Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-26

once these and his sister Jeanne Is announcer.
The other afternoon seated myself on one
of the iron chairs at the Rendezvous des
Decaves and opened my evening tournai 20
read the latest news. This finished 4 ~.
tended 10 keep an eye ON the wicked woriu
% II passed and repassed that famous sor.
ner. s.Ahl" said 10 an acquaintance tna,
sat next to me, "the gambler Blanc ana MS
yacht have arrived al Quebec
ut Is very extraordinary, quite coinc''
dcnce,v claimed her ladyship IN repiy 70
nv remark. I saw nothing extraoru'nafy
nor even coircident about the arrival OF
Blanc and his yacht, and said as much 70
Marie Louise. whereupon she INFORMED ine
that nj the very moment was reading the
item aforementioned the Princess Jeanne
Bouaparte was passing before US on ncI
way e. the bois. Edward Blanc and Jeanne
Ronanarte are sort OF relations; her bro
,ber married his sister and with the money
tbus obtained made himself solid with his
army mess. and also made his sister Jeanne
a ye,y happy little woman. Hers has
heen curious, almost tragic history.
She Is In her twenty-fourth year, and
a. the youngcs, child OF the Prince
Pierre Bonaparte. Now, the Prince Pierre
was never Ia the odor OF sanctiiv or OF favor
nj the Imperial Court, and when, In 1897,
Napolcon Ill. confiscated the estates OF the
Orleans princes. the same decree contained
a clause which forbade his cousin Pierre
from retaining his paternal estates, con-
Gscated at the time OF the restoration. In
exchange the Prince received a modest
pension, paid not by the State. but by the
Emperor out Of his private funds, aud was
revokable at the slightest caprice OF the
sovereign, as was the case when the Prince
declared his intention OF marrying Mile.
Clemence Ruin. daughter OF a mechanic
residing in the Faubourg st. Antoine.
While a member Of the corps 'egisatif,
and sitting on the opposition benches, the
| Prince Pierre met Mile. Ruflin at the house
| OF one Of his colleagues and was greatly I'M
| pressed by her beauty. Besides being beau"
| tiful. the young girl was well educated, ana
| had received from her grandfather. an ex-
| officer Of the first empire, profound ADM
ration OF the NapoleOnic dynasty. she com
| pIetely won the Princes heart, and as the
| Empcror would not consent to their mar
riage-a consent necessary 10 give II legal
| ity in Trance-they were secretly mar
ried by a Corsican priest in the
| Church OF Saint German FAuXerrois
in the presence OF four witnesses.
They then went TO Belgium, where
civil marriage was due celebrated, ano
this was repeated in France alter the down.
| fall OF the empire. After his marriage the
| Prince broke of all intercourse with the
| Tuilleries and went to live at Auteui, IN
| the little house which became the scene OF
| the shooting Of Victor Noir, an event that
| came near causing serious street liot, ana
| in which Henri Rochcfort first distinguish
| ed himself rs q democratic leader. FIVE
children were born Of the marriage OF
Pierre Bouaparte and Mile. Rubin; three
OF these died in infancy; the two who sur
viycd. Prince Roland and Princess Jeanne.
were brought up In the midst OF the dissl-
pated friends Of their father, and allowed
| TO run wild IN the park around the little
house at Autouil, a park which was filed
with wild beasts.
Pierre BoDnparte had passion for dan
gerous pets, aud owned a regular MENACE
| RE of lions and bears. His favOrite was "A
| large lioness, which he had taught to come
| and lie down at his feet, and which was al
| lowed 20 roam about the park at will, much
| TO the alarm OF bis guests. One day the
Princes Anna Mllrat called, and came near
| being torn 10 pieces by this beast; and even
| the little Jeanne herself, although on inti-
| mate terms with the animal. had on more
| than one occasion. when playing too Ia
miliarIy with 1t, TO be RESCUED from tue
| claws OF the savage pet. One day
| the lioness jumped over the park wall
and terribly frightened lot OF young
| schoolgirls who were passing by al the
| time. Complaints were made to the mare,
| who sent deputation OF municipal coun-
| cillors 10 interview the Prince, aud he was
| finally induced TO part with bis private me-
nagerie. The events OF 1870 forced Pierre
Bonaparte TO leave France, and he went to
n Il. ,n1 l.p
children. Here he made his home in lit
tle house in the midst Of the Ardennes,
where he could freely indulge in his fond
ness for hunting, his two children ire
Uuently accompanying him on his eXpedi-
tions. One day in the depth OF wintei
their home was destroyed by fire, and they
all went 10 London, where the family was
reduced TO such straits that II was only
the pluck Of the mother, who opened
| dressmaking establishment, that saved them
| from starvation. The establishment failed,
now ever. 10 give them fortune, and then
thcy returned 10 Paris, where they proved
a thorn in the side OF the Imperialist party,
| the sight OF branch Of the Bonaparte fam
ily reduced TO work for LIVING not being
one that could further its popularity with
the people. A purse was made up among
the leaders and offered the Princess on con-
dihon that she and her children would take
up their residence in Italy. This condl-
iiou she refused, saying that her children
were French and not Italians, and she had
no right 10 expatriate them.
So she struggled along, sonnet mes re.
duced TO such want that iihheie would be
! nothing In the house for dinner. and one
/ day she was forced TO accept the e1arity oil
| her concierge to keep herself and children
| from starvation. There was only one OF
ibe ex.ministers OF Napoleon III. who
would do ANYTHING for the unfortunate
lady and her children. This was M.
| Duiay. who. when their condition was
brought TO his notice, said: 81 owe all |
have to the Emperor, and have made vow
that would never see B0napaite IN want
without giving him assistance lie sent
Prince Roland to the Lycee Louis-le-Grand,
and later on provided him with the means
ia enter the st. Cyr military school. The
little Princess Jeanne had also been study
inc. and she made such progress in art That
when her brother graduated u 1877 4
painting signed by her nau already been
accepted az the salon. Soon she was able
TO earn her living ana that OF her mother
with her pencil, and many OF the illustrated
papers Of those days contain designs signed
"Jeanne de Bonaparte.'
At the drawing-class she had met Marie
Blanc, one OF the heiresscs TO the many
millions won at the tables OF Monte Carl'
by the founder OF that famous gambling
hell. The friendship Of the two girls wa
the prelude TO match between the brothe
| Of Jeanne and her friend Marie Blanc
G There was q good deal OF opposition
c and much intriguing to prevent TN
, union. which the Bonapartists IL
v garded az mesalliance even wors
(. than that which the Princes lathe
I | had committed before him, but III
a Blanc millions won the day, and wbe
l. the heirsss OF the Monaco gambling-laOlt
o became the Princess BonapIte her nrst a.
= was 10 give her sister-in-law dot OF wv
o millions. This soon brought the suitors
z crowds 10 Jeanne's feet, and she sclecte
u from among them the Marquis Christia
70 dc yilleneuye. whose acquaintance Of
l. made I'm the following way Her cousil
,e M. WISE, wishing to publish poem th
Ne he had composed In the Provencale diaisc
It asked her 10 illustrate The work Tor hii
id She consented. but rs she was not
=. milar with that dialect the harqu
,u | was asked to make q translation OF
Id for her. Their studies over the lang
ne d'omo~, tongue almost as harm
dc Nous 40 that Of Dante and Beatric
m, led TO their "closing the volume"
Is. speak OF love on their own account. II
re Princess Jeanne now resides IN han
nr- some mansion on the Avenue harcea
he She and her husband adore each othe
he and their salon Is purely artistic al
"a literary one, from which politics a