The San Francisco call., 1909-04-11

tests. That lady. having won over the
royal baggagemaster. or whatever he
called himself. had herself slowed on
top OF the coach among her lovers
baggage. intending pleasant sur
prise, presumably at the journeys end.
The coach was arrested and she was
sent back to Paris as an Important
package bearing" the mean ohronicle
states, "a strange human resemblAnce.~
Quite other than De Stasl. whose
powers Of mind ara not doubted. was
the notorious Catherine WorIse. who.
always ambitious, owed her influence
to her impregnabls stupidity. Ie
brought her to the attention OF Tallsy-
rand. who said. Her stupidity rests
me" NJ d'Almeras goes on to say
that she rested him so well that he
finished by marrying her."
IL is OF this lady that q story 10
told. TaIleyrand who was dining .
famous traveller, Demon. asked his
wife to get one OF Demons books and
read IL so that she could talk OF it to
their guest She went to a library
and. not recalling the exact name OF
her guest to be, asked for the travels
of man whose name ended IN "on.~
The librarian promptly gave her q
prettily illustrated volume. which she
read without WEAKNESS from cover to
cover. That evening at dinner during
a pause in the conversation she turned
to Demon and said. with a gracious
smile:
Monsieur Robinson. have you had
good news lately from your faithful
Friday?"
To the intimate friendship OF Nine.
Recamier with Nine. de Stael may be
credited the formers adoption OF the
more serious educational fads or the
day But one likes TO picture her as
Iqn hal oIv al n Al
counts agree-mOdest. simple. little
silly, perhaps. but she was very
young, only Is, when she entered the
great world as the wife of the banker
(Isecamier). clothed always in white
and simply. no matter into what hys-
terra of extravaganza the fashions
might CO. coiffed with her own black
hair and wearing or needing no jewels
To set Off her delicate grace.
Unlike Nine. Recamier. the beauty OF
Josephine de Beauharnais. afterward
BOnaparte. depended largely upon her
toilet, and to this simple cause might
be partly ascribed the extraordinary
extravaganc in that regard which
made her. with Nine. Tallien, share
the dubious honors OF queens OF the
directory. All that was luxurious IN
the time and Tor pleasure and In
trigue found its incarnation in these
two women. Adventures, as all the
rest of the money seeking world was
forced to be. their friendship was
strangely augmented by q mutual ad-
miration for the administrative quail
ties of " Barras.
Remarkable Mime. Tallien
Ten years the Junior of Josephine,
Mine. Tallien's career seems to have
developed with remarkable swiftness.
even for that time of quick changes.
where ambition and pleasure crowded
every moment to it's capacity. Mar
ried at Is, her salon by the time she
was IS was already one Of the most
noted of the half political gatherings
of Paris; divorced two years later. she
had only her fancy to obey. Arrested
during the next year and shut up in
prison in imminent danger OF the scaf-
fold she writes to Tallien for help: h9
visits her, falls Immediately In love
snd obtains her release. Recompens-
Ing him for his services to the best OF
her ability. she becomes the benefac-
tress ofs the people (under an oficial
title to that effect). the personifca-
ton OF clemency and pity after the
terrors- She marries Tallien. over
whom she has great power. when shs
is 21. In a year oH so she becomes
the official favorite OF Barras, by whom
she has four children. Her later di-
vorce and rehabilitation as the
Princess Chimay belongs to another
period.
Apropos of directory fashions, II is
interesting to note that every new
mode OF the time in woman's dress,
simple or complicated fantastic or
charming. of a year, a month. or q
day. was launched or created by Mme-
Tallien (d'Almeras). Kindly and warm
hearted as her nature seems to have
been. her inSolent luxuriouSness In the
midst of almost universal misery and
her association with the hated means
of her acquiring it, BarraS became too
shameful and the more conservative
salons began TO close their doors uDoa
her contemporary journal gives a
description of her entrance at a bril-
liant and fashionable concert in pri-
vate house. at which she had evidently
not been Xpected-invited some say.
How much was owing 10 outraged vfr-
tue and how much to her remarkable
beauty and style is not dilated upon.
but the denouement was effective.
The surprise Of the ladies was gen.
eral A little murmur announced their
discomfort One of them complained
aloud to the hostess that she would
not have come if she had let them
know that Nine Tallien was coming.
Her complaint was followed by that OF
al. the other ladies' equally displeased.
Finally. Mime. Ta1lien had scarcely set
tied herself. when one by one every
woman arose and went out. leaving
her seated there in company with her
hostess. surrounded by lights aud In
struments.