Morning journal and courier., 1894-01-02
How George sand Looked.

lmHQAm6 blkuC, In lue January Scutuiy.l
In the month of May, 1862, I was At last
to enjoy the honor of meeting George
Sand in person. She had let rs know
that she would come to spend Q day In
Paris, and that abe would expect rs. 1t
was on Thursday afternoon, at about Q
O'Clock, that set my foot In the house at
No. Rue Racine, which she occupied on
the occasions of her somewhat infrequent
trips to Paris. The date has ever remain
ed Q memorable one to me. I can zee once
more the plain little staircase, the small
apartment, the intelligent, sickly looking
and bald head of Aancsau, the enRraver,
who welcomed Us at the very threshold,
and then in q somewhat vast and oddly
shaped drawing room, composed az IL was
of two rooms made into one by the remov-
al of partition, that little stoutish woman
with smooth, olive-like complexion, with
wavy hair spsrsely streaksd with silver
tbre ads, and whose exceedingly simple
black toilet modestly disobeyed the latest
edicts of fashion. She sprsng up from the
sofa whereon she was sitting, for the pur-
pose of extending Q welcome to my step
father and me.
without taking into consideration the
portrait of George Sand eft for q book of
bsauty," wherein Charpsntier has repre-
| sented her as "bells Italienne," with
pomegranate flowers In her curls, there
exist three faithful and truly characteristic
counterfeit presentments of the woman SO
we'll described by Bslzso In "Bsatrix." !"
One of these, by Cslsmstts. shows her as
a slender person with an almost hieratic
headgesr, which emphasizes her sphinx
like physiognomy. 1t was made In the
days when one of her admirers said that
she looked like tiny creole, supple as Q
reed; while, on the other hand, one of hsr
detractors contended that she was as thin
as Q lath and as black as . mole.
The second portrsit-of all the most
pteresting-lesves one in doubt as to her
sex, and exhibits . physiognomy than
which one more pathetic, or more stamped
with suffering, cannot be imagined. 1t
would seem that Delscroix, having come
unswsres upon "Lelis" during one of
her moments of despair, on the occasion
of some great crisis of passion, sought to
preserve her image in his master -sketch of
that pale face which emerges from . mas
cullne redingote and an unloosened crsvst,
as the very eXpression-ths most striking
expression, the never-t be- forgotten ex
prsssion-of the fevsrish ines of the
romantic period. couture vas 70 follow,
and to immorts'izs the epoch of calmness
| corresponding with the ripe age
| of Mme Sand. He has shown her to rs
| full of dignity: her powerful forehead Is
| shsdowed with deep thought; her look re-
veals deep and serene melancholy; her hair,
of which she always possessed . MACS,
reaches in heavy bands down to her cheeks,
| and acts as frame for her long oval face.
| The relaxation consequent upon age 10
| shown at the corners of her mouth. which
droops somewhat; all the other features
have kept their noble regularity.
| When I saw her the first time. Mime.
| Sand looked like Couture's picture of her.
But I did not there and then notice this.
I merely experienced the feeling of the
affectionate gentleness which detached It
self from her as she put out her two hands
| to me and kissed me, with q word of well
| come spoken in an intonstion deeper and
more sonorous than that which is generally
/ characteristics of the French voice.