The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-02-01
THE GREAT SALONS.
THEY PREPARED THE GREAT
FRENCH REVOLUTION. y
Can They Come Again?---The Author
Thinks Not, Others Are Of
Different Opinicn--What the Salon
or Mile. Lesp.nasse Was Lake.

| Different OpiniIn hat the Salon
or Mile. Lesp.nasse Was Lake.
IT Is hard for an American, to
whom the drawing rooni--that Is,
the salon --signines for the most
lpart tittie-iattle. or tlirtatlon, or ex-
aggerated boredom TO realize that
the salons OF the eighteenth century
| in France had mignty influence
upon history Naen ne is told that
they prepared rha French reyolu-
ton; that they laid the foundation
for the modern spirit OF atrulstle
consciousness. ana that they virtu-
ally made tile human race over
again, he remains mcredulous. But
IL is all true Modern IDEAS were
talked into existence IN the salons Of
Nine de Lambert, Nine De Tencin,
Nine. Geoftrin. Nine. 4 Epny, Mime.
Necke. Julie de Lcspinasse, and u
few others. In particular. the sa-
Ion may claim to nave created the
modern woman
These facts are made cicar enough.
even to the wagfarlng reader. oy
Helen Clergne in The Salon. 4
story OF French Society ana Person
alities IN the Eighteenth Century.
The author has emphasized the in
hueace OF the eighteenth century sa-
ions, but not, We tAlnk, Gnduly Sne
reaches the conclusion tnat the sa-
Ion, in its Old sense. Cannot come
again but We are not 50 sure OF
that She says:
The historical salon whloh was
the instigator OF original thought.
and the arbitter Of tast+ and man
ners. was sacrificed by It's own crea-
ton. It evoked a destroying spirit,
by whose agency nevertheless, the
position of woman as whole. was
intellectually raised The salon ca:o
to an end with that society in which
alone it could reach pre-eminence,
and 1t can no more be felabilitated
than can the structure with which
it fell
The salon, taken in itself, might
conceiyably be restored since men
and women and drawing rooms stu
exist; but its relation to the life Of
an epoch is the thing which 1t would
De SO difficult to renew
What was the salon OF the eigh-
teenth century In ner account OF
Julie de Lespinasse, the author OF
this book makes II clear what it was
in its best estate Nile. de Lesriu-
asse forsook ali ordinary pleasures
and Intercourse in order to main
tain her salon. She received every
evening from 6 70 TO- and SO rarely
was this rule broken tLat al oeca-
sional visit in ti+e county was an
event talked OF throughout Paris. 1T
her assemblies she e1aced hesselt APP
parently that is to say. she took no
part in the conversation.
but acted as its guiding force.
Marmontel gives an account as an
eyewitness of her influence over tie
diversified company, which she and
d Alembert gathered about them.
He likens the dIsslmilar 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
narmonies Nowhere. he says.
was the conversation more lively,
more brilliant. more solid or better
regulated +"
Ii must be remembered that Julie
le Lespinasse was a poor girl, OF IL
legitimate birth; that she offered 10
uxury or grace Of surroun 1ings to
he great men who came to her little
)arlor; and above all that she never
gave them anything 10 eat, They
anne quite maniiestly, for what they
we're TO talk about. and they talked
o great purposec.
Julie Lespinasse was born for her
.alon, but she nevertheless hal a
for the art in the house OF |
Ter aunt, Nine. du Deffand, who hal |
great salon before her The story, |
indeed, OF jules maintaining a kind |
Il subsidiary, surreptitious and clan
iestine salon in Mime du Deffand's
luuse Is we'll known. Mrs. Hum
ihrey Ward has made use of the
Whole episode in her Lady Roses
But the traitorous Julie
improved upon the example
( her kinswoman.