The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-02-13
TIE GREAT SALONS.
ryEY PREPARED THE GREAT
FRENCH REVOLUTION.
Can They Come hgaln?-The Author
thinks Not, Others Are OF a
piGcrcnt Cpinlon--What the SIlon
of Mile. Lcsp.uasso Nns Like.

II Is hard for an American, 70
whom tho drawing room--that Is,
tbe salon n'-signifies tor the most
mart tittle-tattle, or Irritation, or e1-
apgerated boredom--to realize that
the salons OF the eighteenth century
In France had mighty influence
upon history. When he is told that
they prepared the French reyoiu-
ton: that they laid the foundation
FOR the modern spirit OF altTuistic
consciousness, ami that they virtu-
ally made the human raco over
again, he remains incredulous. PIT
II is all true. Modern ideas were
talked into existence In the salons ct
Nine dc Lambert, Nine. do TencI,
Nine. Gsoffrin, Nine. d'Epiny, Mmo.
Necke, Julie de Lespinasse. and
few others. In particular, the sa-
Ion may claim to have created the
modern woman.
These facts are made clear enough,
even to the wayfarlng reader by
Helen Clergue In The Salon.
story of French Society and Person
alities In the Eighteenth Century.
The author has emphasl2ed the in
nuence of the eighteenth century sd
Ions, but not, we think, unduly. sac
reaches the conclusion that the stl-
lon, in its old sense, cannot como
again--but we are not 80 Bure oi
that She says:
The historical salon, which was
the instlgator of original thought,
and the arbitter OF taste and mun-
ners, was sacrificed by its own craa-
ton; 1t evoked n destroying spirit,
by whose agency, nevertheless. the
position of woman as a whole, wSs
incalculably raised. The salon came
to an end with that society in which
alone 1t could reach pre-eminente,
and 1t can no more be rehabilitated
than can the structure with which
1t fell.
The salon, taken In itself, might
conceivably be restored. since men
and women and drawing rooms still
exist; but its relation to the life OF
an epoch is the thing which 1t would
be SO difficult to renew.
What was the salon Of the eigh-
teenth century? In her account Of
Julie de Lespinasse, the author Of
this book makes 1t clear what 1t was
in its best estate. Mile. de Lespin-
asse forsook all ordinary pleasures
and intercourse In order to main
tain her salon. She received every
evening from 6 to 10. and so rarely
was this rule broken that an occa-
sional visit In the country was an
event talked OF throughout Paris. At
her assemblies she effaced herself, ap-
parently-that is to say, she took no
prominent part in the conversation,
but acted as its guiding force.
Marmontel gives an account as an
eyewitness OF her influence over the
diversified company, which she and
dAiembert gathered about them.
lie llkens the diSsimilar personalities
grouped in her salon to the chords
OF an instrument from which, though
diverse in themselves she with her
art, drew forth the most exquisite
harmonies. Nowhere" he says,
was the conversation more lively.
more brilliant. more solid or better
regulated"
1t must be remembered that Julie
de Aes2.na-ise was a poor girl, OF IL
legitimate birth; that she offered no
Iu@ury or grace of surroundings to
the great rIen who came to her little
parlor; and above all that she never
gave them anything to eat. They
cane, quite manitestly, for what they
We're to talk about, and they talked
TO great yurposeo.
-Gl!e Le3plnGsse was born for her
salon, bat she nevertheless had a
training for the art in the house of
Ter adnt, Nine. du DeGand, who had
great salon before her. The story,
Indeed, 0! Jul.c 3 maintaining a kind
ot subsidiary, surreptitious and clan
ces,ine saicn in Nine. du Dedand's
Auu2e IS well known. Mrs. Hum
lhroy W2Yd la6 made use OF the
"f1lo episode IN her Lady Rose S
Daughter" But the traitorous Julie
certainly Improved upon the example
OF her kinsWoman.