The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-05-15
luRED BY BEAUTY
Women to Whose Rare loneliness
Mobs Paid Homage.
ONE MAID WHO CAUSED A RIOT
The Charm Of Julie Durrier Was Such
That a Sursins Crowd, Eager For a
View Of Her Face, Wrecked a Cafe.
Peerless Countess Castiglione.


Peerless Countess Castislione.
"They can't walk In the park" wrote
Horace Walpole OF the beautiful Gun
nings In 1851. ''or go to Vauxhall, but
such mobs follow them that they are
generally driven away" Elizabeth,
Maria and Kitty Cunning were three
beautiful sisters who, coming over
from Ireland In 1850. took London by
storm. Nor was the furore that their
beauty created Of brief duration, for
nine years later we read In the London
Chronicle Of Maria Cunning. by that
time Countess OF Coventry, and Lady
Waldegrave, that two ladies Of dis
tinction (who had, 1t seems, been in
commoded by the mob, az the phrase
is, the Sunday before) walked up and
down the walks OF st. James park,
preceded by soldiers from the guard-a
precaution which gave no small of
fense to the rest Of the company, who
were frequently obliged to go out OF
their path to make way for the process
sion."
Equally potent was the beauty OF
the Countess de Castglione. who, at
her first appearance at ball given by
Napoleon Ill. at the Tuilerles. created
such sensation on her entrance that
the dancers stopped motionless and the
strains Of the band ceased. guests and
musicians all pressing forward in their
eagerness to catch glimpse of the
newcomer. Wherever she went after
ward her peerless loveliness produced
a like effect, people climbing on to
chairs and benches to see her pass,
while when, In 1862, she visited the
London opera the audience stood upon
the seats and struggled for every place
Of vantage from which to gaze upon
the lovely Florentine.
Fanny Murray about the middle Of
the eighteenth century was one of the
toasts Of the town. Her beauty was
beyond question and created such n
stir at Tunbridge Wells. whittier she
went to drink the waters. as to neces
state the formation of special guard
Of her admirers. who kept off the
crowds that 6ocked and pressed around
her when she walked on the Families
and other public resorts. Indeed such
was the fame of her beauty that from
miles around the country folk came in
wagons, carts or any vehicle that could
be procured-and when one was not
available they hesitated not to walk
that they might feast their eyes on the
celebrity from town.
The good looks OF Julie Durrier al
ways drew after her crowd when she
walked through the streets OF Mar
seilles-a fact that the proprietor of an
eating house was not slow to avail
himself OF when he engaged the girl to
serve In his establishment. For few
days all went well, and Boniface was
beginning to rejoice over his fortune
when he suddenly realized that one can
have more than enough of good thing
when the crowd, Of which the dimen-
sions grew larger every day, swarmed
into his establishment I'm their eager
ness to view the beautiful Hebe and,
on his attempting to eject some of the
most persistent broke into open tu-
mutt, destroying the tables and chairs,
breaking the glasses and, in short,
wrecking the restaurant, whence the
cause of the uproar was lucky In escap-
ing by back exit. The next day the
place was closed, and soon afterward
Mile. Durrier left the town.
More extraordinary still was the sen
sation created at Toulouse toward the
close Of the sixteenth century by
paragon of beauty known only to fame
as La Belle Paule. Whenever she APP
peared In public she was at once sur
rounded by crowd of men and wo
men belonging TO all classes, whose ad-
miration grew TO be n positive danger
TO It's object, who ran more than
chance Of being crushed TO death in the
press. as, indeed. was more than one
Of her worshipers. In these circum
stances appeal was made TO the civic
authorities. who. after due conSidera
ton. agreed to supply her with protec-
ton against her too ardent admirers on
condition that she should at certain
hours walk abroad so that the public
might look upon her face. This. after
some demur she agreed TO do. so twice
a week the populace OF Toulouse were
permitted to collect In orderly throngs
to view her, whom they regarded as
little less than a goddess. London Tit