The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-11-02
Biographical
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November 2.
MADAME DE LAFAYETTE

All Americans are familiar with the
career of the Marquis de Lafayette,
but the life story of his beautiful wife,
Adrienne, is not so we'll known. Nine.
de Lafayette was born in Paris $50
years ago today and died on Christmas
day, 1907. In the forty-eight years of
her existence We're compressed more
romance, pathos and tragedy than is
contained in the lives of a thousand
ordinary women.
Born of noble parents in the days
when the nobility were all powerful
in France, Adrienne spent a happy
girlhood, and became the wife of the
Marquis de Lafayette when she was
less than fifteen and her husband only
nineteen years of age. When only
sixteen her first child was born, and
she was named Henriette for the
proud grandmother. After the birth
of her child Adrienne wished only to
remain with her, and after a few
hours of gayety at the Little Trianon
with the court she would hurry back
to Paris to her baby.
Then Benjamin Franklin arrived at
Paris, seeking aid for the struggling
colonies. All Paris went mad with en-
thusiasm. Franklin was the rage, and
there were hats a la Franklin, Frank
lin canes, Franklin scarfs. Lafayette
caught the fever, for he had a pas
sionate love and belief in liberty
He told Franklin that at the first
news of our quarrel his heart was
enrolled in it.
Child as she was and entirely de-
voted to him, Adrienne gave Lafay-
cite her full permission to come to
America. In the long weary period
before letters could reach her, she
was brave and cheerful in public, but
she Wep sadly when alone. Then
long, loving letters began to come, the
first written on board ship; then the
letters from Charlestown, which La
fayette said was one of the best built,
most handsome and agreeable cities
that he had ever seen.
Strangely enough, none of Nine. de
he did not know that little Henriette
died six months after he sailed;
child had been born to them.
1t was two years bfeore the mar
quis came home. The day he arrived
Adrienne was at a fete at the palace
News was brought her that Lafayette
awaited her Marie Antonette in
sisted on driving her home herself.
Nine. de Lafayette had to restrain
herself till the proper thanks and the
ceremony of farewell were over and
the queen had driven away. Then
she fairly flew up the stairway, be-
tween a row of servants, stumbling
over her long gown.
They now moved to an establish
ment of their own, and were very
happy till the revolution broke upon
France. For weeks Nine. de Lafay-
cite made her house refuge for
priests who would not take the oath
of the constitution, and the nuns
driven from the converts and insulted.
The story of Lafayette's imprison-
ment, and her own terrible sufferings
in prison, are too we'll known to need
Her mother was beheaded
while she was in confinement.
Through a visit from Mrs. James
Monroe, when Mr.. Monroe was our
minister to France, she was saved
from the guillotine. Mr.. Monroe fixed
her passports, and with her daughters
she escaped and joined the marquis
in the prison at Olmutz.
Under Napoleon they lived again in
France, and Nine. de Lafayette died
at their castle at La Grange, sur
rounded by her devoted and SORROW
ing family. They had for her the ut
most love, and with her hand in that
Of her husband, her last words were
for hint am all yours