New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-04
PARIS TOPICS.
A. GREvY IN HIS SEVENTIETH YEAR-THE
STORY OF JEAN MISTRAL.

I,s birthday was August 10 1913. and its return
for e;obteen years Concided with the fete of the
Napoleonic dynasty. The 10th OF August Is also
the date on which the Church Of Rome celebrates
the NEUROLOGICAL assumption by the Virgin Mary oil
the Crown of Heaven. The fact that our Chet
MAGISTRATE was not given the name of Marie as wen
rs those of Francois Paul Jules shows that his
parents shared in the VoltaiTan feeling which was
strong among the French peasantry at the time OF
his birth That event has been impudently repre-
scented by the monai chica journals as having taken
place seyenty-six years ago. On the day following
yesterday the one on hch history was thus ialsl-
fed. the Bourse was alarmed By rumor that NJ
Grevy was suffering from an attack OF paralysis
Tho President of the Republic ENJOYS eNceIlehI
bealth lie leads n regular and wel-ordered me-
cong 10 bed as half past 10 at night ana rising at
q I'm The morning. lie is inclined to De ply Slcally
indoent except when stimulated by his native
mountain air But he reacts sufficiently against
the tofpor Of Lis body not to be prey to fatty de-
generation. Every evening when there IS not an
official dinner at the Elysee lie makes rule 10
speid fOm half TO three-Quarters OF an hour al the
billiard table Between his first breakfast. which
takes place at half pas; :, and o'clock the h"nr
when he receives informal visits he walks many
times round the garden Of the Elysee. HIS morning
audiences are granted in the east wing of the palace
hop,ely air 1t is fitted up with furniture taken
from, tbe Rue St Arnaud where NJ Grevy lived for
many wears before lie went to the Elysee The
rest of his lares and Pendtes stored IN garrett
of the palace. The walls of his morning room are
adorned with valuable pictures. and there are
handsome bronzeS the chimney piece and Oh desks
and stands NJ. Grevy was formerly often consulted
by artists When he gave advice for love aud not
or money he was sent work OF art as token OF
yagard and gratitude The President Is naturally
coupoiSseur and something of an amateur. lie mas
n good eve for horse, dog, statue CT picture, ana
discriminating ear for mlsC. Before he rose 10
the Presidency of the Assembly, his house was
resorted to by distinguished artists. Madame
Gro,y was distant relative of Capoul, and Ike
him a native of Languedoc. She was married in
lsiS. the year in which Grevy was sent to the
Assembly He was Of humble BIRTH ana so was
abe. but she has always had tho good sense not to
affect the airs and graces of ine-ladyhOod All the
worldly goods she possessed, including body and
bed linen some furniture and money saved, are
inscribed In the marriage contract as being worth
5000 francs.
Reality IN the Pecq murder case outdld the nc
tiops of Gaboriau and Paul Feval. 1t out Reades
Charles Reade in the Jean Mistral affair. Jean
Mistrsl is wietched being who, under the iniqui-
tous French law of 1888, clapped in a mad
bouse by his father. When incarcerated he was IN
sound mind But consciousness of the grevous
wrong dono him. forced separation from wife to
whom he was attached. and association with luna
tics have rendered him insane What wonderI tie
has been forty-twO years III madhouse. ana Is the
owner of a fortune estimated at 6O.0OOOOO francs.
Jean Mstral is n first cousin OF the poet of his
name who writes in the Provencal dialect. The
unhappy millionaire is the only son but not the
only child of a manufacturer of artificial thistles or
buIrs for dressing coarse cloth The other chlld
was married TO a converted jew named Barnard
at TarascOn. wneIe the paternal factory WAS
situated great part of the sixty millions has been
produced by the interest simple and compound,
which has accrued to the madmans heritage since
he was locked up in 1910. Jean Mistral's story is
thus given b, "A first cousin OF the name OF Four
mar. who has been for some time eXerting himself
10 get him released from the asylum and kept under
surveillance in house of his own. The French code
1nercifullv rules shat rich lunatios are not to be
sent to Inadhouses but placed under the charge of
KEEPERS Mt home sent to board III private
families licensed to take them in. The object of the
license is to bring such families within tho ken of
lnnacv commissioners. jean Mlstrals story is as
follows
He was an only son and employed by his father
as commercial traveller for the factory OF artih-
oial thistle-heads. Somewhere in Germany he went
70 concert and fell violently IN love with the
daughter Of Polish nobeman who sang Mt it. She
had been reared in ailuence but her father being
exiled and his estates contisoated, she became
singer to support him and herself. II appears that
she wns woman Of rare beauty and feasibility.
There was not in S37 such great market for lyric
stars as there now is. Jean Mstral had some diff
Guilty in obtaining an introduction TO her. They
entered into a matrimonial engagement. The
Young Pruvencal returned TO TaraScon 10 ask his
father to consent TO the union. The manufacturer
said that everything would depend on the fortune
of the young lady. "She has none to signify"
replied the son. Her father is nODleman. but In
exile: and there is no chance Of the estates which
have been confscated by the Gar being restored
10 him" ain that case said old Mstral, she
shall never be ,Our wife. Never! do you hear me
Never" The young man did not attempt to change
his fathers determination by force of argument.
He wrote to the singer to tell her of his failure
but implored her TO believe in his constancy.
Affairs dragged on quietly for about SIN months,
when Mistral the elder told Jean that he had made
up n match between him and the daughter Of rich
shp-owncr at MarSeilles. She was to be splendidly
lowered. aud was young, accomplished and beau
tiful In about seven weeks the marriage was to
take place. Mstral the younger excused himself
and could not he brought to pay visit to the
young lady and her parents. His Obstnacy was
cause of heart-butnng and pickering. The father
refused to hold personal relations with bin, but
still employed him as a traveller in which capacity
lie again sent him to Germany, where tue Polish
lady again appeared. She seemed more beautiful
than ever aud becoming public favorite at
Munich. Jean took bold resolution. 1t was to
marry her and then bring her back to larascon,
where her loneliness, he hoped, would gain all his
friends to her side and subJugate his father. The
Old man only eXasperated by the sympathy
she inspned among his relatives in Provence lie
entirely brC'.o with Jean and turned him ont Of