The sun., 1908-06-28


olons pretexts he was adiudged 10 have
broken the contracts. and having thus been
reduced TO poverty he was thrown into prison
% political offender.
After a tedious Imprisonment he was set
at liberty. and placed under the surveillance
Of the police. He succeeded In cffeoting
his escape from, France TO Germany. and has
now been for two or three years In this coun-
try earning his livelihood by his profession
40 physician. by giving lessons In languages.
mathematics and various other branches
OF science.
NJ. de Montoalm is perfectly authorized
TO bear the title OF marquis. by which his
great progenitor is known 10 history. but
we believe he has never thought At TO claim
any such aristocratic distinction. "A gen
une radical. well versed In the sober phi
losophy Of experience. his ideas lead him to
place small value upon hereditary honors
except when their possessor has made good
his right to them by labors OF illustrtous
usefulness to humanity.
This sketch gives an outline OF the his
tory Of the family In this country. M. de
Montcalm never gained riches In this
country. He was not widely known. but
he had the stanch respect and admiration
Of a few mon OF disoernment capable OF
approaching nobility Of character
One who saw M. do Montcalm In his
own home in Brooklyn describes his ex-
perience:
@The house was one OF m onotonous
row In an questionable district. waited
long before any one answered my ring.
and while waited indulged in thoughts
Of tho oommonness Of the place.
sOnoe inside the house such notions
speedily vanished. However 1t might be
on the outside. there was no other interior
like that In the whole row. There were
reminders Of Old World luxury and station.
not ostensibly displayed-just naturally
and inevitably there as tha belongings Of
the people who lived in the house-and when
DR.. Montcalm entered felt as II we're
being presented at court. In bis very sim
plcity there was something which COM
pelled respect. ...- "
"He had been experimenting with the
manufacture Of diamonds and believed
implicitly in his power and that Of others
to produce them. He had made some
headway with Il in his af1uent days. when
he was wont to leave the ballroom and
repair to his laboratory from sheer love OF
science. With some bitterness he spoke
of the destruction Of the laboratory and the
loss Of its complete equipment through the
Vaccinations Of Louis Napoleon, He was
now handicapped by the lack Of such a
laboratory and could not look forward to
replacing IL.
Moreover. much of his time had to be
devoted to teaching In order to gain the
necessaries Of life. He did not repine.
however. and regarded the future with a
steadfast faith. He believed that the
possible achievements of science were
boundless. He had no regret. apparently.
for loss Of rank or fortune-only for the
! opportunities OF which he had been de-
prived. To his son he looked forward
to leaving heritage Of knowledge, which
was better. he believed than any legacy
Of title or wealth."
After the death of DR.. do Montoalm his
widow withdrew more and more from
the world. few who had known her
| in the days Of her public success visited
her occasionally. but as the years increased
| their plumber diminished and she fell into an
almost hermitlike seclusion Of life. Memo
ries she had in abundance for companion
ship and such material reminders Of other
days as cordial letters from famous COM
posers and musicians. old laces. exquisite
fans and a few pieces OF fine old furniture.
She cherished these things foudly, yet some
Of them had to be sacrificed az time went by
| In order to supply the demands which even
simply ordered life brought.
| Forced selling Of that sort Is rarely
! profitable and the effort to exc out the
I meagre income became more and more dif-
| ficult toward the end, yet the proud spirited
| woman never complained. 1t was only
| after her death that her neighbour guessed
| at the true state of affairs. They would
| have been glad OF the privilege OF minis
| tering to her. but she was not born to accept
| favors. While talking freely Of former
| days she maintained a guarded reticence
| In regard to her affairs as they were then.
Even her son did not know much about
them. As was fitting. the young De Mont
| calm had been sent to Canada for part OF
his education. but he returned to the land
| Of his fathers adoption to live.
would you like to 30 to France and re-
sumo your ancient title," Mr.. de Montcalm
was asked.
-No," he replied. Il am proud Of my
race and should like to visit the family
seat in France. but believe. as my father
did, in democratic principles. and / feel
that it would be absurd for me to call myself
! by any title of nobility while have my
home in this country.
4 am tremendously interested in the cele-
| bration in Canada this summer, and actually
| am eager to be present when the public
recognition Of the valor Of my ancestor lie
| TO have such conspicuous place. Fol
similar reasons l am planning visit to
France.
This year has brought forth more
| tributes to the wisdom and courage Of Gen
| de Montcalm than did any former one. Az
his direct descendant may be pardoned
for desiring to witness the somewhat tardy
payment Of this debt by the French
Mr.. de Montcalm is unmarried. He has
plenty OF good company in New York cir
oumstanced as he is. With facility that
battles plain Anglo-Saxon he refers to
dozens of unpronounceable Polish families
who once enjoyed the privileges Of rank
and wealth but are now engaged In COM
monplaoe pursuits. II they are sufficiently
fortunate to have any occupation, and live
in tenements with families Of peasant
extraction all about them as neighbors
They are clannish, and each one knows the
pedigrees Of all the other Poles who have
II lata 90 thair N