New-York tribune., 1906-12-05
GAMBETTA'S ROMANCE.
Quiet Burial of Nine. Leon, His
Friend and Confdante.
Paris, November 20.

Paris, November 20.
The heroine of the most touching romance In
the history of the Third Republic was buried SIM
ply and modestly last Friday. November 16, at
1890 o'clock. in the cemetery or Passy, over
, looking the Trocadero Garden and within a rev
hundred yards of the recently erected monu-
ment of Benjamin Franklin. 1t was dull au-
tumn day and the rain fell steadily. There We're
only seven mourners who followed to the grave
the remains of that woman of rare intelligence,
;ncisive wit and fascinating beauty. Nine
Leonie Leon. who. from 1872 until the day or
his death, on December 81. 1882 the faith
full and trusted helpnate and confdante or Leon
Cambetta On last Saturday the day after the
burial of Nine Leonie Leon the following notice
appeared in the Paris evening newspapers:
Mime Ciambetta sister and sole heiress of
Leon Gambetta requests us to announce that, in
conformity with her rights. she intends to for
maly oppose the publication. in part or in fuil'
of the letters written by her brother" On Sum
day your correspondent had the good fortune to
meet NJ Joseph Reinach who, during the latter
years of Gambetta's life. was close frleno OF
the great French tribune. When asked "he'her
he had read any Of the letters referred 10 IN the
notification issued by Nine. LAris-Gamoetta' NJ
Joseph Reinach made the following interesting
statement. YES Nine Leon once showed me
ereat number Of Cambetta's letters, and have
no hesitation in saying that If they are ever
published-there about three thousano oi
them altogether-they will be one or the most
interesting political and literary monuments oi
the nineteenth century. Nine. Leonle Leon was
a woman of remarkable Intelligence ana lntui-
t;or Gambetta was in the habit of talking
freely and consulting with her in reference 10 HI
his political and diplomatic undertakings. he
cir her
in,nortanCe Scarcely a day passed but wnat
Gan,hetta wrote to Mime. Leon. and in his cor
respondence he expressed his opinions with re-
,narkable frankness Some of the judgments
formed by Gambetta regarding his contempo-
raries are terribly severe. Many of them are
unjust, but these harsh views are OFTEN cor
rected and modified by Gannbetta himself in SUD
sequent letters. Appreclations not only or men
and women. but of events. are totted down on
the spur of the moment In nervous incisive SEN
tences These letters contain the whole political
history of the Third Republic, together with
highly edifying portions of the diplomatic his
tory Of Europe from 1872 until 1882. Gam
BETA, who was supposed to be very meagre
writer, who probably never wrote over a dozen
articles in his life, stands forth in these letters
one of the greatest authors of our time. His
ideas on politics. art. literature. and especially
Of notable persons whom he met, set forth
in clear, concise language. and with masterful
intuition. They are mingled with personal cpl
sodes and reminiscences-aN written In style
at pure and fascinating-that supply
mine OF facts data and biographical portraiture
for future historians. The famous correspon-
dence Of Mrabeau to Sophie falls into insignih-
canoe beside these remarkable letters Of Gam
BETA In several Of his nssves to Nine Leon
the present Anglo French entente is predicted
In many other instances the accuracy Of his
opinions has been confirmed by events There
are many incisive. vigorously written sketches Of
the Prince of Wales, now King Edward VII. Of
Bismarck, of the late Marquis of Salisbury and
of Prince Bulow, then attached to the German
Embassy in Paris. and who in his recent speech
in his capacity Of Chancellor of the German En-
pirs paid an eloquent tribute to Gambetta's
memory
1t appears that Gambetta in company with
Nine Leon. made trip to Varzin and visited
Bismarcks house, where he was shown the little
table upon which Bismarck and Jules Fevre
signed the treaty of Frankfort Gambetta
when he saw the table remarked: Il shall
never be completely happy until have this
table IN MY own villa at Vile d'Avray." Gam
BETA first saw Nine. Leonie Leon in the gallery
OF the Corps L6gislatif in 1870 He was deeply
impressed with her beauty, and year after
ward, in October. 1871. when a Deputy In the
National Assembly at Versailles, he again saw
her in the gallery and addressed letter to her.
which Nine. Leon never answered. few days
afterWard, however he met Nine. Leonie Leon
at dinner given by the mother of one of his
intimate friends Gambetta wished to marry
Nine. Leon. and repeatedly urged her to consent
but this she invariably refused to do. He gave
her plain gold ring. upon the interior of which
was engraved the words. 'Fors Get annel point
nest d'amour' C'Outside of this ringlet love does
not eXstD. Nine. Leon. who was the daughter
of an officer of artillery who in his youth was
attached to the Due dOrleans, son of Louis
Philippe and grandfather OF the present Due
dOrieans, used to say TO Gambetta, Il can be
Of far greater use to you as discreet friend in
the shadow OF your intimate life than as YOUR
wife" On November 10, 1882 Gambetta wrote
to Nine. Leon imploring her 10 terminate their
feverish hide-and-seek existence by marriage
In interview with NJ Andre N6de. of the
Figaro" NJ. Joseph Reinach states: "I luncheG
for the last time with Gambetta in his apart-
ment, in the Rue Saint-Didier, on Saturday. No
yembeT - 1882 He asked me to call upon
Bonnat and arrange with him for his portrait.
nothing about il SO not to draw forth premat-
reproaches from Meissonier. After luncheon
Gambetta wrote to Nine Leonie Icon Informing
her that he would call to see her that evening at
the Jardes villa ut Vile d'Avray, and suggested
that they pass the following Sunday together
there. He also mentioned in the same letter that
he intended during tho coming week to announce
officially his coming marriage. and that this
step had been warmly approved by his father
On the following Monday Gambeta remained
JardieS, and received the visit of General