier in life, should
have been a different woman. / advise
you to read it with attention; its perusal
will do you no HARM" She frequently
retired to her room to pray, and on sever
al occasions held long conversations with
friends upon religious subjects. I have
been assured that shortly before her
death she was converted to Catholicism
and privately baptized.
When in Rome, in 1851, Rachel had fire.
quently expressed her admiration Of
Christianity, and was observed to be
greatly moved by the splendor of the
rites in the various basilicas. It was dur
ing the sujourn in Eternal City that she
was presented to Plus k, under some
what singular circumstances. She was
visiting the gardens of the Vatican, to-
ward the close of a very mild evenieg,
when suddenly the Pope and his court
travprspd tho ALLOW in which che nm,