Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-15
THE MARECHAL NEIL ROSE.
How This Lovely Flower Came by its
Namc-An Interesting Story.

The Marechal Neil is one of the lovliest roses
of its kind, the noisette, and in its name and
origin there is one Of the hitherto unwritterf
romances Of the court of France in the second
empire. In 1869, when the French army was
sent to help King Victor Emanuel drive the
Austrians out of Italy, the third army corps was
commanded by General Neil. This officer. as
his name implies, came Of one of those Irish
noble families who emigrated to France after
the battle of the Boyne in 1000, as did the Mac
Mahons, the Fitz Jameses and others, who are
now Irish in nothing but their names. General
Neil had commanded and fought his corps with
such eminent ability and distinguished courage
that when peace was made, with his country
man and friend, MacMahon, he was created a
marshal of France. 1t was well nigh autumn
before General Neil was able to return to
France. He had been terribly wounded and
had suffered besides from the dreadful fever Of
the Italian marshes. For months he was be-
tween life and death, with only his surgeon
who was his constant companion, and soldier
servant, who proved to be an admirable nurse
in his illness and convalescence.
One day peasant woman brought him a
whole basket OF wild roses from the Campagna
region, says Leslies Popular Monthly. Gen.
Neil had always been extremely fond of roses
and most Of these were new to him and thus
served to amuse him until they were withered
shoot had not faded and died like the Others
but had grown into beautiful green plant of
perhaps ten inches in length. When he looked
to see why this one had grown and the others
faded, he found that bit of the root had been
put away with the flower which was of a
whitish yellow hue. Scarcely knowing why,
Neil determined to keep the shoot so curiously
preserved. When he returned to Paris he
placed the young shoot with an expert floricul-
turist and the next spring it bore four of the
H. 4
At that time Gen. Neil was sent for to receive
the highest military rank then known in
France, the grand cross of the legion of honor
and his commission as marshal of France. in
the presence of three emperors and all the
kings in Europe worth naming. After the
solemn ceremony was ended, and he wore for
the first time on that day the grand cross of
the legion of honor, he went to the reception
OF the empress and presented to her a curious
yellowish rose of perfect form and perfume,
but different from any she had ever seen, and
told her its story.
"And so you have proved the truth of what
the old able used to say in his dreadfully tedi-
Gus sermons at Pau about casting his bread ON
the waters" said the empress (who like Queen
Elizabeth of blessed memory, ''loved fine
man to the handsomest and most daring, as
well as one of the ablest of the marshals Of the
second empire. Dear me, he was tedious,
that good abbe," continued her majesty, with
the softest look of retrospection in her lovely
dark eyes. NOW, Monsieur lie Marechal" said
she, yivaciously, Il shall christen this rose for
YOU
do So" said the Franco-Irish soldier, bow
ing very low. but flashing at her a glance of
profound admiration so warm that it deepened
her color a little as they stood alsne for though
the great salon of the palace was crowded, no
one dared to interrupt the tete-a-tete, which
she herself had allowed, between the empress
and the handsomest general of his day.
Lightly putting the rose to her lips. she said
sit is named the Marechal Neil, for the soldier
sans peur ct sans reproche, as gallant in the
salon as he is on the battlefield"
This gracious speech went straight to the
great soldiers Irish heart.
You will wear it tonight, your majesty, will
you not, and afterwards give it to me to keep,
this happy rose?'
m. le Marechal." said the empress with
great dignity.
II pray your forgiveness" he answered
mo, no. l am not as angry as L ought to be-"
she replied; ''but-but people might hear"
and with a Parthian glance she departed.
Four days thereafter Colonel Lewall then
Neirs chief of staff but not long since minister
of wax for the French republic, observed his
chief take a surreptitious rosebud out of an
envelope he had just received, and lock it up
in q private drawer.