Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-29
CAREER
"Claude yignOB," Nine. RouTier,
Who Ought to Have Been "Aadame
the Minister OF Commerce.
sculptor Ability, a Writer on POliti-
cal Economy, Il Newspaper Corre-
spondent and Cook.

ucb a tapple that foreigners may be excused
DR. following the example OF the natives and
aking no more than purely personal IN
crest in il. The question whether Is IN
r 3 is out is one of certain import 10 all
Il US according 10 our feeling for the parties.
bu this ground. perhaps, the most intelligi-
DE Way of looking at the late crisis and
hanRe of ministry ia 10 regard II subject
or regret that "Claude Vignon" did not
gaiu become MADAME the Minister" oil
commerce. She was on the eve OF obtaining
his just compensation OF honor tor troubled
and stormy life. NJ. Rouvier was named Tor
+ he post in the Gambetta interest, but az the
Eleventh hour il was felt that il would make
he old dictator too powerful. 1t was ply
Tor h m az we'll Is for his wife, and in some
sort 4 pity for the countryside knows more
|.bT Commerce 10 It's political aspect than any
i bther ian in France.
There is a peculiar interest in "Claude
.Vi1aou's" career because it illustrates one of
he most serious difficulties OF the new regime
1.-The attempt to attack it through its wo-
|m.nkind, Political m alice having exhausted
itself on the men, an attempt has been made
10 show that the women Of The Republic can
never lead society as il has been led by the
women OF the Faubourg. On the eve Of the
formation of the Gsmbetta ministry France
Twas solenlnly warned OF the danger Of max
ling minieters out of men whose domestic re-
lations were not entirely free from suspicion.
|There we're many guesses as TO the persons
referred to, and by way OF relieving the
public uncertainty in regard TO one OF them
at least a conservative journal fitted the cap
With some osfentat on the-AAad- of n.
f Rouvier.
Mime. Rouyier was one OF the most beauti-
& ful women of her time; she was also one of
f the most accomplished. As writer she is
known as "Claude Vignon," and if her works
f do not hold the highest rank, they have an
essentially Partisan charm. She is more
. than q Writer-she is 4 woman OF the world
and an accomplished artist in every sense
. As quite young woman she was the Sou p-
i tress Of the day, aud men with long memo
ries can tell you OF bust from her chisel
| that was the sensation at the salem of 1858.
She was regularly taught, she went through
the studio of Pr raider, and she was employed
through his interest on great public works
The cnpids PLAYING rouod the fountain In
the Square Mont olon are by her hand. She
has fashioned successfully notable "Bac-
chus" and a notable IN. Tniers." The wide
difference between the two may serve
to show the range Of her powers.
At this time Of her life, with
her beauty add her genius, she was
adored by all Paris, and she certainly was
one of the mort prominent figures OF that
early period of the empire which for brief
space seemed to have revived the glories OF
the grand steele OF French history. But all
this was soon to change. The beautiful
"Caude Vignon," who might have had all the
world to chose from, chose 10 throw herself
1t the feet Of one of the ugliest, dirtiest,
smallest and most eccentric men Of his time.
This was a certain ex-Abbe Cons ant, who, as
an unfrocked priest, bad passed through al
most every grade OF human eccentricity. He
began by the most devout and uuc ious piely.
He sat at The feet Of his bishop and OF his
spiritual teachers, and seemed to dread
froWn from Mons. DupoDloup more than
fhunderbolt from heaven. He was a good
deal too fervid to last in any one direction.
His passionate love of his maker soon
swerved into passionate love of humanity;
he refashioned the Bible as Bible OF liberty
and went with ardor into the social regen-
Grafton of the race. His prlestly superiors,
of course, would have nothing of THE,
and in his next incarnation we hnd him
unfrocked and in business as magician
by the name of Ceiphas Levy. He was
no vulgar impoetor, no man who told for
tunes for a fee, but he had siucerely per
suaded himself that he had TO deal with
science, and that all that was necessary was
to bring the speculatious of the earlier
magicians into harmony with the modern
scientific method. Just, therefore, as he had
written and tslked about the Christian faith,
80 did he talk and Wriie about the mysteries
of the triangle of Pantacles, the conspiracy
of the four, the flaming pantsgrace, the
medium and the mediation, the septeunate
of the talismen, the triple chain, the great
work, the magic equilibrium, the emerald
table, the univeTesE key. For yeaFe he
went out for his walk on the Boulevard
Montparnasse in sorI OF msgician's gown.
He was so busy with the stars that he forgot
to comb his hair. He was what French
women in their expressive language would
call horror, and such as be was he fasci
mated he beautiful "Claude Vignon" and per-
suaded her to cast her lot with his. Who
shall deny that there was something in his
magic after alp
The union was a wretchedly unhappy one.
The wild magician had persuaded her into
it mainly by a demonstration OF the beauty
and even the necessity of universal love. Sc
long as this need was supplied by the sff c.
ton which she had given to him, Claude
Vignon" could have had no hing 10 object to
it: but unfortunately the little man IN the
dressing-gown soon began to look upon her al
q grain Of sand on the shore Of the immenst
ocean of his Affections. He loved right ano
.Saeft, and with a curious emem 5rance OF his
old prieetly way OF looking at things, h'
loved with very little distinction OF persons
His history soon became vulgar scandal
for "Claude Vignon" saw her house invaded
bv the most degraded of her sex. She lef
him, of course. Her more matured experi
ence could hardly find adequate expression
in art, so she took to writing. Her book
had not the same hold on the public o
Nine, SAnds, al hough she had lived mucl
the same life. Bu, 10 those who knew ho'
70 read them were Of unequaled IN
terest. Their very titles were some
times expressive. Take ReUohed
a case in point, wherein the beautiful peni
tent seems to chronicle her return 10 tn
society and the usages of civilized life Iron
which she had run away. Finally sh
wrought out her penitence in the most ap
proved fashion by hard work. This woms
who had passed most of her time in dream
ing, took the political correspondence oil on
of the most serious journals in Europe, tn
Independence Beige, and for years, as at thi
very dsy, was to be seen in the ehanlbe
preparing her letter on the parllamentar
debate for the nights post Much OF he
beauty had faded or it WAS only 10 be trace
nv those who know how to look at woma
as artists know how TO look at the fragmen
of a statute Her form had los: all lis graz
and only the bright eye and outline of nos
and brow were there to tell how beaulifr
she had once been. Nothing could excee
her stesduess in what most men 10 "a
nothing of most womsn) would think tho
oughly fatiguing labor, and nothing coul
exceed her success. Tue ardor of her nj
ture served her in good stead in her reforms
ton, as il had served her in bad stead in h
follies. She found out everything that W
ness Of the Chamber than the deputies iher
selves. She questioned every one, and new
wanted half a dozen trusty messengers
high or low places TO fetch and carry liter
at her bidding. In the course OF her wor
and really only as sort OF incident oil I
daily letter, she met with Nj. RouVIer, I
Marseilles deputy, who is in every respect
contrast TO the magician. Nj. Rouvier beg
by successfully managing one oil the larg'
business houses in Marseilles, and he
ended thus far in making himself the
knowledged authority in the chamber
questions of political economy. He is as gu
and self contained as the little msgician "
- expensive, and he washes himself eve
day. This man offered his hand to Clau
VignoH aud wss accepted, and under
roof she has lived for years an exenpl'
life. she las returned to her sculpture
an amusement, and befpre she goes to
chamber every day she finds time to spe
an hour or two with her modelling toe
and to preserve by practice the secret OF Il
mastery touch which completely separa
her work from that ofIhe amateur. She
one other taste, and must the truth De {
about il? She is not averss TO good eatl
but into this as into sll other things she c
ries the saving principle OF her good la
Once a week at least the dinner Is prePal
by her own hand, aud when she is not at
chamber or in her oteiier, you may be sur
and her in her kitchen.
OriEi" OIL 'ne BODY oay.''
"Johu Browns Soul is Marching On"
Foster Sweetser, in his late book on 30
E,o~1 Warren rAlates the SON