The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26

longer the fashion. and Is thought Ridiculous
The Catholics here say in their catcchism tina,
marriage Ia q sacrament, but, In point Of fact
they live with their wives as II II were no sacra.
mcnt at MI. and nothing IL more approved than
20 see men have gallant and desert their wives
She goes on 10 say that these are dangerous
times for young men, and they would do better
10 go and seek honor In war than 70 stay here
doing nothing and leading tho most absolute
lives for which. be IL said between you and me.
my son has but too great liking. He says he
has taste only for women. and not for other de-
bauchery, which In as common here a. II Ia In
Italy. and therefore, he thinks ought TO praise
him and be grateful TO him, but his behavior
docs not please me at all" Not 70 enlarge upon
, this subject Madame says that she will talk to
her correspondent about her wolf You must
know she writes that -onoo 9 month. 20 With
Monseigneur. the Dauphin. TO hunt wolf II
had rained; the ground was slippery We had
searched for wolf two hours without fading
one, and then started for another point where
we hoped TO do better. A We were following
a wood path, a wolf sprang up Just In front
my horse, which was frightened. and reared on
Its hind legs and slipped and fell over it's right
side. and my elbow coming In contact with .
big stone. was dislocated. They looked for the
Kings surgeon. who was with the hunt, but
could not find him. for his horse had Loaf shoe
and he had gone 10 . village 70 have II put on.
peasant said there was . very skillful barber
two leagues oil, who set legs and arms every day
Of his life: when heard no had such experience
got into saieche and was driven 70 him. not
without very great pain. As soon a. he had set
my arm l suffered nothing. and drove back hero
TO SaintCloud al once Ny surgeon and Mon
seur's surgeon examined the hurt l think
they were rather Jealous that poor countrymAn
had done the thing 90 we'll They bandngod
my arm again and made me suffer beyond moas-
urc. My hand swolled up In horrible manner:
could not move my wrist or lift my hand to my
mouth
Writing from Versailles In 170i. three years
after her husbands death. Madame tells her
correspondent that there are very few women
here who arc not coquot,os by nature: II is cx-
cessivey rare to meet any. Before God that
is, perhaps, very rcprchensble, but before men
II is thought fair game The coquettes iatter
themselves that our Lord having shown in Holy
Scripture so much charity for persons Of their
stripe, he will. certainly, have compassion upon
them the cases Of Mary Magdnlcn, Of the Samari-
tan woman and Of the woman taken In adultery
make them easy In mind. You must not think
that they ever tire Of coquetry They cannot do
withou, ". so TO speak, and they never get tired
Of H." At the same time. IL Ia acknowledged
that many French wumcr especially those who
have been coQucttish and dcbauchcd. az soon
~ they grow old and can no longer have lovers.
make themselves drvout, OF. at least. they say
they are sualy, such women are very dangerous:
they are cnyous. and cannot endure others
About the same date. read: The Jubilee bull
has not converted all the nbbcs. for there arc
still Gcodly number OF them in Paris who cour,
4 4
one could fall in love with an ccclesastic"
The terrible suffering experienced In Franco
during the war Of the Spanish Succession is not
unnoiiced by this great lady. She writes from
Versailles in 100, Never In my life did know
so gloony period. The people are dying Of cold
like flies The mills are stopped and that Inns forced
many 10 die Of hunger Yesterday. they told
me sorruwful story about a woman who stole
a loaf Of bread from bakers shop in Paris Tho
baker wanted 10 arrest her; she said. weeping,
II you knew my misery you would not take
the loaf away from me- l have three little chill
dren all naked: they ask me for bread: cannot
bear It, and that is why have stolsn the loaf
The commiSsary before whom they took the
woman told her 10 take him where she lived he
went there, and found the three little children
sitting in corner under heap OF rags trembling
with cold ~ II they had the aSuc. Where is
your father" he asked the eldest. The child
answered Behind the door The commisaary
looked 10 sec why the father was hiding behind
the door. and recoiled with horror: the man had
hung himself in despair Such things are hap
pening daily The Princess adds that the famine is
No great that children have eaten each other
II one leaves the house. one is followed by crowd
of poor creatures who cry famine: all payments
are made in notes; there is no coin anywhere:
all ones conenmcnt is destroyed till better days
apr"G-"
Madame detestcd Nine. de Maintenon but
Louis XIV. she liked. In some respects she
Judged him with much intelligence and with
broader good sense than he himself was capable |
Of; she thought him ignorant In many ways.
and therein she was right What she valued !
most in him Was his uprightncss OF FEELING and
the accuracy Of his perceptions when he was left
TO himself: also the charm Of his intercourse, |
the feliCitous expression OF his thoughts and GER
tain loftiness Of nature which he undoubtedly |
possessed She has expressed ingenuously the |
sort Of open and sincere affection that she felt for
Louis XIV by saying: IT the King had been my |
father. | could not have loved him more than |
did love him. and have pleasure in being with |
him" Whom the Kings health declined, and ,
he ncared his last hour, We IND Madame laying |,
bare hcr grief in her letters; sho whose son was ,
else the change Of reign. THE King is not we'll"
she says, Aug IS. lTl5, "and il troubles me to the
point Of being half III myself have lost both sleep
and appetite. God grant I may bc mistaken!
But, II what l fear should happen. Il would be
for me the greatest Of misfortunes" The last
scene Of farewell is rccoun'cd with genuine emo
ton under date Of Aug. "a In the year last named
We had yesterday the saddest and most touch
ing scene that can be imagined. The King. after
preparing himself for death, and after having
received the sacramento had the Deuphin Isub-
sequcntly Louis XVI brought to him. gave him
his bcnedciion and talked 10 him. Hs sent for
me next also for the Duchess OF Berry and all
his daughters and grandchildren lie bade me
farewell in words so tender that wonder that did
not fall down senselesS He assured me that he
had always loved me, and more than knew,
and that he regretted to have sometimes caused
me grief lie asked me To remember him some
lines adding that he thought l should do so
willingly, for he was certain had always loved
him. lie said, also, that he gave me his bless
ing. and offered prayers for the happiness Of my
whole life, ] threw myself on my knees and,
aking his hand, kissed II. lie embraced me-
and then he smoke n The others He told than,