The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27

A Visit to the Famous Novelist in Her Villa at
Florence.

with the son of a celebrated confeder-
ate general, the conversation turned upon OuIda
my companion "but she lives very much in re-
tirement since her unfortunate love affair with
the Marquis Of Stufa, a member of one of the
Oldest of the Florentine families Ouida has al
ways boasted that she above the weakness
of love. But she found the Marquis man of
literary tastes, artistic refinement and passion
ate energy, which interested her at once Ac-
quaintauce soon ripened into friendship
and afterward, on Ouida's part, into
love-her first love, and she maiden
of forty summers! But the Marquis, while he
admired the writer, only triAed with the woman.
He not only failed to return her affection, but
fell in love with fair Italian, less brilliant but
younger and more beautiful than herself. The
result of this affair was the novel of Friend
ship, in which Ouida gave her version of this
real romance, taking care to make the Marquis
a very weak character, like Hamlet infrm of
purpose but not possessing Hamlets superb
mental gifts. This love affair was not only
bitter dsappoin tment to Ouida. but it made her
for time the laughing stock of Florence For
weeks she shut herself up in her villa. with her
cats and dogs, and refused to see any visitors
Her evening drives to the Caclne and on the
Arno were abandoned and the places which had
once seen her every day now saw her no more.
Although this strict seclusion is no longer kept
up still she is much less accessible than she was
before this disappointment in love. She has
said Of love and women that the latter are the
exact antipodes of olives; the one begins in salt
and leaves US pleased with the delicious aroma;
the other is nectar to commence with, but how
soon they turn into very gall Nine times out
of ten a woman does not care rush for man
who is dying at her feet, while she is crazy
about some ugly brute who takes no more no
tice of her than he does of his dirty boots"
Notwithstanding Ouida's Sentimental retire
ment from the world at that time, she did not
refuse to see me. Her villa is situated out on
one of the lovely hills that overlook Florence.
Her garden. though small was in beautiful or
der, and we'll guarded by two large Maremma
style, and the vine-clad piazza commands
charming view of Florence and the
classic Arno; the stately Duomo, which inspired
Michael Angelo to rear the mighty dome of st.
Peters, raises its lofty head in the center of the
city; Santa Croce, the Westminster Abbey of
Florence, is seen to the right, while above, the
azure sky of Italy smiles perpetually upon one
of the farest scenes in the world. The ProteS
tant Cemetery, just outside of Florence. con-
tains the remains of Mrs Browning. Arthur
Clough and Walter Savage Lander. Swim
burne addressed the following lines in menoram
Of Landor:
And thou, Florence, to thy trust,
Receive and keep
Keep safe his dedicated dust,
His sacred sleep!
There is a mystery about Ouida which piques
curiosity, but which the most persistent inter
viewer has never been able to penetrate. She
was once asked how she came to know so much
about camp life, clubs, barracks. gambling
houses and other places only frequented by
men, and she is reported to have leaned her head
upon her knees, and looking straight at her
questioner with a provoking smile. to have
saucily answered. 1T is none of your business"
Her real name is Louise de la Rame Her
father was Frenchman, her mother English,
and while her tastes and manners are French,
her features decidedly English. Her face is
fair and oval her eyes are deep blue in color and
very large and expressive, her golden brown hair.
which formerly was worn loose and
flowed down her shoulders. is no
longer kept in much admired disorder"
but is discreetly braided as BELTS a
middle aged woman. She is about the medium
height, slender and graceful. She passes much
time in the open air. driving and walking and
from April to October is out all the time except
when eating and sleeping Her favorite time
for driving is in the afternoon, from to g. She
drives herself, and always has a couple of pet
dogs with her; in fact, whether walking or driv-
ing, at home or abroad, eating or reading,
thinking writing, she has her canine com
paniens by her side. She has bury ing place
for her dogs in her garden, and they are laid to
rest with a tenderness not always bestowed
upon human beings. Her favorite St. Bernard
dog, Isla, has marble tomb over his remains,
with an inscription quite as pathetic. but less
misanthropic, than ByrOnS famous lines on his
favorite Newfoundland, Boatswain. Ouida is an
early riser; tempted by the lovely climate of
FlOrence, sue Is up at U IN winter anu . In sum-
mer. Her literary work is done chiefly in win
ter, but she has no particular hours of the day
for writing, taking up her pen only when she is
in the Aumor to write She does not remember
when she commenced authorship, for at the age
of four she wrote in printed letters child's
story. From her earliest girlhood she has been
a student, being trained to masculine modes Of
thought by her father, who was a man of rare
intellectual gifts, but his genius was wasted in
Utopian dreams OF a political millennium. This
love of study, begun so young has never left her,
and she has added to it an appreciation of all the
arts That lend grace and charm to life. She
paints with great cleverness both in oil and water
coiors, and she finds her favorito subjects in her
own household pets. \ dog or cat always ap
pears in her landscapes and sometimes horse
is added. Before her lore affair with the Mar
quis de Stufa, Ouida held regular Friday recep
tons during the fashionable season, which were
much frequented by Americans and English,
with a sprinkling of French, Italian and other
foreigners, who were attracted by her literary
fame. AT these receptions she usually wore
black velvet, and the refreshments were very
simpe-tea coffee wine and cake. also cigar
cites: but Ouida never smokes nor drinks wine.
Her conversation is lively and interesting, and
she expresses her opinions without reserve, both
in society and in her books
did not expect to hear from OuidG so true
description of woman'S greatest charm as the fol-
lowing THE greatest charm that woman Yields
over man is the charm Of Givinity-the charm
OF sex: and half this charm has flown
when Christina of Sweden wears her Hessian
boots and smacks her whip, when her imitators
OF to day enter salon with weeds in their
mouths, and swing through the stable yard talk
ing in a loud, rough voice, of dogs with good
strain Ouida has given picture of an ideal
life as an existence of mingled poetry and pas
sion, blending every refinement of mind and
sense, life of love so precious, such as the fond
est fancy, the widest dream of earliest days of
the softest romance never expected to WIN. The
name of Ouida is an infantine corruption of her
baptsmal name Louise. just as Boz was of
Charles, the first name of Dickens She
began her literary career by writing
short stories for the English maya
zines. and was glad to get a pound
page for them Her first novel Held in Bond