The Washington herald., 1913-02-16
BY Kate CAREW.

r EAN RICHEPIN-the name simply
pursues you all over Paris!
~ 1t is shouted with acclamations on
the Left Bank of the Seine and muir
INJURED with bated breath on the Right
Bank 1t can be heard in Passy. the
Harlem of Paris, and it ras even penc-
trated to the Bastille Quarter, where Old
World families still live in Old World
houses.
First and foremost. though. It ranks
high in the Academy, for Jean Richepin is
one of the forty Academicians. the elite
of intellectual manhood In France, who are
known to their countrymen the I'm
mcrtals."
Then it is sprung upon you constantly
in literary drawing rooms. where exotic
and highly cultured ladies, in wonderful
gowns which blend fashion and art in their
subtle folds, quote his Songs of the Beg
sars," Butterflies" or others of his poems
and perhaps some super-enthusiastic Dame
may even perpetrate a whole scene from
one of his plays. In these circles he is
known as Cher Maftre" and mentioned
with starry-eyed effect
Jean Richepin-it is posted outside the
Sorbonne and other places where the fin
est speakers in France aid the youthful
idea in its shooting process. and Of all
the lecturers who talk to the young he Is
the most adorcd.
RISE AND CALL HIM BLESSED.
lie tells them OF Shakespeare and his
works, and of French writer's of ancient
times and they and their elders rise up
and call him blessed.
Honestly. that's just what they do. He's
got France in the hollow Of his hand!
Talk about the fuss we've made when
, Kubclik or Paderewski have played to us
and We got bit wrought up! Or that
great occasion when a few hundred OF US
insisted upon kissing Hobson at the same
rnoment-why, that's nothing to the way
these drcssy Erenchwomen behave over
their Jean.
They weep when lac lectures, - there
is any possible opportunity to shed tear,
and when he has finished they fight for
chance to Chamber up on the platform and
press a Chaste kiss on his cheek.
They tell me it's terrible what that man
has to endure in the way of embraces,
hut, Of course. being French. he can stand
them better than an Anglo-Saxon. He
just braces himself with let 'em all
come air and gets through it.
It's really no use our sending silver
tongued orators over here while Jean is in
evidence, because any Frenchman or
Frenchwoman compares all other lecturers
and speakers TO him. "Oh, yes" they will
say, I've heard your Professor So-and-So.
Very interesting, but have you ever heard
Monsieur Richepin?"
INVITED TO HIS HOME.
I'd wanted to see this idol of the Paris
public for some time, and I was delighted
when I received a note from the 'Immor-
tai" himself. saying I could call upon
him at the Villa Guibert. Rue de Ia Tour.
at IL in the morning.
The Villa Guibcrt is out toward Passy,
and what should you think 1t was IL you
didn't know your Paris like a book?
You'd fancy it a substantial residence
known in the neighborhood as villa,
wouldn't you?
So did L But not at all The Villa
Guibert is a little nest of homes in a
sort of park. and the great mans special
corner of it is nice. unpretentious three
story house, with a garden as big as a
checkerboard in front and a little Noah's
Ark gate to let yourself in by; then up
three steps, An imposing front door
NhtCn naSn QlSCdlueO I1e OlO-IdSn1OneQ
pull bell for the newer push-the-button
arrangement
Monsieur Richcpin didn't keep me wait
ing a moment. He was at the front door
as soon as the maid was. and before she
had chance to tell me he was at home
he was greeting me himself with all the
courtesy a I'd Sraciousness OF which these
Frenchmen are certainly past masters
And he, too, it was who ushered me into
the typically French drawing room. with
its heavy furniture. elaborate decorations,
marble ornaments. onyx tables. ormulu
clock and family portraits-four of them.
two handsome boys. a charming woman
in a garden and an old soldier covered
with medals.
EACH WAS BI-LINGUIsTIc.
"I spik some English" began Monsieur
Richepin in what feel sure was a kindly
effort to put me quite at my ease.
"And speak some French" Informed
him; $50 by dividing the honors I don't
believe we shall have q bit Of trouble"
Oh, girls, he certainly is good to look
at. You know your auntie is not one of
these frivolous nutterers. but. really,
there are times
He isn't young, but he has all the vigor
and alertness of youth He is not tall,
but ne stands like general, and he is SO
French and SO martial that you kind Of
expect to hear the 'tMarseillaise" strike |
up when he appears.
He has curly gray hair. beginning to |
:tfhn at the top In q sort Of monks cowl.