Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-22
QUEEN MARIE ANTolNETTE.
A Remarkable Vision of the Unhappy
Queen Seen by Two Englishwomen.

/ ItlHA lld We du II super ia III di SillIlk SC
of the intimate lie of poor Queen
Marie Ant0inette at the Petit Trianon
Versailles, where she played shep-
herdess while the great French ReVo-
luton was brewing.
The two Englishwomen call them
selves Elizabeth Morrison and Frances
Lamont, Their experience was cer-
tainlr extraordinary. They tell it il
most picturesque fashion. Their ac-
count is published by Macmillan i Co,
Ltd. the Well-knogn English firm of
publishers who. in a note to the book,
declare that the pseudonyms adapted
by the writer's are the only fictitious
words IN the book, and guarantee
that The authors have put down What
happened to them as faithfully and
accurately as was in their power.
One afternoon in August. 1901, the
EngEshWomen. who had been sight
seeing in Paris, went to Versailles,
They decided to visit the Petit Trianon
where Marie Antoinette had passed
eora of the happiest hours OF her trag
ic life
Walking up lane in what they sup
posed was the general direction of
the Trianon, they met two very digni-
fed officials. dressed in long gfayish-
green coats with small, three-cornered
hats The ladies INQUIRED the way,
and were told to walk straight on
At that moment an extraordinary
depression came over them which they
could not shake off. They went on
and came to a light garden kiosk by
which man was sitting. The mans
face was almost repulsive. being Sc
verely marked by smallpox, and the
ladies We're alarmed.
They turned to the right toward
little bridge over ravine into which
a small cascade was dripping. They
crossed the bridge and came to a small
square country house surrounded by
a terrace.
on the terrace Miss Morrison saw
lady sitting holding out a paper as
though to look at it at arms length.
She thought it was tourist, al
though her costume was ldfashioned.
They looked around for while and
finally returned to Versailles.
Neither of them spoke of their adj
venture for about week. when, COM
pairing notes, they found that both
had felt that the place was haunted.
Discussing their experiences, Miss
Morrison happened to mention the lady
on the terrace. Much to her surprise,
Miss Lamont declared that she was
positive that Miss Morrison was mis-
taken-there was no lady on the ter
race at all!
subsequently the two ladies paid
other visits 10 the 1'rianon. but, al
though they were informed that the
place had not been altered in any way,
they failed to find any OF the things
they had observed on their first visit.
The kiosk, the bridge, the ravine and
the numerous trees-all were gone
Instead of the loneliness of the place,
which both had noticed, in every cor
ner they came across groups of noisy,
merry people walking or sitting in the
shade Garden seats placed every
where and stalls of fruit and lemon
ade took away any idea of desolation.
Inquiry elected the information that
the gardens had been thrown open 10
the public for years" and We're in
Varia5ly filled with visitors,
The result of this visit was to make
the ladies take a graver view of their
original adventure, and they resolved
to look into the matter as carefully
as possible.
Research disclosed that the digni-
fed looking officials in long green
coats and three-cornered hats were
exact counterparts of the two BersN
brothers. who were generally on duty
whenever the queen was in residence
at Trianon. There are no officials so
dressed at Trianon now.
Then. again, it appeared that in 1873
there had existed a RUNE having
seven Ionic columns. walls and dome
roof, which, if the wallis of the build
ing were low, would correspond in ap-
pcaraace with the kiosk which they
had observed in 1901.
The dark -compleXioned man marked
bv smallpox whom the ladies' had
seen sitting close to the kiosk seems
to have borne a striking resemblance
to the Comte de Naudreuil, a Creole,
| who at one time was one of the
| Queens innermost circle of friends.
Neither the bridge, the cascade nor
the yayfne can now be found. nor any
| thing suggesting them. From old
maps and archives examined in 1908
| II appears. however. that in 11SS all
three were in existence.
AS to the lady whom Miss Morrison
| saw on the terrace, but who strange
| IN enough escaped. the attention OF
| Miss Lamont, the former saw III 1907
Westmuller's picture of Queen Marie
| Antoinette, and was struck by It's close
| resemblance to the LADY in question
| Then. again. the journal of Madame
| Fioife. the Queens modiste, reveals
the fact that in 1883 her royal nus
tress wore dresses which exactly cor
responded to the dress seen IN 1911
How is the phenomenon to be ex-
planned? The ladies themselves do not
pretend to understand it, but they
point out that the date of their visit
to the Triauon was August 10. day
Of special significance in French ms
tory. ON August 10, 1892 the Tuiieries
Palace in Paris was sacked.
"WAat is more likely Miss Mort
SON asks. than that during those
hours in the Hall of the Assembly
she (tha Queen had gone back in suef
vivid memory to other Augusts spent
NJ LEBANON that some impress OF i
| | -. f,,,,,artsd ia the place -