The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-06-24
FAMOUS FRENCH EATERS.
A Worthy Couple Who Spent Large
Part of Their Lives at the Table.

Part Of Their Lives at the Table.
| When epicureanism is joined with
an expert regard for the laws o.
digestion, it ceases to deserve rep
rotation. All the world might
on this basis, properly consist o.
epicures, for if one has nothing
more to eat than oatmeal porridge
mutton broth and cabbages and
prepares those articles of food
daintily and skillfully he may tru-
ly call himself a gormand. A dis.
tinguished instance ofthe influence
of good cookery in prolonging life
was found in the case of the Mar
quis and Marchioness de Bechamel,
famous epicures in the days of the
old monarchy in France.
Bechamel achieved the distinc-
ton of having a sauce, which sur
wives to this day, named after him.
He married a young woman named
Valentine de Rochemont, who is
said to have attracted him purely
because she was a wonderful good
cook and had a wonderful appetite.
| Though this might seem to be an
insufficient basis for happy mar
riage, it proved quite enough in
this case. The marquis and mar
chioness cooked and ate together
for 50 years in perfect accord and
perfect health. They were said to
have almost passed their lives at
the table, and when they were not
at the table together they were gen.
orally in the kitchen together.
That their cookery was wholesome
their long life testified, and that it
was delicious all the famous eaters
of their epoch were absolutely
agreed.
They had famous feast at their
golden wedding. For many years
the marquis had been saving for
this occasion 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 Marchioness of
Bechamel sank to the floor. 1t
was quickly ascertained that she
was dead. She appeared simply to
have reached the term Of her exis-
tence, and her death at such a fes-
tival was regarded as a most beau
tiful and touching one.
The bottle of Constance was put
away unopened. The marquis was
inconsolable. Before long he fell
apparently hopelessly i'll. In this
emergency his physician, having
informed him that his end was
surely near, the marquis called for
the bottle of Constance wine.
With sinking, dying voice the
old man said:
"When l meet my beloved Val
entine on the other side, she will
ray, what is that perfume, my
dear, which I detect upon your
lips?' And will answer, 1t is the
Constance wine, my beloved, that
we had saved for our golden we'd
dingr"
Bechamel drank of the wine, and
his livid 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 key to
open drawer in a secretary and
bring from it a box.
The nephew made all haste, sup
posing that the box might contain
his will or some other document
which he wished to sign or modify
before his death.
To his astonishment it was found
to contain a pie.
1t was a wonderful Perigord pie,
dressed with truffles of scarlet.
The marquis ate freely of it and
again sank back upon his pillow.
"Hark !" said the doctor. 81 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 Is years
old he lived fifteen years longer
and invented several more famous
1.l No,,th3. CoponopiOp