New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-17
MADAME GREVY.
lIER DEATH RECALLS THE DEMOCRATIC
SIMPLICITY OF HER LIFE.
Paris. M,rch 3,


The death os Nine. Grcvy is an event that
concerns merely her family. II scarcely makes
a stir in the newspapers. And yet no person per-
Ian, was more significant thar she was of the
length France has gone, and Europe with her, in
democratic direction, within the last hundred
years or even since 1s4s. According TO the Con-
stitution. Nine. Grcvy was nobody when her
husband at the Elyscc, and she never sought
TO be political or a social influence In TINS shc
widely differed from the MARKETABLE MacNlahon,
whom she succeeded after an interval Of one day
Nor did her daughter try TO put herself forward
in any single respect. Yet she had many quaiiil-
cations for taking a leading place in the great
world of Paris to say nothing OF her position as
the Presidents only child. She never forgot fhat
modestv best became her. and kept her head uni
formlv level. Nine. Grevy remained at the
Elyscc what she had been at the Rue st. Arnaud,
a thrifty, industrious housckccpcr, and woman
who only enjoyed herself in narrow circle of in
| innate and old friends and relatives. more
simple.heartcd. unaffected person never lived She
was n native Of Narbonne. in the South OF france
Her father a burgher named Fraissc, kept TAM
| yard Her manners had the Opcnncss OF the pour-
peoisie of her province and some OF the ELUSIVE
| ness This was thought vulgar in Paris, where
ccrcmoniousncss and reserve ar" deemed good s'ylc
Her beauty turned the cool head of NJ Grevy when
| he was young advocate
| Funhraso Corale Fraissc tho future Presidcntc
of the French Republic, had come early in the
4Os TO Paris with her mother TO cke ont the small
means which the tanner had left them. The young
| girl apprcntced herself to mllincr and the oiu
lady obtained the place of keeper of the linen ue-
partmcnt at hospital NJ. Grevy pleaded ior
| them in some small suit about their right 10
VINEYARD and fell in love with Coralie as he pre-
| liz fof hprn VI.
Genie, much later on Judge of the Court OF
| Coss,tion. refused 70 consent to n marriage which
| thcv ocr,ed would be match between thirst
and hunger Tho relatives Of NJ. Grevy took the
view that he and his brothers had contracted dli-
tics toward their sisters which made 1t lhcumpehc
| 10 look for wives with money and connections so
as 70 make up for the sisters being sacrificed 10
enable their brothers. Jules and Albert, to go 70
| thc hor and Paul. now General OF Engineers, TO
pass through the Polytechnic School All the
somc NJ. Grevy and Mile. Fraisse set up
together as housckccpers. They got married IN
the year 1913, when NJ Grcvy was representative
Of the department of the Jura in the National AS
sonblv He had been in the spring Of that year
| Commissioner Of the Provisional Government IN
,bo. Commitment II was impossible for patcrnal
consent 70 be any longer withheld and IN" young
lody's uncle had become glad Of the prospect OF
| bavino NJ Grcvy for connection. There was
uorraoo settlement NJ Grcvv had some furnl-
| tnre which was catalogucd in IT, and Nile. fralsSe
had in clothes bedding. icwclry and money JUST
. 600 francs One OF the witnesses of the we'd
ding was the late VI. Duricr. OF the Paris par VINO
was al-o n NarbonnaS. I had these details from
him and nj the Eyscc too. at the first solr"e mat
NJ and Nine Grcvy ever gave Their" Nhc ~
ING plain. unaffected person. and having ''"
frank manners which were counted mhoh "oir
vulgar in the reign OF Louis Philippe thah th'S
arc now. the story ran that she was washer
woman Others said that she was n millner VINO
came from a village in Burgundy, and that as sh"
..s ,rondrouslv bcautiful her brothers threw her
in NJ Crews way hoping he would fall IN love
with her md for lrr sake not exact the law iccs
dno for ploading successfully suit for diem 10
establish their claim 70 few acres OF ground III
their native commune. Nine. 'rcVy hN"n W
obscurcly from the time Of her marriage uh'li h"r
husband was. in 1867. elected hatonnrr OF 'he
Paris bar. that few believed her 10 be NJ Grevy
wife He was earning n large fortune rs an hdVo-
cate and she was never seen IN company WIN
him lie took their daughter 70 tho OPERA pu'
left The drudging, economical wife az home n'
child was called Alice, after the heroine oil hoo-
ort lo Dioble. Nine Greyy only came forward
when NJ Grevy was batonnicr 10 the extent oil
taking the head Of the table when he had to give
.
When W. Grcvy was president OF the Na'lohhI
Assembly at Versailles. his wife and daughter dIa
not appear AT the receptions which ne gave IN the
Ietits Appartcmcnts or living rooms of LOUIS Az
NJ the palace there The reason was that thcy
thought company Il bore and that they wonll d.
i'll AZ ease in the society OF nothing bat potlchl
mrn This confirmed the legend of Madame 'r'VE
, ! having boon a washcrwoman. whom her huSoahu
had married against his fathers consent Tue
idc, of her mean birth and breeding was 50 strong
and general that VI. Grcvy was, IN ISL, ooJcchn
10 by many Republicans on his WIGS a'.Dun'
when u. was proposed ny Theirs 10 the party ID
his political heir. , ,,, l;,1I,
, Nine t,rcvy looked at the Eysce klhIIy
respectable old lady. plain Of manner. hut not NuI
oar She never wore low dresses, ana hrr cDiHWo
WAS generally on grand occasions II Hhiiin''! a.
G ranpcmrut looking like cap. Her ATTIRE thcre
was always handsome and tasteful. WHEN the nos
nitablc duty icvolvcd on her of receiving puc'h
shc treated her a. she might any on" els" T. WHOM
She wished 10 be particularly civil IN" ch''i'a
tha Rlccns Of Spain and Sweden ana IN" lTln
crss of Vale. and the Crown Princess OF Denmark
Instead of letting the ladies IN attendance on th''
, ;IIustrious pcrsonagrs stand, Madame hrcVy Do
M tho Princes, Of Denmark VAS litflc nara o'
hearing she placed her next herself 80 tIiat si'
should hear better what she s;ild. MS "i'
+ Thought a fearful breach of etiquette but MIN
C;rcyy did not set up 10 know anything oil pro'o
coils and county regulations ana siahuaIus VI ann
She did what she thought scnsib'" ana klIi. ahV
! if people took il I'll much the worse, not io'
n her. but for them. " -