New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-05
ACTRESS IN GRANDE ARMEE
Old Story Unearthed-A Ro-
nance of 1912.

In tho 4O's of the nineteenth century VS.
/ itors 20 the foyer Of the CCmecic Fran
caise seldom failed 10 notice the presence
| NJ n withered old woman. obviously an
actress--obyiouslv a survivor Of an age
which had passed away. who had now
! fallen upon evil times. II they inquired
who she might be. the answer always was
THAT? Oh. that is Louise Fusil-the Wo-
! man who crossed the Bcrcsina with Nopo-
Icon And Louise Fusil liked nothing bet
for than that an inquirer should be intro
! duced 10 her and should ask her to re'a'
/ the. memory Of her adventurous bI"eS'
when she shared the hardsnps Of the re-
treat ~ the Grandc Armee from Moscow.
She was enfant de Ia belle daughter
and a granddaughter Of actors Tier sI"'"-
father. who brought her up. was Fleury-
! le beau Fleury, as his contemPo'd 't'
called him: her grandmother had been nee
! CIaveL one Of her cousins was Mh'''
! Saint Huberty, prima donna at the opera
! II happened. one day, that Nine SAM
! Uuberty. perceving that she had ia'ch''
! carried her of from Metz 10 Paris ana On
! ragcd Piccinl to teach her music. IL WAS
| whilst on tour with Nine saint Huoe'v
| that she met the comedian FusN al Ion-
| lnuse and married him. but her maUiag"
| made little difference to her beyond the
! changing Of her name He and she toure'
/ in different companies a. opposite ends OF
| France. meeting seldom, though, when they
did meet. they seem to have been on faIrly
! friendly terms. In the end h. accepted "A
/ commission in the army and driftei' oy I'M
pcrceptible degrees. out OF her He.
ON the whole she prospered. one may
fix her social position By the fact that sne
was one OF the most intimate friends oi inc
first Nine Talma-the friend to who"
Mime Talma conhded the story ~ "eF
divorce By mutual consent telling her no"
abe and Talma had shared carriage "hen
tbev went 10 the Marie 10 get divorced.
and had begulled the drive by talking OF
,ha uea,ber and other indifferent topics.
end had par,ed with the mutual promise 20
meet from time 20 time and revive Ola
memories But that. Of course mas no'''"e
IN do with the story Of the Grande Armee
The prelude OF that story begins WIN
I, ouise Fusirs sudden decision IN 100 10
seek her fortune in Russia
She arrived IN St Petersburg win many
elegant dresses 81 the latest fashion, but'
az she tells US. with only twenty ducats IN
her rocket Her letters OF introduction
however. pulled he~ through. Russian nos
nitalitv enabled her 10 spend year al 81
petersburg without troubling TO earn any
money. Then. IN 1901, she sought anu Oh
,a,ned An engagement in the Imperial Inc
ARE at Moscow. She became the iashioh
there. and remained the fashloh-p'pu'''.
above ALI things. for her spirited s!he'hE VI
"partart pour la Syrie. she WAS sun
,yoolrR Muscoyite applause with that Na-
,oraoric air when the news came that Ma
noIeon had crossed the Niemen ana WV
,,,,cri,p on MOSCOW She asked to'
,,aes,,,, 70 81. Petersburg. but the request
'..a, r.r,sed. and she knew that u she
.,ar,nd without a passport she "onid "e'
refused horses at iEe frst post S'a''o -
a.,,. IN So she had 10 stay; and tuat Is
emo about that the French soldiers
l,,,o,ipg Moscow. found French actress
reodv TO receive them-an actress VII"
d,,c,1 herself by thrusting her head out
Of window and calling 10 " go,
"Nt, Soldier, Mr. Soldier! You're f''"c"
.,lI,ar aren't YOU? I'm French 100.
O. ,bat the rgors Of the occupation
,.,,,,led Louise very little. otlceiS WIZ
,w.,.d in her house; hut she resa 'n''
49,, &C protectors. and they treated h''
oa,,arirp consideration. soliciting the
- ber company at dinner. Would
.'a do thefn the great favor OF singing
,t,,,. osl,ed. and she replied that she "ou'u
! - d.robtod Would she sing IN pupHc "
,to, Cound her a theatre? or COURSE Sne
,a,,,d So they found her one IN oe-
so,ted palacc which the cOnfagration han
.,,a,od and she brought the house down
.,i,I, a continental ballad Of the style theh
| g., ,c,uo which the Emperor himself a?-
rIaudcd and cncored:
o., choyalie- aui volait au combat
| Do scs adlcux Consolait son anne , . ...,
| lar reg f"nn d'h5nneur. ramour guide mes pas
! 80 mon bras. ne Grains rien pour ma vie
p.,, ,hon came the orders for the retreat
,sport resources being still plent-
o., the Emperors aide-de-camp gave
| : o,,;sa rendezvous, at which he prom
| ,,od that he would provide a carriage. IL
49,. an her way to the rendezvous that she
Ia hor first adventure. Savage dogs-the
| - savaee because they were starving
| ao,,od her in the street and tore her furs
"a hor skirts TO tatters. peasant drove
,tor, off with a stick just In time to save
! 49,, ufe She returned and changed her
| o,o,hes and this time got of unframed
,d took her place In the returning host
70 few days all went well, but then, at
c,,o,ensk. began the accumulation Of hor-
ror upon horrors head.
rrhero was narrow bridge to be crossed
| ,Lore and Louise's horses broke down In
,ho middle Of IT., SO that her carriage
| ,,ooLed the way. The order formal
,hat any carriage which blocked the way
los ~ be burned. and the soldiers did tie
,,,rn,nc with zest because it was an oppor-
entity for pillaging. Louise was only saved
10 the false report that she was the wife
| - ono OF the generals. Soldiers. to the
heels OF that carriage and push 1t along"
oo,lsd an officer; and when he had thus got
tho carriage safely OFF the bridge he begged
| o,ise TO bring his name under her hus-
| hands notice as suitable candidate for