The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
Ia VERONICA rs DEAD.
a ForEotten Notoriety or the second Empirt
Leaves q Fortune 20 Animals.

a ForEotten Notoriety OF the second Empire
Leaves n Fortune 20 Animals.
PARIS. Feb. 4.-Three weeks ago there died in
a little dingy house opposite the, Church of
Notra Dame de Lorette an old woman. II was
not age that made her old, as she was only SO.
but an affection Of the skin. that had turned her
face into a mass of wrinkles and given her the
appearance OF being at least thirty years older.
In addition she was bowed and crippled and de-
formed. Her neighbors saw little Of her. Know
ing herself to be q sorry sight, she seldom left
the house, and was attended by a servant az
little prepossessinR as herself. She was thought
to be rich and misery. At her funeral. which
was simple, there were no mourners: there was
nothing about it worthy Of remark save the
fact that q venerable pony was led behind the
That this old woman had ever lived was prob
ably remembered by few people, when. a week
tor of her will made an announcement that
Immediately put her name in the mouth Of all
Paris. This neglected old woman had died
leaving $500. 600 in securities and Jewels. all OF
which she 5equeathed to the Paris society for
cause surprise: nor was It altogether the char.
acter Of the beneficiary, notwithstanding tho
T Pslisyis Of E ioS Sssq T nss5 a ieF FOOLISH " RRhrP1G T. sa wh naiher % ,bs
fifty. She was La Veronica"
n sssSs @0s saIyef Fsnlsls %%sRc g. E1Efa a SseFs Fia IA mems menus:
s Enough nh BUT r sSsy found fH it S dfdisufs to Fsnliaiis
that She who had once been called divine"
who had been worshipped by them as the most
back street OF a questionable quarter OF Paris.
and had had no one to follow her wasted body
to the grave.
VERONICA was SO called because she was found,
that name in the Park Of st. Cloud. She was
just two weeks old. and her sole worldly posses.
sions were a dimpled body. lusty lungs, and q
had so far Conquered her World that she had the
showiest hotel on the Champs Elysees. a chateau
on the Loire, a villa by the sea. and one of the
finest stables OF horses belonging to a private
and LA PaIva,' in addition, the reputation OF
being the most notorious woman in Europe. A
%favorite first of Napoleon III. himself. then of
functionaries. she was the life and centre of tho
frolics which distinguished the Second Empire.
For eleven years she kept the pace without fnl.
tering: Then, one nne day. she saw herself
Only 80 years old, at the height Of her beauty
and success, with triumphs Individually yet TO
come. she fought the strange malady by which
foreseeing living death. Three years she spent
travelling from place to place. consulting tho
foremost physicians of the, time, and following
Europe. There was no cure for her. however.
nor even help, and when she saw her once won.
derful beauty passing away she gave up. in d.
best years OF her life had been spent, and seek.
ing only to remain unseen and forgotten.
For thirty-three years she was both. The sale
OF her properties provided her with an adequate
the dumbc creatures who did not know tho differ.
ence between her when beautiful and when
hideous.. There is to come, however. the final
which are valued at 100000 intrinsically, and
may have a fictitious value caused by the mem
DRY of the givers. are to be sold at public sale.