New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-24

amazing personality. il ever there was ~,
Her father. dying while she was still cbud
left her to the care of a mother who was in -
way qualified to train her for the duties ~
queen In fact there was no affection betwee,
the two. and Christina passed through a cbnd
hood that was hoydenish. pedantic. unwhole-
some and foolish Sweden groaned over her
caprices and extravagance. and was readv >.
DO more than groan when she fell under the in
duence Of the modifying Bourdelot. A ouack
whom she should have sent 70 the rigbtabort
the moment he entered her court Instead sbe
haied with delight his ideas Of gayetv ana caro-
IeSShess and entered upon a career OF seIf-fn
diligence to which her abdcation in favor NJ
Charles Augustus was. after all. but the in
evitable climax Thenceforth she tool, ~
Europe for her stage. and pranced up and dovrr
the Continent in Amazonian, histriopic vav
calculated at once to enrapture and to scandal
lie the crowned heads whose hospitality she de-
manded with inimitable aplomb- She went from
bad to worse alternating powerful friend
after another. and desperately trying the IA
thence of the Pope who had made I'd his mind
to do the best he could for so difficult convert
She had her sinister side. well illustrated in ~.
tragic affair OF MonaIdeschi. the equerrv done
to death by her famiIiars: yet when A-,,a1.
Barine says that this brilliant Christina al
most genius. was. morally. a veritable mon
ster." she unnecessarily deepens the note ~
criticism which belongs TO the theme Christina
was no doubt a rather awful figure in SIM.
ways. but in her love OF letters In her confused
but sincere excursions into the world OF ideas
and in her half gallant. half-mad ambition "a
NEEDLE with public affairs after she had ceased
to possess any real right to do so she excites
If not admiration. at least a kind y lenjenCv-
dweIls on her cleverness and on her harm
less pCturesQueness rather than upon hsr
darker traits.
Mrs. Bearne. like Arvede Barfne has produced
a somewhat miscellaneous volume She treats
OF four women-the painter Vigse lie R-un- tie
pietistic yet mundane Marquise do Noutagu:
the tempestuous Madame TaHian and the wor7-
an who was the friend OF Philippe F-aIta. and
yet IS not unpleasautly remembered Madame 9e
GenIis- The four sections OF the work are 20
arranged as 20 give a toIerabIv consecutive sur
vey Of French society from the ti~,, OF louis
Nv 10 the Napoleonic era The author follows
the current method. filing in toIerab,y ski
ful portrait in outline with rs many anec-
dotes as her book will hold. These stories while
often introduced for the sheer entertainment
they give. are more often such as serve 70 Illus
trate individual character or broad phases %
the social movement Many OF them. OF course
are familiar. but Mrs. Bearne has some material
that is new. notably this tale showing that the
mobiles who suffered in the Revolution xe-e nod
always I'll served by their retainers:
Many cases there OF romantic devotion and
loyalty by WHICH the property OF family had ben
wants Such was the story OF the Marquis de -,
whose castle vas burned. and who. with his wife
perish ed in the flames Their bows managed
to escape, but not together One took refuge n
knowing OF the existence OF the other
When the revolution they 10th caus
back to France, and. strange to say. and 10
ognizCd each other at the ruins Of their own cha
teau While they stood uOurnfuliy gazing al than
4 regiment Of cavalry passed by The eyes OF the
commander fell upon them. and suddenly he o.
dered the regiment to halt and. calling the tEs
young men. said
Are YOU not the NM -
on hearing that they were he remarked
u afraid. Messieurs, that you are very hadiy
They could not deny this. and 70 their as;onish-
ment the officer hurredly saying trat be- buTa
on their estate. pressed purse OF SOLD the
hand Of and marched of. The CCuu-rT Ras stu
IN state OF anarchy. and they could d.
cover who their bruef3Ctor was
They stood IN gStoUISETCcnt looking af-c- the sob
diers. and then. turning. walked ovsfuIy back
10 their ruins. where 4 deCe1riy dressed working
man who had bten observing them came Up a24
again asked them the same question.
Are you not the NM. De -
Yes. are replied the BIT theirs
chateau in the old time. and now NeSsieurs. II YOU
will honor me by coming to my house and accept
ina, some rgfreshrD~4t I VIII show E.G something
that Will surprise you
The young men gladly went In. AMI. after svn
them excellent deJeuner their host lighted
candle. took 4 spade and told them 70 follow b 1L
lie led them into the garden. cleared away me
earth with his spade and uncovered S'0ne- Ihs