The Washington herald., 1908-01-26


her age. Miss Louisa De Ia Rance. Out
da," died to-day in comparative poverty
at the little Tuscan village Of Mazzaraso.
Here she had made her home in a cot
tage far from the luxuries to which she
formerly had been accustomed. for near
ly year At the advanced age of six
ty-eight the sight of one eye had been
destroyed, her hearing had almost failed
her, and other infrmitios had added their
afiiiction. For the last five years her
life had been passed in seclusion and
much of that time she was in dire want
Absolute inability to reckon the value
Of the money earned by more than forty
OF her novels which became the rage,
brought her 10 this unhappy pass. Her
once large fortune vas squsndered in
giving 10 Others
Granted Pension.
Nearly year ago attention was called
10 her unfortunate condition through the
granting of pension OF 500 to her from
the civil list. Friends were willing TO
assist her but the proud woman would
have none OF their help. Forced to give
up the splendid villa al Lucca, where she
had lived. she took 10 the milkman's q
cottage denied of all her old pleasures.
except her dogs
"Ouida's' career as a novelist began
when she was twenty, when she went
from Bury 81. Edmunds TO London.
Some of her best-knoWn works were
Under Two Flags" Two Little Wooden
Shoes, In Maremms." "Strathmore.
"Chandoz." and ''Tricotrin."
The NovcIistS Career.
Mile. Louise De la Rance. known to
the English reading world by her pen
name Ouida, a childish pronunciation of
her own christian name was born at
Bury, St Edmunds. Suffolk. England in
lSN. Her father was English, her mother
French
Her early life is shrOuded in a mystery
which has given opportunity for the Wild
est imaginative work on the part of the
pseudo biogTaDhers. the favorite idea be-
ing that she knocked about England and
the continent with her somewhat diSso-
lutte father. This theory is usually given
in explanation of her knowledge Of the
roisterous life. a knowledge which caused
were written by a man with an at least
questionable history. At any rate, her
father and mother separated when she
was an infant, and she herself said that
she never had any childhood or girlhood.
One attempt was made by Ouida
American publisher, the late J b. Lip
pincott. 10 learn from the novelist her
self 4oW she came 60 know 90 much or
the seamy side Of life Her smiling
answer, It's none OF your business"
closed the attempt In the light Of her
books. the story that she was educated
by her father and by him taught mascu-
line habits Of thought, seems plausible.
When still a young woman. Ouida ap-
pears 90 have gone back to England and
10 have lived with her mother. in Lon
don. From this time on she devoted her
self to writing Her first story. Gran
Vile de Nigne' was published when she
was twenty years old Artificial sensa-
tional, and Indirectly licentious' were
some Of the 8dieCtives applied 10 her
work 10y the critics Of the time There
was a certain power In her writing. how
ever, which gave her books a vogue from
the first and their highly seasoned quail
ties only endeaTed them the more 10 a
great mass Of the public.
The nOvelist's view of men and women
and life was one Of CyniCism. a tendency
of her nature and early training which
was only increased and intensified hv
her sole romantic affair A Fl0rentine
marqui5e of cultured tastes wooed and
won her. and then she found out about
his laison with younger, more beau
tifuI woman,
Ouida broke with her fiance and then
showed the world what she thought Of
him and Of her successful rival in her
novel Friendships" The characters
Were drawn So close TO life that the cou-
PIE who had inspired them withdrew from
society 10 secIusion.
Books Brought Fortune.
Ouidas work sold in large quantities
and she was accounted wealthy. II has
been estimated she made S250,000 10 $780,
900 from her writings But she did not
manage her property for her own good.
Living moderately, in a fine villa near
Florence. she entertained friends weekly.
This seemed TO be her only dissipation.
But she never turned deaf ear to any
story of want or need; all who asked
help received it. without thought Of her
own future. Her almost unreasoning love
for animals also had deal to do with
the squandeTing of her fortune Dur
ing her days of afluence she is said to
have kept thirty dogs besides several
horses, and a story is told Of her that
she once ordered all the dogs in Flor
ence fed at her expense
Last year it was reported in London
that the novelist was in great poverty.
ana a pension Of $3.50 was granted TO her
from the civil list. A fund was raised to
aid her. but the aged woman did not take
kindly TO the efforts to help her II is
said she even tore profferd bank notes to
pieces before the eyes Of the would-be
banefactOrs
Only Her Dogs Left.
It was related at the time that she was
living in the humble home of miIkman
at Massarosa, having lost home and en- !
tire fortune But three greyhounds were
left to her of her former DAYS Of af1u-
ence. These, it was said, too. often ate
the food that should have gone to their
mistress, but they went about with her
and she was still called in Florence THE
Lady of the Dogs"
These reports of Ouida's utter poverty /
were afterward denied-it is certain they /
were exaggerated-and she was said to be /
poor, but not suffering or in need. For
months she was hectored by correspond /
ents and others who, from varying mo- /
tives. tried 10 learn the truth OF her con-
ditiOn.
Ouida was the author Of forty novels /
which attained varying degrees Of popu- /
larity. OF these, Under Two Flags" pub /
lished in 1857 and Letter dramatized by 4
Paul NJ. Potter, probably had the great |