The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-11
FAMOUS FRENCH EATERS.
A Worthy Couple Who Spent the Greater
Part of Their Lives at the Table.

A Worthy Couple Who Spent the Greater
Part of Their Lives at the Table.
When epicureanism is Joined with an
expert regard for the laws of digestion,
1t ceases to deserve reprobation. All the
world might, on this basis, properly con-
sist of epicures, for if one has nothing
more to eat than oatmeal porridge, NUT
ton broth and cabbages and prepares
those articles of food daintily and skill
fully he may traly call himself q gour-
met. A distinguished instance of the
influence of good cookery in prolonging
life was found in the case of the Marquis
and Marchioness de Bechamel, famous
epicures in the days of the old monarchy
IN France.
Bechamel achieved the distinction OF
having sauce, which survives to this
day, named after him. He married
young woman named Valentine de
Rocnemont, who is said to have attracted
him purely because she was wonderful
" good cook and had remarkable APP
petite.
Though this might seem to be en- in
sufficient basis for happy marriage, ii
proved quite enough in this case. The
marquis and marchioness cooked and
ate together for so years in perfect &C
cord and perfect health. They were said
TO have almost passed their lives at this
table, and when they were not at the ia
BILE together they were generally in tbs
kitchen together. That their cookery
was wholesome their long life testified.
and that it was delicious all the famous
eaters of their epoch we're absolutely
agreed.
They had a famous feast at their geld
en- wedding. For many years the mar
quis had been saving for this occasion a
bottle of priceless Constance wine from
the Cape Of Good Hope, and every guest
was TO have drop or two of it.
Just as the bottle was being brought
out the Warehouses Of Bechamel sank to
the floor. 1t was quickly ascertained
that she was dead. She appeared simply
to have reached the term of her exist
ence, and her death at~uch festival
was regarded as a most beautiful and
touching one.
The bottle of Constance was put away
unopened. The marquis was inconsol-
able. Before long he fell apparently
hopelessly i'll. Tn this emergency his
physician, having informed him that his
end was surely near, the marquis called
for the bottle of Constance wine.
With a sinking, dying voice the old
man said:
when I meet my beloved Valentine
on the other side, she will say, What is
that perfume, my dear, which detect
upon thy lipsr And ! will answer, 1T is
the Constance wine, my beloved, that
we had saved for our golden weddingn"
Beehamel drank of the wine, and his
liyid head fell back upon the pillow. All
supposed that he was dead, but he was |
merely asleep. An hour afterward he
called his nephew and sent him with o
key to open a drawer In a secretary and |
bring from it a box.
The nephew made all haste, supposing
that the box might contain his will or
some other document which he wished /
to sign or modify before his death.
To his establishment it was found to |
contain a. pie.
It was a wonderful PerigQrd pie,
dressed with trufles of sarlet The mar
quis ate freely of it and again sank back
upon his pillow.
"Hark!' said the doctor. IT hear the
fatal rattle in his throat. 1t will soon be
over"
But the ''rattle" turned out to be
snore. The marquis was asleep. And
though he was then rs years old he lived
Is years longer and invented several
more famous dishes.-Yo Youths Compan-
ion,