The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-08
Court and ParLOr Gossip
OF Old World DOingS

At last the truth as to the fate of
the Gioconda, 1t is melancholy news
that have to communicate. None ever
again shall see Leonardo da Vinci's
famous picture. Farewell. Gioconda
Lasciate ognI sperancar' Give up all
hope. I almost Wish the Mona Lisa"
had been stolen. for then there would
have been hope for a temperance OF
the world-famous historical canvas.
The fact Is that the picture never left
or was taken from the Louvre. 1t per-
ished there. This is the story. for the
truth OF which / can vouch: A pho
tographer's assistant. desiring to re-
venge himself upon the entire world for
what he took to be his unmerited dis
missal, planned and carried out piece
Of sabotage. unheard of since the days OF
Herostrates. He spread the contents of
a phial of sulphuric acid over the por-
trait OF Mona Lisa"
But this is not all. The vitriol out
rage on La Gioconda was committed
year or two before the world learned
OF the theft" The picture supposed
to have been stolen was. In fact but
copy. AS long as there was any hope
of restoring the original the substitute
was left in the familiar frame under a
glass pane. The piece OF plate glass
had been inserted perhaps year before
the theft" when all hope OF restoring
the original was abandoned. and when
visitors were beginning to whisper their
doubts about the picture under the glazed
frame, the substitute was taken out and
thrown into the fire. Possibly the origt-
nal panel. mere piece OF wood, met
with the same fate.
After the sensational disappearance of
La Gioconda-or its copy-French govern
nent officials were not long in perceiving
the improbability OF theft. The secret
service men of the Rue Jerusalem, how
ever, were allowed to follow this scent,
first, out of kindness to the public, and,
second, to let out the whole OF what
now is believed to be the true story.
would have compelled responsible officials
to admit the sIackness and inefflciency
that prevailed high and low among the
stan OF the Louvre.
The preteNt was a good one. neverthe-
less. for removing the several under
lings suspected of trade-unionist procliv-
titles. The director of the great national
picture gallery got a black eye, but
otherwise was let on quite easily. Mr..
Homalle sent in his resignation, which
was promptly accepted. But as n COM
pensatiOn, 10 say ne was appointed
director of the French archaeological
school at Athens, a post that he had
filled before and to which he was anX-
IOus 10 return.
The effect OF pouring suIphuric acid on
a picture is to burn the varnish ana to
destroy the colors. which are the more
liable to attack. as they are oxides. as
rule. and would he turned into sui
pilates mostly soluble. Diluted acid
would act still quicker. and all would
be over IN a few seconds.
Queen Ranavalo of Madagascar. who
with her niece and the guardian Of that
outhful princess is spending the heated
term at Dieppe. on the north coast Of
France. the other day was observed TO
shed tears on reading n piece Of news
paper which she had picked up on the
beach. II was the report Of the French
commissioner. who had been sent to that
far away island kingdom on an eXplora-
ton expedition. The presence Of gold in
quantities in the accessible part Of the
island he considered overrated. But
Coalhelds there are in plenty and in pay
ing deposits. But there can he no doubt
as to MadaGasCar's wealth in betyl aqua
marine, especially Of that deep and clear
blue which the painters Of the Middle
Ages reserved for the robes Of the Ma
garments of his MaGdalens And cor
reeio. that barefoot shepherd lad who.
overwhelmed at the sight Of the paintings
in the Church Of the Covenant. wither
errands for the padres frequently took
him. footed IL to Rome. there TO study
the art Of painting until he was a master
himself whose pictures hung also in his
native village church. before one of which
he exclaimed in ccstacy: "Anch 10 Sono
agNaNa all a NF0lN
was a master in the art Of mixing his
colors.
The Madagascar veins OF this regma-
tite also contain a beautifully Colored
stone chemically composed the same as
AQUA Marine. but OF an indesCrihably
lovely rose pink color. when cut. There
is nothing else comparable, / am told.
to this hue. which has the prismatic re-
fiex so much admired in the ruby The
tOurmal.ne lines are of a delightful but
teTCup yellow. or Of a green that is not
go much that of the emerald as of the
water OF those clear rivers in the Ply
rennes Mountains. called caves" Stones
which are chemically different from
Tubies. but to the eye exactly like them.
are quite common there. They are su-
perior to the finest Garnets. One promi-
ncnt variety is deep pink shot with
Orange, as seen in some tea roses There
is also a prospect Of diamonds in the
barely explored Sakalave district of Mad
agasCar. also of gold, the formation of
the earth strata there being quite similar
to that of the Transvaal in South Africa.
Queen RanalavO in appearance Is some
thing like a dark dumping The also
dark young lady at her side, when seen
walking on the beach at Deppe, appears
quite grown up. almost too mature in
figure for her years To read that re-
poTt-of all the natural riches in her
characterization must have been heart
rending, not to say calling to the poor
tX-Queen, for she is literally poor. hav-
ing been treated worse than shabby by
the "Grande Nation who took her pat
rimony and her throne from her.
Queen Mary OF England at last has
made good her promise and has journey
ed to Germany to visit her aged grand
aunt. the Grand Duchess Dowager Angus
Ia of Mechlenburg- Strelitz at the castle
of Neu-Strelitz, whence she returned TO
London the end OF last month. when the
entire court removed to Balmoral Castle
for the autumn.
During the Queens visit at Neu-Strelitz
a family council was held there The
grand-ducal family, as had occasion to
point out when chronicIing the recent
FUNNY