Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18
She Charmed Three Generations of
Paris.
RECOLLECqDNS OF HER CHARMS
Her Famous Salon in the Abbaye
Aux Bois.
CHATEAUBRIAND'S FRIEND

Iufie Lettef 10 ire tour1cr f1afe
There has been sold recently at the Hotel
Drouot In Paris Louis XVI mant.lpiecc
in white marble ornamcnted with gilded
orcnzes, the memory of which awakens in
the mind a whole epoch. This relic came
fro the salon of Nine Recamier, the
! beautiful woman who gathered around her
the elite OF three generations OF Parisians,
ard at the recent sale was purchased by
an amateur for five thousand francs
Nine. Recamier. the divine Juliet had
just married NJ. Recamier, an opuleat
barker Of twice her age. who looked up IN
her rather as his daughter than his Wife
Her intelligence and her beauty rendered
her doubly celebrated Every one solicited
the honor Of being presented to her. Her
salon was crowded by the aristocracy OF
birth and of talent.
N. Recamier. who had realized enormous
sums through his fina ncial operations had
Just acquired the hotel Of NJ. Necker. sit
uated in the Rue Mont Blanc He had this
property so enlarged and embeilished as 10
make IL dwelling worthy OF her who was
TO inhabit IL. All the furniture. even to tho
last armchair, was designed and execute ed
expressly for this purpose. The Hotel of
the Rue Mont Blanc soon became the CEN
ter or fashion and intelligence Fete sue
ceeded fcte. Nine. Recamer. radiant as a
spring morning, received her friends and
guests with Incompatible grace. Her salon
was kind of neutral ground where men CT
all parties met, mingled in the Same ad-
nlraton. There we're the Prince I-uc.cn
Eonaparte. Gen. Bernadotte. Adrian and
Mathew de Montmorcncy, the philosopher
Eallanche, and Camille Jordan, who like
f.,hny others. paid assiduous court TO Mime.
kccamier, and TO whom she said: BAL
lanche pieases me by drawing out all the
good there is In me. and you please me for
just the opposite reason
Her Friends.
There were also TO be seen Nine. de Stael.
the Princess Caroline BonaIarte. after
ward the Queen of Naples; Alexander Won
Humboldt, David dangers, Eugene Della
crcix. Gen. Mcreau, etc.
This epoch of splcndor. however. was not
of long duration. NJ. Recamicr, through
unfortunate speculations. lost almost the
Whole Of his fortune. Nine Recamier was
Obliged to sell her hotel her lands. her
horses. even her silver. She took a lizzie
apartment in the Rue Basse du Renpari
where. as in the past her admirers crowd
ed about her. Ill was at this time that she
became acquainted with the man unsn
wfom she exorted her greatest influence
that is 10 say, Chateaubriand, whom she
net for the first time at the deathbed Of
Nine. de Stael
Fresh financial disasters having over
taken her husband Nine. Recamier sought
reit &C In the Ahbaye aux Bots. where her
salon became more celebrated than ever
The Abbaye aux Bots was the home of n
Religious community. situated I'm the Rue
de SeTres, at the angle of the Rue de Ia
Ofalse- During the somber days Of the
revolution this property had served as n
prison. Under the restoration the nuns OF
The community had made OF il n refuge for
women of the world, who withdrew there
TO taste OF the pleasures of solitude with
cut at the same time renouncing those OF
society.
1t was while paying a visit to an ola
friend. the Baroness of Bourgoing. whose
M hn.I av-,l.1
that Nine. Recamier conceived the idea OF
taking up her residence in this peaceful
habtation. She was then in all the ratff-
ance of her beauty. When she presented
herself at the abbaye. there was nothing
vacant but a little apartment i'm the fourth
story, inconveniently situated, and accessf-
Die only by rough staircase. She did not
hesitate, however, to take possaSsion nf IN
1 he author of The Genius of Chrsstiani
ty, who came there every day, hasleft the
following description OF IL: THE bed room
was ornamented with a bookcase. harp
and view of coppet by moonlight Cpou
the windowsill We're pots of flowers When
quite out of breath after having climbed
tie three flights of stairs, 1 entered her
cell toward evening, was enchanted.
A Restful Retreat.
THE windows looked out upon the gar
dens of the abbaye, where the nuns and
their pupils wandered at pleasure. The
highest branches of an acacia were on a
iihS WIN tbc eye, PETITIONERS cut
the sky, and on the horizon were seen the
hills of Sevres. The setting sun gilded The
picture and entered at the open windows
Silence and solitude reigned in the distance
above the noise and tumult of a great CITY
The Abbaye aux Bots was little known aft
that time. As soon as Nine. Recamier was
installed there, however, the way to her
retreat was quickly learned. Upon the
death OF the Marquise OF Montmairail who
occupied the large apartment of the first
W, n
10y Nine Recamier. The nuns of the all
baye ceded to her for life the right to this
apartment. There she was more commodi-
ously lodged. and il was possible for her 10
surround herself with objects that would
Inc friends of former times rushed to see
ber and others Joined them. All the most
noted Parisians deiled through the saluns
CT the Abbaye aux Bois. There were TO be
seen Sainte Beuve. Jules Ampere, Merimee.
Lamartine. Victor Hugo, the Due de No.
that Lamartine read, before publishing
them. his 'Meditations." Victor Hugo. who
had just left college. was there consecrated
poet by Chateaubriand himself.
she never held such place In the
world" says Sainte Beuve, las when she
Paris. 1t was there that her gentle genius,
oisengaged from too vehement complica-
tons. made itself more and more felt IN
may be said that she perfected the art of
friendship and caused IL TO take on new
Charms. This lovely woman was gracious
and captivating. even i'm her old age. The
Gay she comprehended that her beauty was
waning, because the little chimney sweeps
no longer turned to look upon her when
she passed, she determined TO consecrate
the remaining years of her life to the du-
ties OF religion and to the cultivation OF