The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-09
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Literature
There IL q mystery about 0uiEa
personal history which provokes curl
ozisy and throws aroand her 81 air q
romance and interest. Onee. when
her American Publisher. the late J. 3.
IApp5ncDtt, Was visiting her, he took
the liberty. in the eourss OF very
friendly conversation. 70 ask her hoT
she came 10 know 50 mach about
| einbz. camp life. barracks, gambling
houses. and other places which are
| only fFeguented By men, she leaned
her hand upon her knees, and looking
straight az her questioneF. saueiiy
said. ut Il none II your business.
| The real name OF Ouida is Louise de
/ Ia Rame. Her father vas 8 French
man. her mother English, and she
possesses the national characteristics
q both parents. her tastes. manners.
and literary methods are decidedly
French, while her features are de-
cidedly English. Her face Is fair and
oval, and her eyes are dark blue and
| full Of intelligence. Her goiden-brown
hair. which was formerly worn loose
and flowing. u nov carefully braided.
II AEAAEf Mgkf4s13 AIA AA4E
shady side Of 30. for let me whisper
the fatal truth. 0uida Is IS years old.
For a dozen years or more Ouida's
favorite residence has been a beautiful
villa near Florence. Above her lovely
grounds the azurs SKY Of Italy smiles
upon one O. the.fairest scenes on earth
the classic Arno divides the City OF
Flowers, whose lofty dOmes and state
| liz palaces stand out boldly in the
clear air: the magnificent DuoIn0.
which inspired Michael Angelo 70 rear
/ the mighty dome OF st. Peters, raises
| is majestic form in the center of the
city, while Santa Croce. the Westmin-
ster Abbey OF Florence, is visible 10
the right.
Onida lives in the open air from
April to October, walking and driving.
She drives from . to 6 in the afternoon
and always has two pet dogs by her
side; ia fact, whether walking or
driving, reading or writing, she has
her canine companions with her. She
is an early riser. up at in winter and
5 in summer. The winter is her time
for literary work, but she has no
regular time OF the dav for
writing. taking up her pen only
when in the humor. She began
10 write stories when she was four
years old, or rather to print them. for,
with her, authorship preceded q
knowledge Of handwriting. Her IA
Their was a man of great intelligence.
who wasted his talents in utopian
dreams Of political millennium. He
taught his daughter masculine modes
of thought, and trained her mind 10 in
tellectual pursuits. From her earliest
girlhoOd she has been a student of
many lileratures, adding TO these sever
er,studies all those arts that lend . grace
and charm TO life. She paints in oil
and water colors. finding in her house
hold pets the favorite subjects for her
pencil. 4 cat, dog, or horse always
appears in her pictures.
Ouida began her literary career BY
writing short stories for the English
magazines. for which she was glad to
receive G. page; her English pub
Usher now pays her 81 900 for every
book she writes.
Until recently Ouida held weekly re-
ceptions at her villa during the fash
ionable season. These were much
frequentea by English and Americans.
with few French and other foreign
ers who were attracted by her literary
fame. The hostess usually wore black
velvet, and the refreshments were very
simple tea, coffee. wine and cake, also
cigarettes; but Ouida never smokes or
drinks wine. Her conversation is lively
and interesting. and She expresses her
self freely, both in her books and in
society. She says 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 com
| mence with but soon turns into very
gall. Nine times out of ten woman
does not care rush for q man who is
| dying at her feet, while she is crazy
about some ugly brute who takes no
more notice oi her than he does of his
dirty boots. Although 0uida's method
IS masculine, her tastes unfeminine,
her novels coarse and unrefiued, she
says that the greatest charm that
woman wields over man is the charm
OF divinity. the charm of sex. and
half this charm has flown when Chris
tina OF Sweden wears her Hes
sian boots and smacks her
whip; when her imitators of to-day
enter a saloon with weeds in their
| mouths, and swing through the stable
yard, talking in loud, rough voice OF
dogs with a good strain. Onida 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 pres
| cious, such As the fondest fancy. the
widest dream of earliest DAYS OF the
soitest romance never expected To
win
Ouida was wont 10 boast that she
was above the weakness of love. but
meeting the Marquis iii Stufa, an ac-
quaintance soon ripeued into friend
ship, and Ouida loved for the first
time. The marquis was a member OF
one OF the most iliustrious families of
Florence, man Of cultured tastes, of
arlstpcratlc manners, and possessed of
| A passionate energy, which attracted
the no longer youthful Ouida. She
loved not wisely, for the marquis.
while he admired the brilliant writer.
only trihed with the woman. lie
turned from the gifted novelist. and
/ Tell IN love with a fair Italian. less
brilliant, less gifted. but Younger and
more beautiful than herself. Ouida
/ took Characteristic revenge upon her
taithless lover, She put him in a
/ book she made him the hero OF her
next novel, which she called Friend.
ship, and a very weak. wayering hero
she made him. She had her revenge
/ but the marquis won the woman he
loved
a..