La Junta tribune., 1898-02-19

enough to most nian OF the world Who
know their Paris. but one when up "
now has been content with exploitation
In the more or less discreet light OF the
ha1f-world. Not that she has been ob-
scure; the Paris woman OF her class
seldom Is that. especially II the moral
disabilities under which she labors are
capital. She has. on the contrary. been
conspicuous for q number OF years IN
the dress parade, whether at the opera,
At Longchamps, or in the Avenue des
Acacias; and she has even been the
holder Of salon" This woman is the
vicomtesse Jouffrey d'Abbans. who be-
came famous overnight as the "veiied
lady" concerned In the case OF Dreyfus
or OF Esterhazy. according to ones sen-
timent
The vlcomtessc is called In Paris not
an adventures. but woman OF the
world" which Is cuphemistic for va
riety OF attributes. most OF them sub
ject to scrutiny In Christian communi-
ties. She belongs properly to the di-
vision of Partisan society OF which
Nine. Cora Pearl was the best-known
example OF latter days-membership In
which. II is OF course unnecessary to ex-
plain. Is not always. according to the
Paris code, considered disadyantageous.
The purely social existence of these wo-
men is confined, as far as feminine in
tercourse IL concerned. to their own
drawing rooms: but they are usually
considered the true leaders OF fashion.
AS such they are always dealt with
first by the newspapers; the descrip-
tion OF their gowns and 5ewelry. In
reports Of public function at the opera
or at the race track. invariably precedes
that OF the wife and the daughter OF
the President himself. not to speak OF
the ladies Of the Faubourg. ST. Germain.
They enjoy the intimacy Of the great
men OF Europe, and. at somebody's ex-
pense, outshine the wives OF those grea,
men in dresses, In Jewels. and In eQui-
pages.
The vicomtesse is not exactly lead
er In this peculiar world. although she
has done her share In adding to it,
gayety. She II no longer young. and
she has seen that II she wished to gair
lasting position she must do some
thing besides the mere showing Of her.
self in handsome gowns. Her salon
has been In existence now about fifteen
years, but 1t Is only latterly that she
has become exclusive Her drawing
rooms are frcquented by statesmen,
literary men, artists, and. above all. by
officers of the army. and the military
attaches OF the various foreign embas-
sizes and legations; consequently she
is popularly supposed to be the RECEIPT.
acle of enough State secrets to set all
the governments of Europe by the ears
The history Of this woman and Of her
rise to be the friend. and perhaps the
confidant of men high in the councils
Of nations Is singular one. but In nc
wise more singular than the histories
of her sisters Of like class: all are
tinged with an unreality that is almost
ridiculous. She was born in little vii
lage OF the Jura, the daughter of a tav-
ern keeper. one Chabout. drunkard
and wife beater. At the age Of she
was already tending bar. serving drinks
to the rough teamsters and laborers
who frequented the place. working early
and late, and getting hard knocks SIS
recompense. She was precocious. OF
course. and pretty. She learned some
thing Of the why's Of the world-at least
the uncouth world In which she lived