Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1910-03-19

mother, her daughters and their gov
erness- There they were Joined last
July by William H. Low. who had
buried his wife in February, 1909
The friendship between the Mac
Monnieses and the Lows is of long
standing. MT. and Mrs. Low hSving
been godparents to the MacMonnies
children. To latter day Givenites this
friendship was wholly unknown or
forgotten, for the Lows were of the
Giverny of Robert Louis Stevenson's
time, when R. L. S. met in the village
his future wife, Mrs. Lloyd Osborn
In chapter on Giverny in his
Chronicles of Friendship" Mr.. Low
writes: "Since those days 0S92) I
within garden walls in the gracious
society of chate1aine and two charm
ing filleules.''
1t was to bring the '.flleules"-the
MacMonnies children-a watch and
string of pearls bequeathed to them
by his dead wife that Mr.. Low went
to visit Mrs. MacMonnies last July.
He went first to the home she had
been occupying in Paris, but not find
ing her there, he followed the family
to Brittany, whence he returned in
September to Paris to work upon a
mural decoration for the federal build
ing in Cleveland. o.
His best known mural painting is
the ceiling of the ballroom of the
Waldorf-Astoria.
Community Takes Sides.
At tea in Mrs. MacMonnies' apart
ment their engagement was divulged,
to be Immediately betrayed by a cable
to America. In respect to the late
Mrs. Low, it had been their intention
to postpone marriage until this spring
in New York, but the unforeseen pub
licity precipitated 1t.
The MacMonnies divorce rent Civ
erny in twain and filled the art world
of New York with regret. Early last
summer Giverny awakened to find
posted on the bulletin board outside
the village schoolhouse, after French
provincial fashion, hand written Of
fetal announcement of the divorce.
1T was like a scene in an old-time
play" said an eye witness. GAS the
news spread through the village
group after group gathered round the
board, reading and rereading the
notary's fine script No one could be
1ieve their eyes, for the previous sum.
mer the couple were inseparable. join
ing in every village sport"
So strong was their hold upon the
esteem and affection of the community
that after the first shock judgment
was suspended. ct is too deplorable
for words" said Giverny. Before the
summer wore away public feeling be-
gan to turn against Mrs. MacMonnies.
She had failed to put in a defense.
and in consequence the French law
had given the children to the father.
The village had yet to learn that she
had only consented to divorce at the
request of the sculptor and that the
children have been with the mother
ever since the decree was granted, on
grounds of incompatibility of temper.
excepting a day now and then with
their father.
ScuIptor's Love for Mother.
His devotion to his mother is idyllic.
She was his housekeeper at Giverny
last summer, participating in the so
cial life of the village The elder Mrs.
MacMonnies is an orthodox woman OF
the old school In Difference to her
wishes, the sculptor refrained from
work on Sundays, and dutifully accom-
panied her to services held in various
studio gardens by Rev. Henry Mottet.
pastor of the Church of the Holy Re
deemer, Sixth avenue and Twenty-sec-
ond street, New York, who was pass
ing the summer at Giverny. Her sons
divorce is the cross of her old age
Because she requests it, the sculptor
never rides in an automobile. Mrs.
MacMonnies sees no good in the art
life of Giverny; modelling in the open
from nude figures, to her mind, does
not make for moral uplift. Her esti-
mate of art and her frankness in ex-
pressing her views are said to have
been the joy of Whistler. who loved
to discuss art with her. That he
might have served the world in some
more useful capacity than as maker
of statues remains Mrs MacMonnies'
conviction, despite Whistler's argu-
ments to the contrary
Mr. MacM~-nies is at the zenith
of his power and prosperity. He has
ceased to accept further commissions,
since he calculates that it will take
him eight years to complete the work
he has on hand, all of which is for the
greater beauty of his native land, to
which he is expected to return to live
after the marriage in Rome