Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-19


In that part of New York known as the
French quarter, which embraces a part OF
South Fifth avenue and Blocker street, saws
the Sun, reside, in humble apartments, many
relics of the old regime of France, Legiti-
mists, who fondly cling to the traditions and
asages Of France under the Bourbons
Strange scraps of private history, the only
true history, can be gathered from many of
these old Frenchmen and Frenchwomen
They are not all emiges, however. Some Of
them came over as artists, and some as arti-
sans, Tor an education in the mechanic arts
was not despised by the old regime of France
Many titled dame, or one who is, at any
rate, entitled to title, now makes dresses,
or bonnets. or artificial flowers, or mounts
fancy feathers, or cooks or gives Lessons in
various accomplishments, in New York, az
we'll as iu Paris. Many a stage star whose
name adorns the daily and weekly newspa-
pers OF half century ago dwells now in the
French quarters of New York az plain
Madame or Monsieur A, or Y. or a.
One OF these drtistes, a danseuse (she was
pupil OF the Vestris and Taglioni families),
a star who figured on the boards of the old
Park Theater in 1886 as Augusta, or Nine
Augusta, Ia now known in the French quar-
ter and in some of the old families of New
York, to whose daughters she teaches the
poetry of motion, as Nine. St. James. Nine.
st. James, or Nine. Augusta, was the last
representative OF that school of dancing and
pantomime introduced by Noverre in the
eighteenth century, and perfected by the
Vestrises and Taglionis. Nine. ST. James
was the wife, and is now the widow of no.
table emigre. Count de St. james, who was
the inspector of arts during the short reign
of Charles Y, fell in love with the beautiful
danseuse, the fsvorite pupil of Vesiris and
Taglioni poe, the friend and cotemporary
of Mime. Taglioni, though younger, and the
associate and friend of all the great artists
of that period. Tambourin, Lsplace, Pa
ganini, Pasta, Malibran, De Beriot, Sontag,
Rubini, Grill, Marie and Rachel were all
counted on the list OF the habitues OF the
salon of the Countess de 81. james in Paris
In her childhood Nine. 81. James saw and
heard the great Catalini, the most phenome-
nal of all the great singers She also knew
Charles Y and his conrt, enjoyed the court
patronage and afterward was favored by the
Beauhsrnais and the Tascher de la Psgerie
families, but not by the Bonapartists.
"My husband was too warm a Legtimist,"
says Mime. ST. James, "to be favored by the
Bonapartists or Republicans. He was de-
scendant of the royal house of Stuart OF
England, from a branch that took refuge in
France, and upon which the kings OF France
bestowed the name and title of Counts de St.
James. He was noble, sincere, honest, and
good husband and father. What more
could ask?"
"Neither on her part nor that OF the Count
de St. James was there any assumption OF
the rank which was theirs. Speaking of her
old triumphs as an artist, Nine. st. James
said: i met with such success in America
as you will see by the receipts of the Park
l u al. a.. L
every week in the New York Clipper"
She showed US the slips cut from the Clip
per from April, 1882, to April, 1872. 1t is 9
fact that the Augusta nights were as profit.
able to the management as those of Ellen
Tree.
She spoke with great kindness of Celeste
and Fanny Ellsler and Nine. Achille, another
famous dancer OF that day, but Mime. ST.
James plainly pointed out the difference be.
tween the ballet d'action as danced by hel
after the school of Taglioni and the bale
dicsi tisement as performed by Fanny Ellsler
Nine. Achilie and Celeste.
"The ballet was improved upon by No
verre in the eighteenth century. He was
made chief ballet master of the Roy Acad
envy of Music. He taught thai the bale
ddction was, or should be, drama or play
performed by dancing and pantomime, and
intended to speak through the eyes to the
very soul of the spectator. His artists spoke
not word, but by actions, movements, ges.
tures, dances, and, above all, by the expires.
sion of the countenance, the story ofthe play
was told. Thus the opera OF Sonnambald was
originally a vaudeville, spoken play acted
upon the boards OF the common theaters oil
Paris. Noverre or Vestris, / do not remenl-
Der which, converted il into ballet doctioa
When danced the ballet OF SonDambuld in
New York, in 1886, the opera was only six
years old. 1t was written by Bellini and
produced at Milan in 1881. But the ballet
was much older"
Among the few mementoes of her past life
and triumphs, Nine. 81. james has still in
her possession white satin banneret, on
which are printed extracts" from the Lou
isville Daily Gazette OF April 10, 1889, "pre-
sented to Augusta by the editor, I. Egerson
Brown" The style of panegyric 10 which
Augustus performance of "Amina," in Son
nambula, is commented upon would hardly
be permitted in any newspaper Of the present
day, but it is an evider:e of the intense en-
thusiasm with which she was received on her
tour through the United States.
Why the ST. James family preferred New
York as a residence to Paris, Nine. st.
james does not say. In fact, she is singular
ly reticent, without being reserved or
brusque. She is not egotistic, but it was
learned from simple fragments of chat with
her that after few years of comparative
prosperity succeeding her husbands death,
the former stage star, the modest, refined,
sensitive woman, has been too well acquaint-
ed with the shady side OF brilliant and
rarely innocent life. She is now six'y-seveu
years OF age is still pretty, with sweet and
amisble expression, and is devoted mother
10 her only surviving child, a confirmed in