New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-11
DEATH IN HIGH PLACES.
A BRILLIANT ACTOR AND AN AMIABLE
YOUNG PRINCESS.

What time this is for eminent and prominent
people dying Grevy, after the long span OF Jour
score and six, buried in state the other day.
The painter Ribots wife, daughter and about
couple of dozen brother artists and art critics,
| walked recently in scorching sun for distance
of not less than nine miles, from Bots COLOMBO
to the cemetery of Montparnasse. Marals. tne
actor, whom we identify with Michel Strosoh,
also met the doom of all flesh few days ago and
was buried on the first anniversary of the laughter
loving Jeanne Samarys death. Marais was
| originally bag-man for lace factory, ana OF
fcverish self-assertve nature, with strong dose
| of vanity and the dramatic instinct. lie pasSed
his evenings in theatres attached to claques.
| In this way he learned how stage business should
| no GOT through He made his debut in the little
| theatre for beginners of the Rue de la Tour
dAuyerpae and thence went with
bound to the Odeon, TO play the Tsisanes
mart In the "Danicheff" He was a splendid,
struttlng creature. His greatest success was as
| Michel Strogof, the Cars courier. The play
going public liked him vastly. He was best when
his energy was exerted to prevent bombaSt run
ming away with him. He would have liked to
rant, and would have done it well-better than
NJ Mounet Sully--but he knew when to pull
himself up. The effect Of doing so gave mag
netism TO his acting which set the nerves OF the
spectators vibrating Marias had not hlgh
source of inspiration He could not have kept
pace with Victor Hugo's muse but was the best
actor | ever saw for some dashing drama in
quiet modern spirit, though not quite free from
Munchausenism.
The poor fellow thought his fortune made when
he entered the Francois, after playing with Sarah
Bernhardt in Theodore" and Cleopatra" and
Marie Delorme" He was. at SardOu's request,
offered the part in Thermidor' Of the soldier OF
the Republican who coming back TO Pans
| on furlough under the Reign of Terror, falls IN
love with Fabienne and becomes the hero of the
drama. 1t was long and difficult part, and
quite equal to the one which fell to Coquelln
Marais studied it with feverish excitement, and
played it once with greater success than he could
have hoped for however sanguine he might have
BEEN But as SardOu has enemies more influential
than Wagner Thermidor' was interdicted 1t
was terrible disappointment to Marais and
accelerated the course of the central disorder
which the death of his first wife, the charming
Helen Petit brought on. He burned TO strut the
boards and when unable to appear in public used
to go to his dressing room. put on costume and
play the part belonging to it before q looking
glass He felt that he was in style too unlike the
other members of the Theatre Francois to get on
well with them As matter Of fact, they tried
to freeze him. lie was not given the opportunity
TO quarrel with them. and chafed terribly under
the cold insolence with which he treated.
lie over-sensitive But this defect was at the
root of his vain-glorious character He was also
In the habit of falling in with authors who suited
him, and had the luck never to be engaged in
poor part to have to give life to conven-
| tional character. AS the handsome young officer
in "PAbbe Constantin, and Mana Sahb in a
meodrama written by Richepin for Sarah Bern
hardt. Maras won unqualified applause. and each
of these characters delighted the public through
out run Of more than hundred nights The
Francois seemed to him prison. lie WEAKNESS
| Of inaction brought brain fever, and he died
without pain and without the knowledge that
devoted friends were around him. His second
wife was his guardian angel. She carried devO-
ton so far to set up little shrine in his study
sacred to his first wife.
l must also chronicle the death of the Grand
Duchess Paul, sister-in-law and second cousiL of
the Gar niece of the Czarina land of course the
| Princess of Wales) and daughter of the King and
| Queen of Greece. Her dealt, may be said to be
| the first real grief she ever cost her parents,
| though her going away from Athens as bride
was cause of public hmentation She was
| sweet young being, resembling the Princess of
| Wales, after whom she was called Alexandra. ~
multitude of Athenians went down to the Piraeus
voked God to bless her, and when the steamer in
| which she embarked was leaving its moorngs and
| an imperial salute being fred they dropped down
| on their knees to pray more fervently. Such
! sight was probably never witnessed before. Tie
| Greeks associate the royal family with long
period Of growth in all directions, and continued
peace and prosperity. The Queen is one of the
best-hearted of women, the mother of the orphans
| Of her capital, and the helpful and sympathizing
| friend of the poor. Her children were all born
on Greek soil, and have grown up at Athens and
caught the Greek spirit. King George links the
| little Old World city In which he lives with the
| great modern ones of Russia and England. His
| diplomatic capacity and family connections, and
his good mental balance, have been instrumental
| in obtaining territorial extension without war
| Alexandra was counted the flower of the flock
At any rate, she was the eldest girl and was little
more than eighteen when she left her sunny coun-
try to reside with her husband at Illinsloe near
| Moscow. 1t must have been dreadful CHANGE IN
| 40 from beneath the bright sky of cobalt blue
and the still bluer islandstudded sea and violet
| mountains OF Greece, TO a country where winter
| reigns for seven months in the year, and women
| of rank and fortune are as dollhouse plants
The Grand Duchess had an adoring but sad
| husband, Paul, the youngest son of Alexander II
| and his beautiful but sick and melancholy wife.
| Mary FeoGorovna, nee Princess Of Hesse-Darn-
stadt. Paul was thought to be a confirmed
| bachelor. lie was something Of valctudinarian,
| hated ST. Petersburg, was thought TO he con-
| sumptive, and nved good deal in Italy and
! Sicily. lie made the acquaintance Of the Princess
| Alexandra on his way pilgrim TO tine Holy
| Places and 10 open a Greek church at Jerusalem
! and fell in love with her. Little is known of
her death other than that she was attacked with
commissions and child born who has sur
vived her. London journal, whose st. Peters
burg correspondent is admitted to the Imperial
circle highly favored footing, states that the
fatal illness OF the Grand Duchess arose from the
horses OF her carriage running away.
The death OF the Grand Duchess Paul has
caused the different members Of the lmpcrrSl
family OF Russia WHO were here and at San Se-
bastian Tor health and pleasure % hasten hnme