New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-23
THE DEATH OF RACHEL.

her having unfortunately neglected it, it eventually
settled on her lungs, and in a few mOnths uIteT1y
DESTROYED the constitution of this very remarkable
woman. Winter in Egypt, far from improving
her health, seems rather to have sggraVateo neG
malady and on her return to france Sa as7 was a.
Nice NJ SardOu, with exquisite pollteness, al once
placed his villa mt her disposal, and on her accept
ing it, NJ Mario Neehard the accompiisnea a't tTa
of La Fiammeta,o who was lnhabltlng IL al Inc
time withdrew to another residence near Cannes.
Wien Rachel left Paris she was fully aware that
her last days were f dTaws to oe her relatives
and frier ds she ordered her carriage ana
drove to the front of the Theatre Fran
cais where she stayed long time contemplating the
scene of her 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 express
sion on her wonderful countenance spoke vOiunle
of mental ,ufferings and blighted nope. Inc Jour
ney to the South was performed Dy shorG ana easy
stages. At Dragugnan, one OF the stations on Ino
road a beggar woman happened to come TO the door
of the inn Just Mile. Rachel was gettlng INTO heT
carriage Touched by the story told by the poor old
creature the great tragedienne opened her purse
and rave her two or three gold pieces. Thls ACT OF
generosity exasperated Mile. Sarah: who was OIL
very parsmOnious character ana she Eemons5rated
sharply with her sister for her prodigality Raene
duietly answered, My sister what does IL InaJter
In a few days shall be dead: Let me do what ut
tle good can before go. If the old woman IS an
impostor 40 much the worse for hers God will judge
with what intentions gave her aims"
On arriving at lie Cannot she was received Dy
Maure her physician. When she was introduced IN
to her sleeping apartment she was seized with such
parOXysin Of terror at the sight OF the STATUE OF
P0lymnia that her attendants thought she had Iost
her rcasOn She stood before 1T, trembling from
head to foot her brow contracted her eyes flashing,
her usually pale cheeks glowing VIII an for
Gods sake, take it awayW she cried IN tne noiloW
voice which had often struck awe into the hearts
of thousands. "Take it away! 1t has sealed my
doom for under its shadow shall surely die" In
few minutes her derium for such it really appeared
to be- so increased that before the statue could De
removed she was in strong commissions, when were
succeeded by death-liAe tOrpOr. On recovering her
senses, she explained the cause of the horror the
statue had accustomed On the hIgnI OF ISn ayyso
in chamber all draped in white; In the centre stood
the figure Of POlymnia which seemed to cry OUT 10
her: " Under the shadow of my hand thou snalt
surely die" This story was no invention, as was
aftcrward found by reference to an entry IN an od
dary Strange to relate the statue could not be re-
moved from the room, and was only concealed, Wlth-
ont h, r knowledge, in an alcove behind her bed.
Rachel, like many exceedingly imaginative people;
was given to what in other persons would oe cailed
living She would at times tell the most extra0rdl.
nary untruhs. and IN perfect good 1atn so Enao
her brother Raphael once told me 1t was dflcult 10
sift out tho truth from the falsehood in what she
said If she liked people, she imagined and related
Il thousand agreeable anecdotes about them; and
If she hated them, any number OF enOrmlteS 10 IL
uSrate their evil Qualities Az lie GSag tbat she
was inwar,ly pre- pairing for the change that await
ed her. Almost the only book she now read was the
what she considered its literary merits to be- she said
gravely, q do not care what they are. If, Mon,
sicur, had been carefully ednGated anu traIneu
from my youth, and had read this book earlier IN
life, Il should have been different woman. an
wise YOU to read it with attentions its perusal Will
do YOU no HARM" She frequently retired 10 her
room TO pray. and on several occasions held long
conversations with friends upon religious SUBJECTS
have been assured that shortly before her death,
she was converted to Catholicism and privately
WHEN Wien in Rome, in 1851, Rachel had frequently
expressed her admiration OF Christianity
by tho splendOr of the rites in the
various baSilicas 1t was during the soJqnnrn
i'm the Eternal CITY that she was presented to Plus
TX under somewhat singular circumstances. She
was visiting the gardens OF the Vatican toward
the close of very mild evening, when suddenly the
was walking. She knct as the POntif passed.
and on one OF his attendants whispering who she
Rachel bowed low. His Holiness addressed few
kindly words to her and asked her some questions
on her religious opinions. Whether purposely or
by accident, she is said to have answered IN the
words spoken by Pauline in Comedies superb
drama of " Polyeucte," when that heroine becomes
Christian: Je vols je sas, Je eroIs 70 suis Cnre
to ecctriy her audiences in the days OF her glory
Her life at lie Cannot was worry simple she rose
Mt midday and spent o deal of time in sewing, an
occupation which. whilst it kept her employed did
not excite her as diG reading and conversation.
She also received few visits, and sometimes, when
feeling we'll enough played cards-her Isyorl1e
amusement She was now always gentle and kind,
and still paid considerable attention to her dress
which usually consisted OF white muslin or snl SIX
pcignor with natural flowers in her halr. The
kindness aud attention of her sister Sarah cannot
bo exaggerated; she who was usually impetuous
and illtempcred was now beyond praise patient ana
loving It would be difficult to describe the interest
which was manifested, not only in Franco, put all
over the world, in the welfare OF q woman VINO ma
once played the guitar i'll the streets OF ParlS ieIe-
grams Of inquiry were sent daily from half the
courts of Europe especially from that OF ST. Peters
burg; and the quantity OF frult ana overs whep
"A Gov npo nOqiflVplV
BILE Many ladies and gentlemen OF distlnctlo9
from Nice went in person to inquire after neri
remember that one day Mime s. went with her
daughter and took me, then very small enid,
with them. / was perched on the box with the
coachman. On arriving at the villa Sardou, we
found Rachel, the day was very fair in tho gar
den. She wore white dress, and an old black
aud-whitc plaid shawl wrapped round her body and
head. She came to the door of the Or0ugham, ana
received the flowers my friends brought her with
pleasant courtesy. | had become in the meantime
rather restless, and manifested strong inclination
get down. The ladies entered the house, and still
remained on my perch, no one paying me any at;
tcntion. Presently Mile. Rachel turned round and
said to the coachnan, in her peculiarly resonant
voice: "Fatcs, done, dcScendre Get enfant" L
shall never forget the tone or the woman who ut
tered it, can see her nOw very small, snake-like
but beautifuly-shaped head; features small. but
straight and regular; hair raven black and simply
bound up behind in u knot; eyes peculiar-One,
am sure smaller than the other The last peculi-
arity was SD remarkable, at least to me, that took
special note of it in the room afterwards. cannot
rccOllect what occurred during the visit, but l do
remember being presented with handkerchief I con.
tninng quantity of marons glaces, which; like the
c0ntented witch, munched and munched on my
hOmcward journey.
On January l. 1853, she became suddenly worse,
and on tho following Friday her life was deSpaired
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 favorito sister, and died,
when only twenty, Of consumption. Early in the
morning Of that fatal Sunday she wrote aflectonate
1nttn IN hpr n0rantS in PnriS Sarah. seeing her
sisters danger, summoned the Rabbi and Jewish
singers from Nice. They approached the, bed and
began mournful chant in tho Hebrew language:
Ascend, oh daughter Of Israel, to God. Behold o
Lord God, the agony of thine handmaiden, Rachel,
and pity her suilerings Shorten her pains good
so that she may be at rest. Lord God, pity Thy
servant and take her unto Thee, and let her agony
Rnnl,nl