New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-06
SIR CHARLES dixie.
HIS LIFE IN FRANCE-AsHTON DILKE-Mks.
CRAWFORD.

The Dixie Crawford divorce affair arouses con-
siderable interest here. Sir Charles Dixie still,
according to French ideas, young, and is to boot
tail, handsome and o man Of intellectual weight.
He is we'll known in French political circles and q
good deal known to the habituSs Of the Opera
House and Opera Comique, behind the scenes of
which influential Gambettists have taken him for
the last six years whenever he was hating here on
his journeys from London to the South of France.
do not say this TO lnsinuate that he was at all
man of light morals. He did not pass for being
such among those who had most opportunities of
seeing him in France. / used to meet him often
until his visits to Paris became extremely hurried.
When saw him at table observed that he was
temperate in eating and that the finest Burgundy
and Bordeaux could not tempt him metaphorica.ly
speakingl to lay aside his blue ribbon badge. Like
Samuel Morley, he became n temperance man
TO be able with q good conscience to recommend
Chelsea electors too fond of liquor to become total
abstainers. Sir Charles Dixie was accused Of en-
joying too much the good effect Of his appearance
when he promenaded on the Boulevards Among
Frenclimen he looked almost son of Anak and
was reckoned handsome. Though the son of COM
sumptive mother and threatened by the malady
which carried her off, he deserves to be
classed as fne-looking. The only symptom of
q morbid physical tendency that / could perceive
in him is O certain hollowness of voice which
strikes the distant ear pretty much as would
the deeped-mouthed baying of certain dogs. He
only comes to Paris IN winter. When here he wears
coat lined with magnificent Russian sables II is
just the sort of garment that would took admirable
in portrait by Bonnat. My impression of Sir
Charles Dixie is that he has the sort of amiabiity
which grows out of a desire to please. He is very
obhging, and know of him having often pat him
A. H..
obligations to persons who had not any claim upon
his kindness. Without being foppish or much of
dietante, he is fond of material elegance and is
both an amateur and connosseur OF curios He used
his place at Gap Brun, overlooking the Mediterra-
mean, in Celestial" style, and owns one of the
finest collections OF the pink family" porcelain.
made his acquaintance at the table Of an advanced
French Republican in 1872, when he was here
nowly married man. with his charming wife. She
was Irish. but had lived good deal in England
that lever saw. Her maiden name was Shiel She
had fine dowry. Before she became Lady Dixie
she was one of the bellies of Hove near Brighton
and Of tho Casino of Dieppe. Without being OK
acty beautiful she was more than pretty, had
high animal spirits, piquancy and intelligence, aud
she completely shared the political views of her
husband At the time Of her marriage they seemed
considerably more advanced than they are now.
Radicalsm not then having made greattheadway
in England. Before the general elections which
brought Lord Beaconsield into power Lady
bike went 10 electoral meetings with Sir Charles
and made no secret Of her Rcpnblcanism either in
London or Paris
IOuis Blanc, high tide OF Toryism in England.
The war0f l870'71 brought misery 80 France, but
n great wave Of prosperity to England which, max
ing under its influence lots of money, became Con-
servative. A reaction was caused against adj
vanced Liberalism by the Communal tnsurrcction
of Paris. Sir Charles Dixie. his wife said TO the
veteran French Socialist. had made himself obnox-
ious 10 the English Conservatives. who were not
called Jingocs for twoor three years latcr. He
had also made himself obnoxious to the Court set
by resisting demands for pensions for the Queens
children, and after tho fourth of Scpteanber de-
sorting from tho German ia, tine French anbu-
lanccs As Dr. Norman Macleod preached be-
fnro Her Majesty that Germany was dlvinely
auponted sceurgc TO fog the French for their sins,
hisintimacy with Republicans here made English
tuffhInters think him a bad lot" His wife en-
loved seeing him under a social clond She was
prone 10 relate the dreadful things whchshe heard
about him ] was not present ut the electoral
meetings at which she sat on the platform beside
faced perfect storm which roughs were engaged
IN getting up and IN her course or which stones
flew about her head, he qualied, not for his own
Tho yale. Her only child was born not long aftor.
She died in giving birth to him. In obedience 10
desire she often expressed her body was cremated
7 met SIR Charles not long after he returned from
that city subsequent to the incmeratoa OF his
wife's remains In all my life never saw man
so mentally and morally prostrate as he then was.
His late brother Ashton, who called on me on his
n rraS '' hack from a walking tour across Cen
trail Asia. feared that the death of Lady Dixie had
sbatcn The reason of Sir Charles Louis Blanc.
1'ernuschi aud other friends were OF the same
oninion and blamed the wife for imposing such
tr,nl on his nerves that OF committing her body
10 the flames, when cr9 tnOt w WAS HIvey
IN society began to revive reaction against Tory
,sm set in in England and the party in France with
,ba leaders of which the Radical baronet was so
,ntimato became all-powerful here Gladstone
Thought that Dilke's personal influence with them
n,i,bt helm the negotiations for renewal of the
Treaty OF Commerce and asked MIN 10 take the
49, ~ IInder-Secrctary Of State forF reignAfars.
which. Chaemel Laconr informed 0ambotta, the
iealousy of ord Granville rendered almost sine
cure Sir Charles pike ,a Know Was S Eery aPpbe
chief and was very glad TO quit the Foreign Depart
ment where lie was between his French political
friends and Lord Granville between the anvil aud
tba hummer This situation he himself never COM
blamed of here far as could ascertain. He ex-
cited AZ III greater jealousy by coming over to Paris
to attend the meetings on er Enh Sno
macy thought he should have left that to diplo-
matists Gambetta was Foreign Minister aud pre-
s;deJ NJ the debates. Sir Charles reasoned and
orgned with ability, and so did Mr.. JosephA Grove,
whom he had taken from the Consulate of Leipsic
to represent England and tho Committee aud who
fairs they both forgot that Gambetta was in
way Judge and party and that IL would have been
better to get round him than convince him lie
was man@uvring for bribe-the hand OF the
princess Beatrice The negotiators did not see this
and the negotiations fell to the ground.
Sir Charles Dilke's taste for flowers was rem ark
able and he INDUCED In 1t to the full. Whenever he
was in Paris, one might often sec him looking into
the windows of dealers In flowers, aud strOlling
ronnd the Madeleine Market. Mis- southern home
was beautified every whore with bloom as well as
with Chinese porcelain | never saw, anything
tookout that it commanded. There was not a
single object there in his study or smoking room
which suggested fast" sort of gallantry. He
mean and American-which showed that they ran
after him and that he particularly avoided them
The lady whose name figures with his. az. core
Sabatier who keeps there Protestant school, to
which Mrs Donald Crawfor sisters, Mrs. Harrf-
son isister-in-law Of Frederick harrso4) and Mrs;
was the Youngest of the three and Mrs. Ashton
Dixie the best endowed. intellectually speaking. l
know both ladies' and had the pleasure of intro
ducing Gambetta at dinner given TO Mrs, Ashton