Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-09-08
BOOKS.

"A Friend Of Marie Antoinette." By
Frederic Barley. NeW York r. p.
Dutton a Co.-Tho friend Of Marie
Antoinctto-the story ~ whose At
temptS 20 rescue the son OF Louis XVI.
the Dauphn. from the prison Of the
temple in the time Of the French reyo-
luton il here narrated an English
woman. Lady Atkyns, a former Drury
lane actress, who Is described as hav-
ing been witty pretty, impressionable
and good Marrying q wealthy Eng
hsh peer, she took up her residence In
Paris, where she was presented at
court ana became a passionate admirer
Of the queen. After The breaking out
Of the revolution and the Imprisonment
Of the royal family in the temple. she
bubed the jailers 90 give her admission
10 the queen. whose escape she had
planned. The queen. however, refused
90 leave her children, but 300 putting
aside her own chances begged her
friend u possible 20 assist In reSculng
Ing the young Dauphin. This she prom.
iscd 20 do and from that time forth an
her energies were bent 10 that purpose.
She had faithful fellow workers. and
just as IL seemed possible that her
plans were going TO succeed. the death
OF pauphin was announced. II was
coon discovered by the conspirators that
I'd was not the nauphin who had died In
the cell in The temple. but a substitute.
an inbeCile child which had been pro-
cured from some unknown source. and
that the DauphIn had five months be-
fore been taken away by the wife OF the
iailor, the shoemakcr. Simon. who has
been charged by French historians with
having compassed The child's death hy
starvation and abuse. Where he was
taken or what became OF him Is a mys-
terry which has not been solved 10 this
day. As soon as the fact OF hts escane
was ascertained by Lady Atkyns. she
began a systematic search for him and
spent money without stint wherever
there seemed 10 be any chance OF OBJ
talnlng reliable information. Within
~ years no less than Is different per-
SONS made claim TO be the Dauphn,
each one OF whom was visited and eX-
aminod by her, but was rejected for
want of proof Among these were the
notorious Naundorn, the Baron de
Richemonte. ami Mathunn Bruneau.
the latter ~ whom vas sentenced 10
i've years Imprisonment for ms declar-
ration. Lady Atkyus was az FIRST in
cliued 90 accept the claims OF Bruneau
and tried To have him released from
prison. but later was convinced thai
he Was an imposter.
The author. W. Barley. Is the first
TO set forth certain important facts
relating 10 the Imprisonment OF the
Dauphin and The plots FOR his release.
Ia preparing his work he was allowed
by the French government 90 examine
a huge collection OF papers in the Oh.
Clal records relating 90 the case which
had lain undsturbed more than 20
years. Included in 10 were q arge
number 81 letters from Lady Atkyns 10
her fellow conspirators which are free
by quoted from Interesting az the mar
retvo u.s. u sheds no light upon the
mystery % the lost Dauphin. The in.
Nestigati0n and researches 81 Eurorean
writer's aud historians f0r more than D
century have failed Boo securing any new
Information on the subject. and ID vim
probably forever remain one of the un.
solved problems ~ history Lady Al.
kyns died .n Paris Feb. 2. 1855. but VAS
buried IN England. Her devotion to
ihe cause of The royal family If Frsnre
cost hcr $4,000 and reduced hef fo
poverty. She Was many Zines promised
reimbursement after the restoration
hut th'se promises Hcre never fuulflled
hcr portrait shows her io have been
woman of diguihci presence and up-
usual beauty.