New-York tribune., 1907-04-20

finer than anything OF the kind ever before seen
in Paris Among those who were frequent
guests at breakfasts given IN Nine. Musard's
stables were Arsene Houssaye. Theophile Gau-
tier, and the painters Chaplin and Zeim.
The table service al these repasts was
performed, alternately with each course by
three coal black negroes and by three white
men. These attendants velvet knee
breeches, white silk stockings. shoes with sill
yer buckles and powdered wigs. Mime. Musard's
equipages were more magnificent than those OF
the Empress Eugene.
Her entertainments at her hotel in the Avenue
de lena, and at her country seat the Chateau
do Villequier were on superb scale. and old
beaux of the Second Empire refer to them with
the enthusiastic outburst: "4Ah. my dear friend.
nothing like them has been in Paris since'
Nine. Musard. one night when seated in her box
at the Opera, was seized with an attack OF
paralysis Her left eye was so affected that she
never afterward able to open it. She soon
lost her mind. a few months later she became
a raving maniac, and tried to kill Chaplin, the
painter. She was shut up in the asylum Of DR..
Blanche. the prominent specialist. and died leav-
ing large fortune a substantial part of which
some S2O00Q00-went to one OF her nephews.
Louis Bire The glittering course Of this ambi-
tious and exceedingly beautiful Ohio girl in the
nebulous clouds Of tho Partisan sky was some
thing like that Of a meteor. and the sad end
ing supplies a salutary object lesson.
Scores of careers similar to that OF Nine
AIusard narrated in La Fete Imperiale."
One finds episodes IN the life Of the professional
beauty. Julia Baruccl. who lived IN an apart
ment at No. 100 Avenue des Champs Elysees
afterward occupied for many years by James
Gordon Bennett. There edifying recollec-
tions of what took place in the three smartest
nj 1ol
Henry presided: the Cafe Anglais, where the
memorable Ernest attended to the wants of his
nlustrious clients dncIuding the Due de Ora
mont. Anatole Demidoff. Prince de San Donate.
Paul Demidoff. Khalil Bey and Prince Narlsh-
kine). and the Maison Doree, where the talented
Joseph acquired his reputation.
There are mrthful tales OF theatrical ladies
and demi- -mondaines. such Leonide Leblanc
Anna Deslion. Blanche d'Aniigny Marguerite
Bellanger, Leontine Massin Hortense Schneider,
Cora Pearl. Therese Lachman (afterward Mar
quise de PaIva and later on Princess Henckel-
Donnersmarck). Valtesse and others. Many
anecdotes are collected concerning Jacques Of
fenbach, Prlncesse Mathilde. Henri Meilhac Is
mail, Khedive OF Egypt; Auber. Edmond About,
Count Bismarck the Bischoffhelm brothers and
the Prince OF Orange. commonly spoken of ON the
bOulevards as "Cltron." Fresh details are given
pertaining to the mysterious blackmailing Of
the late Prince de la Moskowa, DUO d'Elchingen.
which subsequently led to his suicide. There
are new disclosures concerning the memorable
supper at the Maison Doree in July, 1853. which
led to the death of the eleventh Duke OF Hamil-
ton a few days later. II Is a pity that certain
portions of the book somewhat perfunctory
and fragmentary. It Is nevertheless. In spite Of
a few obvious inaccuracies in dates and names,
a useful book OF reference to what may be
called the silk lining" OF the Second Empire.
and it. moreover. contains goodly number Of
portraits and facsimiles OF autograph letters
of those who took prominent parts in La Fete
Imperiale." C. 3.