New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
TOPICS IN PARIS.
THE FASHIONABLE SEASON PROLONGED
FAR BEYOND ITS USUAL LIMIT
NAPOLEON AND MADAME MERE'-RENAN's
LETTERS To OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CONCERTS TO BE SUSPENDED
co. OPERATIVE FEEEING

Cooler and cloudy weather. together with the
marked development Of cycling and motor-carriage
,,dng now the favorite pastimes of Parisians. on
abling them TO make long runs into the country
and yet enjoy the attractions Of living in town.
have prolonged the fashionable this year far
hevond its usual limits. The cosey little dinner and
sumner parties at the open-air restaurants Of the
Champs Elysees and Bots de Boulogne still go on
as merrily as ever. and the well-known faces lin
eerlng in the Rue de la Paix are almost as numer-
Gus as month ago Among those now leaving
are the United States Ambassador and Mrs. Horace
Porter who intend taking the waters at Marienbad.
IN Austria General Porter. by the way. has just
been elected a permanent member of the Cerce de
rt-nion which ranks with the Jockey Club and
the Cercle Agrfcole, usually called les pommes-
ae-terre' as of the best and most exclusive
clubs in Paris. Quite a number OF Americans are
making their arrangements to go to Dinard which
with It's improved golf links and tennis courts
offers unusual attractions for the month Of August
Among those expected at this fashionable Brittany
seaside resort Queen Isabella II OF Spain, Lord
Rosebery, Baron Arthur de Rothschd, Lord Cado-
gan Mrs. Hughes-Hallett. Comte and Comtesse
CALI who have taken the Moulton Cottage Mr.
and Mrs Francis Blake. Joseph Peabody and
large contingent Of Americans and English. Nichy
has opened its cure with dog show which Is
quite suCcessful-the classes of stage hounds and
toy terriers being exceptionally well represented
Among those at Vichy the Prince Imperial Of
IA Guiche and NJ. Albert Menier. At Aix-les-Bains
are Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Jones. Mrs. kellogg Mrs
Tracy Lyon and other Americans. The Austrian
Ambassador and his wife. the Countess Wolken-
seinTrostburg, are taking the waters at Nittel In
the Vosges Mountains, and Mr.. Gondy. the United
States Consul General. IS at Plombieres. where the
treatment is doing him much good. But Paris Is
not vet deserted, and this summer animation has
earned for il the soubriquet OF "Paris-les-Bains
Napoleon is decidedly Ia mode. The letters and
memoirs Of the first Due Decazes who was "secre-
taire des comma ndements" of Napoleon's mother
Nine Laetitia Bonaparte. and afterward chef d.
Cabinet 10 Louis Napoleon. King of Holland, will
,bortlv make their appearance The Decazes let
ters were carefully collected and arranged by his
wife and on the authority @. NJ. Ernest DaudeC
VINO has been revising the proofs, will furnish new
and most valuable data for the history OF the hrst
thirty years of the century. Some OF the peculiar-
ties Of Madame Mere"-as Princess Laetitia was
officially styled-are amusing. The Duo Decazes re-
lates tina; 1t the family custom for each OF
Madame Meres' children to kiss her hand when
ever they entered her room. She would aiierWdrd
acknowledge this hlia greeting 10y bestowing a
matronly kiss on the cheek. one morning the En-
Yeror forgot the family custom. whereupon
Madame Mere" remained seated in her armchair
win her hand extended. Napoleon at once apollo
& zed to his mother for his forg6tfuness and kissed
her hand Madame Mere" used TO receive from
the Emperors civil list annual sum Of 5000
francs But on May 9, 1856 she wrote to her son
rhe following characteristic letter asking for more
money:
NINE. MERE" WANTS MORE MONEY
Sire: When Your, Majesty asked me to suggest
T. anything might be done which would he agree
Ills Maiestv's discretion and TO his affection for
ne What could suggest 10 him VINO knows 80
row prefer however. to allow no further chance
for any uncertainty As 10 my requlremtntsi An!
NJ - suHiejenfly glorious Nv position beside
the Emperor is illusriOus and IL dear 10 my heart
J consequently desire no change in this respect My
only wish to remain for many years 10 come
witness Of your glory and happiness. but my man
10 % u he ~ dgDitv Of nv rank and YOU should
SATISFY yourself that my allowance i large enough
49, a. your Majesty viii recolect that ] have
eye1 rlcSiy4d aHytSing Whatever as Spremiers
frais establishment" | need more h9useh oIq
in silver I have not nearly enough furniture. My
allowance moreover i not inscribed IN the regular
d. 7 Fmpereur" In former times the life annuiues
Of DOwager Queens Of F-ance were nNed charges
upon certain specified &C ces or the national ftFs
efGc ! should be pleased if Your Majesty would
regulate my situation accordingly ana es'aoish my
allowance by "sena -us-consute.
T. is quite characteristic Of the Emperor that TO
this extraordinary appeal he never even delgned TO
reply.
Remains letters TO NJ. Berthelot. the eminent
chemist row appearing in the Revue dc Paris
are attracting widespread attention. NJ Berthelots
clos intimacy with the author Of the life Of
Jesus" which began in carly youth. continued
vithou, interruption until Remains death Remains
wlsHes hopes dsappoint ments. ambitions and i'm
pressons were always impaired 10 his bosom friend
Berthelot whose council and advice were inVari-
sbv sought for and often acted upon Inc series
Of letters now published date from 1ST TO 1850
Reran then about twenty-four years Of age, had
3us, thrown off the trammels OF ecclesiastical lie
10 which MS family had intended he should devote
himself He became empoye Of the National
Library and assigned 10 the task OF classify
ing manuscripts. II was while 20 engaged that ne
.ourd time to compile that remarkable History Of
the Semitic Languages. which established MS rep
utation as savant. Renan made occasional visits
70 his relatives in Brittany and in 1919 writing 10
Der 7elot then "a tutor at the College De France.
complains bitterly Of 1.-The absolute Intellectual
nothiagness OF the provinces which constitutes the
greatest obstacle 20 the progress OF modern IDEAS
ard says that the present generation OF French
men are feeble and sickly II this Is inc re-
sult OF civilization then barbarism would be In
fni,ey preferable ! can't refrain from
Nen.ng the mental and moral condition Of France
to-day 10 that Of the Roman Republic JUST before
II hurled itself into servtude.
Il was IN this same year CAD that Renan hrst
went 70 Rome u came here ne writes. "irnbued
with all sorts Of violent prcjudices against the re-
ligon OF The South. Rome represented TO my mihu
the perverslon Of all religious instinct was pre-
pared 10 ridlcue the simplicity OF Jesus ana laugh
al The superstition Of the people. Er ben mo"
ami The Madonnas have conquered me. 10"
discover people. h this faith IN TINS c.'lH%a
ton a loftiness a poetry an ideasm beyond com
parison, How can | explain all this 10 you? How
/ initiate YOU into this new existence into
Which ] plunge with such passionate admiration
Dur ioeaism is cold abstract and severe, Win no
Imagery whatever while the ideaism OF TINS people
IS plastic and seeking expression IN some D'"u
ful m wal
uies In Rome without being struck by TINS pro-
dig1Ous wealth Of imagery paintings, statuaTy,
nonasteries. churches. everywbere-nothins COM
monplace nor vulgar. while the ideal IS omnlpfes-
ent, am completely conquered" such Is kenAn
eNn account OF how he was vanqGisned by me