The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-22

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NA1HWkN love-feast." for 4
~ WJ kSM was to be the END
~ NJ Of our hong series
Of daily reunioni
ACE1S1SA(N around the table %
Desire Beaursin, II
the rue Notre Lame des Victories oai
work was done. Louis Philippe had fsai-
en-. He and his crew had stolen away
like sennachsrib in the Aight, lesvins
France a. spoil In cur hands We. VIVA
only ten days bsfors had besn but 2
band Of eouspirators were now not mere
ly ruling France. but treating on equai
terms with the Queen Of England ana tne
Csar Though our heads were not turned
vs were new to the srt, Of ruling; ana
II N not strange that Louis Boasps,te
saouid have come and matched the eadss
81 liberty from our grasp. But mp TO the
prsssnt, all was we'll Marc casssud4ere,
the ptbeoa designer. was Prsfsot OF 70
nee; Albsrt- the msehasician. wss IN
ssx1Isd n spisntor m the Du1sn1ooufgi
rsnsresns. Ledru-hoI1in and Louis
Blanc were N the msutsery: the rest OF
~ I'd pssts according b our merits. or
vsss 70 hs~s then viehin TIE ns1t nv
dxN
~ ksepcs Rsymood and n1self. Hsen-
md. % yst. had been fouod. Il VS.
aSrssd sDo1z the younger men inst Ray
no.d sAcutd hs~s one q the most spien-
did posse1ons the government had TO gtvs.
with his distinguished presence, his tact,
kts charm. he would grace one OF the
great subssssss-ssy, London. Or st.
Pssesvbzrg. That I. his friend. should
70 With him. a. sttarhe or secretary,
vas the limit Of my hopes. had known
him svsr since his nrst arrival in Paris
from somewhere IN the south He was
Q writer Of the clever political songs and
satirss. for which. In the, forties, theirs
was . marked popular taste In the nrst
Year, Of our acquaintance he had been
poor. Then he inherited money and lived
with some little display. II was under
stood that he had married q widow with
children but. ~ our political friend
ships rarely passed into the domain Of
domestic affairs. had never met his
wife
For the last ten years Raymond had
been not only the poet Of our party. but
Its soul. Without the ability Of La
MARITIME or Louis Blanc. he had that
sympathy which is rs the very oil Of
human intercourse. It was he who had
held together those who. through diver
gent interests would have fallen apart
Il was be who gained US new recruits
and converted them TO our aims. Il was
he who brought in handsome Victor
Pflhes. who died a. Governor OF the
hearted Ferdinand Fiocon. afterwards
Minister Of Commerce II was he who
introduced to cur midst Chsrfes La
grange, the Don QutIots Of our group.
Duthiel the Bgyptologist. Angler the
bfbliophfie, ,ususts Luchet, Pierre Joig-
nessx. Charles Aals. twepty Or th1ztz
othsrs whose names meant something
I'm their day bot are now tossotssa-<hsy
we're sii Lscnce Raynonds conyerts.
Rspubhcans By their own eoo-ieeions.
RaynoDd made them work and march
together. His songs inspired them. his
wit amused them. vhf5s the sonsthtns
vfnninS IN his nsture and noble IN his
bearinE put meFt pettiness TO shame.
We vsrs often lacking IN sympathy With
Zach other. but In Raymond an our
hearts seemed TO find . common. ned
trail ground
So. when three or four years before. he
had organised the daily dining club At
Desire Bssuratn's. he drew us more
closely about him more genial sle-
msnt entered into our politsoai ssdor
under the influence Of the pipe and the
mug Of beer together. Most Of NJ were
young. and few Of US had homes. We
were Journalists. painters. actors. au-
thors OF business men in subordinate
situstions- We were all poor. and Beau
rains offered as 6 refuge from the some
what sordid shifts to which We were put
to live. with Raymond at the head Of
our table We maintained q kind Of dig
nifty, which in no wise dampened the fov
Of anecdote, the sparkle Of repsrtes. the
outburst of political tirsds. or the gen
srei atmosphere OF joltty. The fact that
At any minute W night be betrayed b.
some of Louis Ph1ippe's herd Of spies
into the hands Of the police only sddsd
Esst to our enjoyment. Most Of US had
been in prison for our views slresdy, and
were not afraid to 90 there again. In
those last years before the monarchy
fell. We developed, thus, e spirit Of
which had not hitherto been
an clement il our campaign; and, though
10 man entered into bis neighbo(s pri-
vats life, We were conscious Of tight
ened ties between Us.
But now that France hat fallen into
our hands, and we were all In high posi-
lions. or on the way to them. the daily
sitting, with a certain sadness We re-
Ioavsd TO eat our last. Just ten days after
Louis Philippe had fed. We were an
thirty Of US. In addition
Louis Blanc. Proudhon and Lanertine.
Who rarely Joined rs. had been induced to
some. We were not gay. II was as II
We were weighted BY a sense Of rsspon-
.ibility and success Moreover. Marc
the new protect Of police.
aad made an announcement, st the very
beginning Of dinner. which had awed
rs into silent expsctatfon-
NY frienda," he said, rising IN his
piaee-a big. iovial. figure. imposing in
Itse and madness, my friends, have
lust word 10 say. For the frst time
rnes We have held our gatherings around
his table We have no fear OF leaving n
or prison For the nrst time IN the life
II any Of US. France Is free. For the
irSJ time. there are no paid spies in the