St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-05-15

In Europe, however, society is much
less straight-laced. 1t is of very for
giving nature, and is daily becoming
more tolerant with regard to the lapSes
Of those who belong thereto. OffenseS
that would i'll former days have insured
a social ruin that was hopeless and I'M
remediable are now treated with much
greater leniency. That is to say, the dis
grace resulting therefrom, instead of
being permanent, is merely temporary.
and, provided the culprit has sufficient
amount of tact, money and impudence,
is soon permitted to lapse into oblivion.
One of the most notable cases in
point was that of the late Princess Hell
enc Kotchoubey, grand mistress OF the
household of the present cZarina. AT
no court in Europe does greater strict
ness prevail with regard to morals, and
the emperor has even been known to
debar from attendance at any further
court entertainment lady of high rank
whose sole OffenSe was that she had APP
Deared at one of Winter Palace balls.
in dress that was too decollete to meets
with his approval. And yet Princess
Helene, who retained her high Office at
court from the date of Alexander HIS
marriage until her death a year of two
ago, was in her younger days the hero
inc of more causes celebreS and SenSa-
tional adventures than any woman
of her time in the Old World. She had
eloped, not once, but half dozen times;
she had been the cause of three duels
that resulted tragically. and of the de-
struction of no end of domestic happi-
ness. She was clever enough, however.
to retain throughout sort of amicable
understanding and friendly relation
with her husband, and so sublime was
her hauteur and even insOlence towards
both court and society that, nOtwith-
standing all that had taken place, she
was able to command a respect, defer
ence and a popular regard, such as
are accorded to but few. Al
though a very dragon as regards
etiquette in all matters connected
with the court yet in her private life
she had no other guiding motive than
the inclination of the moment, without
the slightest regard for the convention
alities and moral code of society. SO
naughty was the dignity of the little
princeSS-fOr she was small and fragile
in appearance, although grande dame
to the very tips of her fngers-that,
when one saw her beside her imperial
mistress at court functions, giving
tone of real majesty to the entire scene.
one was tempted to set down the per-
fectly authentic descriptions of her gal
laDtries as so many lies.
Mime. ROuvIer's LfaIsOn.
The late Nine. Rouvier- for she died
about eighteen months ago-commenced
her career by fragrant liaison with the
famOur Able Constant. at that time one
of the most eloquent and popular preach
erS in France. His association with her
led to his being unfrOcked, whereupOn
he made climax to the scandal by mar
Tying her, in consequence of which
both were communicated. He was
implicated in the murder of the Arch
bishop Silbour, of Paris, but escaped
with brief period Of Imprisonment,
and died about twelve years ago. His
wife deserted him few months after
their marriage had taken place in
order to join that band of odalisques
which constituted one of the most
shady sides of Napoleon HIS reign.
Her relations with the emperor were not
only known at the time but subsequently
proved when among the exiled
monarch'S secret papers and accounts
seized at the Tuileries 1t was found that
up to the day of the battle of Sedan she
and several others of her kind had been
in receipt of regular ann Ial allowance
from the privy purse Of his majesty.
This. however, did not prevent her from
being intimate with several of the en-
peror's friends and supporters, includ-
Ing the Due de Morny, the famous
sculptor Pradler and many others. After
the war she acted for time as a report
er at Paris for the Independence Beige,
but lost her employment after scan