The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-20
80 HCW'DWOU 'WRITE0
Wa LOVE'LETTR ?asgNA
HOW CHATEAUBRIAND WROTE TO PAULINE DE BEAUMONT

when she was not at home to any one
else They were no doubt in love with
each other, according to their several
capacities for love. Chateaubrand' s love
was "of his life a thing apart" while
Paulines love was her whole existence. :"
They decided to go to the country to-
gether.
Here for the moment they were both
happy and believed that their happiness
would last, and Pauline de Beaumont even
believed that happiness was curing her
malady. Il do really think" she wrote
to Fontanes, that my health is improv-
ing and her letters to Joubert are as
full of a delight as naive and innocent
as that of a bride.
But the year was hardly ND before
Chateaubriand began to receive per
fumed notes from Delphine de Cuisine
who was considered the most beautjful
wcman I'm Paris Her favors to him drove
hin: away from Pauline. When thev re-
turned from tpe country to Paris his fame
seems to have turned his head at least
the love for Pauline no longer sufficed for
him. And when ne decided to go to Jtalv
the suggestion that Madame de Re,,-
monts health was uppermost in his mind
Is set at rest by letter which is stiIi
preserved, in which he said to c,ustina.
The thonght Of leaving you is killing
me. l cannot live without you. and vo,,
must promise me that you will come to
Rome" "
She did not come. however. It was
Pauline de Beaumont who came ana IN
her dying hours she won back Chateau
brands devotion. Although wearied bv
her presence he permitted Pauline TO fol-
low MN to Rome, where he abandoned
her and she died in almost complete DESC
laton.
During this time he was still writing
TO Madame de Custine with punctual reg
ularity. Chauteaubriand at the time was
chiefly thinking of himself his dignity
and his ambition. In his last letter OF
farewell to her the fullness of his heart
speaks: The pleasure 1 used to take in
talking is over for me forever I have
registered vow of silence.
my inner life henceforth is a secret
between myself and heaven. MY soul will
retain Its old habits, but l have lost the
delight which J used to find in them. Fare
well. farewell, you who have caused me
so much anguish-you to whom | owe so
much"
The truth was out When PauIjne
reached Milan, Chateaubriand was unable
to meet her, but friend did so on his he
half and took her to Florence. where thev
found him awaiting her. She was too
weak to walk-almost too weak to stand
she could do no more than smile. She was
still under the illusion, but she clung to
it, and he helped her-he made her be-
lieve He made believe so earnstly that
he deceived himself-nursing his pity un-
til he could not distinguish it from love
The sight of her sufferings, it seems
thrust Madame de Custine. for the time
being. out of his thoughts; and he was
not called upon to make believe for long
Pauline de Beaumont had only three
weeks to live.
But if Joubert was thus faithful. Cha.
teaubriand also was faithful in his fash
ion-more faithful to her, at any rate
than he was to any other woman. He
had forsaken her. during her life, for
Madame de Custine and he was to return
to Madame de Custine after her death
Many other attachments were to succeed
each other in his lfe-at no short inter-
vals But he was faithful in his fashion
none the less.
Thursday-How Keats Wrote to Fenny