Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-06-07
MADAME RACHEL'S FAN.
How She had Famous Trinket Mended
Before Her Eyes.

How She had Famous Trinket Mended
Before Her Eyes.
The celebrated French tragedienne
Rachel Felix was in her day also well
known on the German stage, where she
enjoyed many triumphs as an actress.
Among her treasures she possessed an
equally remarkable and costly fan, which
she took about with her on all her pro-
fessional tours, as a sort of talslnan. 1t
even accompanied her to the dressing
room of the theater. The frame was Of
solid gold relieved by beautiful ivory
slaves. artisticalIy carved in the form Of
creeping foliage and ending in delicate
points like the fir cones of Bacchus
staff. In place of parchment painted a
la Watteau. there was magnificent
black lace ground, with exquisite floral
pattern on which gold stars glittered, the
nnw moon appeared in one corner and
lightning worked in gold thread darted
acToss the starry armament, its zigzag
ravs being initiated to perfection. When
Mademoiselle Rachel was acting in Dres
Seu. between thirty and forty years ago,
her sister showed this original and splen-
dd fan to Fraulen Bertha Hcyse, head
wardrobe keeper in the Royal theatre,
who of course stood in business commun-
i:ation with the French theatrical COM
pauy. The sister then related that the
fau was said to have once been the prop
crtr of the unfortunate Marie Antoinettc,
and after passing through many hands
had at last fallen into the possession Of a
broker, of the same race of Mdlle. Rachel,
who obtained it from him at a tolerably
high price. Perhaps the actress of trag-
cdv felt a secret spell in the remembrance
that the fan was once valued and toyed
with by hands that had carried the un-
fortunate scepter of France and with it
taken part in one of the saddest TRACE
dies of modern history. However, the
historical treasure was also doomed to
misfortune during the actresses stay in
Dresden, brought about, too, by herself.
MdIle. Rachel was very passionate and,
altog ether of as eXcitable a disposition as
many of like arduOus profession.
One evening she was greatly annoyed at
the aw kwardness of her dresser who was
about to attire her in the garments of
Pauline in "Polieucte". The elegant
case with theater requirements, daggers,
fans and such things stood near, and in
heriagc MdIe Rachel inadvertently took
up her precious fan and broke it in strik-
ing her servant heavy blow with it. AS
soon AS the mischief was done she saw
her mistake and was beside herself with
veXatiOn. She stOrmcd. cursed the Ger
man stage in general, and declared the
4 l,,, tlI,t hot
impossible, and it was equally difficult to
get up a German representation In mo-
meut So the lady was obliged to appear
before the public in an excited frame of
mind. The manager of the Court the
ter had meanwhile succeeded in partially
consoling her by examining the broken
treasure and assuring her clever work
man would be able to repair it. All the
supposed fan-makers and members of the
town We're summoned, but none was
found willing to undertake the compli-
Gated needful repairs. They all declared
it to be goldsmith's work and the gold
smiths shirked the responsibility by say
ing they were not fan members. AT last
a German was found, who united both
avocations in his skilful fingers. He had
been a goldsmith, and during a long resi-
dence in Paris had been chiefly employed
in repairing elegant and costly ornaments.
The very fact of his having worked for
the first Paris firms dealing i'll such artl-
cles-de-luxe, and the high recommended
tons with which he was provided, filled
the artistes mind with hope and conf
dence. Still he made most extraordinary
demands, and as the fan mender was about
to take the broken fan to his workshop
she refused to trust him with it lest he
should replace the gold frame by baser
metal. Now it was the mans turn to be
insulted; he got into passion, made use
of many not over choice terms he had
learned in Paris, and finished by declar-
ing he would not patch such silly
thing, The French rudenesses seemed
to have had due effect on Mdlle. Rachel;
she suddenly veered round, offered to
pay high price for the repairs, and
begged the man to bring his tools to the
hotel and mend the darling fan in her
presence. The fan doctor agreed, the
high price was sufficient balm to his
wounded feelings, all the more that Mdlle.
Rachel was noted for her avarice. So
tools and heating apparatus were brought
to the hotel, and the workman succeeded
admirably in the discharge of his ardu-
Gus task.
Whenever Middle. Rachel afterwards
spoke of the affair she invariably added,
"Such things could only happen in Ger
many, for, be it remarked, she had been
disappointed in a pecuniary sense during
her stay in that country.