New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-18

AN ARISTOCRATIc CONVENT.
pAEDO&ING CrIMEs-A RUSSIAN LADY ~ FRANCE
THE GREAT CATTLE SHOW.

Within the last few days the name OF the Con-
vent Of the Sacrc-Coeur has been on every iip'
popular attention having been attracted thereto
not only by the recent marriage OF the puc
dues to Mile. de Luynes, which was celepratcu
in the chapel Of that institution. bul likewise
because two young girls who belong 10 the !ol-
test rank of society and who for the last TWO
seasons have been conspicuous hgures al H'os'
Of the fashionabl. entertainments. are ABOUT 10
forsake the world ana it's pleasures II oruer 10
become nuns of the order For strangers II Is
Difficult; to realize the part when TINS convent
plays in the existence Of the Parlslah great
world. and. in fact. Of the whole frehch a'is'oc-
racy. There is scarcely woman "i any S"''"'
prominence on either bank Of the Seine VINO mas
not received her education WITHIN thc WELLS ~
this celebrated establishment. and "ho mas not
since n,ain,ained in 4 lesser degree her connec-
ton Herewith by enrolling herself among the
members Of an association called the 'dileS
Enfants de Marie" which is composed eN'lu-
sivcly Of former pupils once year 'he "'r"'-
bers perform a retreat OF eight days deVo'ed 10
prayer and meditation in the convent "ni'h WAS
their scnod IN times gone by. AS pc'i'S -
arirtocratic an institution. IL IS located III 'He
very heart Of the noble Faubourg ST German
IN the Pine de Varenne. the building having served
in turn as the palace OF tue 'u'i'''''' - -'''
Of the Due de Eiron. and Of the Duo de Charos',
whose widow sold II in 1920 to Nine. Bara' the
founder Of the order Mime. Barat. who died as
recently as 1865 the daughter oi a cooper
She was influenced in the shaping Of her career
by the fact that her brother was "A priest OF re-
markable cloqucnce and enlightenment ana it
was in Difference to his advice that. at the be-
ginning Of this century she frs; laid the founda-
tio, alike of her order and Of her school. For
the latter she quickly obtained pupils Converts
at that time had all been destroyed and their
inmates dispersed and means Of education Tor
young girls Of noble birth just then were exceed
inCly rare So great the success OF Nine.
Rarat that just about the epoch when Napoleon
married the Austrian Archduchess Marie Louise.
Nine Barat was elected superior oi Inc 'fu'F'
her deputy being the widowed ConteSse De
Grammont. who had been lady-in-Waitlhg 10
Queen Marie Antoinette. The school occupies the
mansion itself. while the majority of the nuns
are housed in separate buildings. which, III
several cases. were formerly used by the servants
of the original proprietors. one Of the features
q the convent IS it's extensive gardens some ten
acres IN area and grand old trees situated III
the very centre Of Paris. beneath the shad" ~
which In their school years have lived such great
ladies' as the Duchcssc Dc I:ohan. IN" purh'sSe
d'Trsol Comtesse de Lostange. Confess" de Ia
Garda Comicsse de- Nun. the Marquis H"rvcy
dc Saint Denis. and last but not least. IN" three
daughters Of Queen Isabella ~ spain. ono "
whom. the Infarta Eulae. Is SO we'll known IN
the United States.
T. IS not generally known that. notwithstand-
ing all that is spoken and written about the acts
Of clcmcncv II President Garnet in committing
capital sentences 81 condemned murdcr'rs. b. eN-
crciscs no personal initiative or responsibility
In the matter. but merely executes IN" decision
Of a sort Of extra legal commission. IN" very eN
istence Of which is almost universally ignored
During the presidency Of NJ Gr">y. tn" latter
was accustomed t. act purely on his own IN
uiativo aud without consulting any one In do
Gliding whether or not the death penalty should
be- paid Inasmuch D." was opposed
on principle T. capital punit hmeni. the
services Of Monsieur d" Paris WY" "'l-
dom invoked and the tni1cs ~ Nh"
cuillotinc had time To- become very rusty In
fact. 50 well were the sentiments ~ President
GrGvv known on the subject that th"r" was
great increase II crimes Of violence eliminating
I'm p popular protest on the part - th" public
and the press against wha; thcy denounced rs
abusc II tho executive powers Of clcmency. Dc
tcrrninod az all costs 20 avoid any such criticism.
and dieincnncd % the other hand u undue
severity or 70 tho assumption II III" resp nsi'h-
itv Of taking Or granting lifc President Clinot
al The very outset ~ his term II Office formed
sort # non-oilicial comuittr" % ADVICE On
tilted LA Commission de- Grace. which Is com
posed f five chiefs 81 Bureau of the Ministry
of Justice To them hc refers AL petitions for
cicmrncy anl it IS entirely upon their advice
that he acte. II they ecl.nmend that the pen
att should be- conmuted. b" complies with 'h"ir
advice. while in contrary cases he declines 1"
interfere with the sentence Of the courts "i
Justice T. may be doubted whether the eN-
istcncr II this commission Is altogether legal
+ practically means that there is secret and
irresponsible. tr.1,nal which is called upon to
pronounce upon tho decisions of the "Cour DE-
Cessation" which is legally the court 81 hn"'
ay.cal in the land. Yet. on the oih,r mana II
H. .asv 10 understand the desire Of President
c,r,,,f f. have the advice Of competent persons
in exercising his prorogauve II cl"ihcn'y. i'i,
haps under the circumstances, however !" ""''ip
be preferable to select ns n"n-olciiI aHNiSciS an
This matter not from among the comparatively
unknown and subordinate iuncuonareS 81 IN"
Ministry OF Justice. but from the greates' per-
snnagcs Of tho state. men VINO coiIlinahd h"'h
bv reason Of their official status and their past
services - the Nation universal respect ana CON
sidcration. -
IN revive memories Of one II the most noiahc
and charming salons that have playo a part III
the social and political existence 81 ms cry
since the FrancD-German war. Ihc Nlrohi,"'
who on account Of his huge stature. used To be
known as the giant II La Somme married
Russian lady as celebrated Tor her beauty AZ LOT
nor infolio.r and her powers Of conversation.
I'rorn 1872 until her death few years ago her
salons in the Place Camhaceios were 'h' W!S',
ing place 81 all that was clever aris,ocrauc ana
witty Her weekly receptions were lnVdlapiy
ureceded by a perfectly served dinner Tor twenty.
There was never any lady present excepting the
mistress Of the house. and inasnuch as sn". Ike
most IF her courtrywomcn. was an inNcirrate
smoker All the men smoked. too. THIS probably
,ccountcd in a great measure for the popularity
of her salon since II was the only one Whcre
smoking was the rule Nine DE- RalhnrVlc
b,d established on her husbands estates IN me
Department Of La SOmmc. number 81 hpuJikS'
ubnnn she induced to emigrate thithcr from me
nrnncrty uossesscd by her family in Russia. AZ
NO. not only retained their Muscovstc costume.
bu, also their native mode of life and method of
rrlttvation and even the troika style OF driving.
,s,,ors ~ tho Rainnevi,les a Alonville had the
impression OF having been suddenly transported
into the very depths Of Little Russia the
81 in1nl ftnf "A