The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-11
Old World Gossip
BY la MARouISn pn FoNrENoY.
.UEEN ALEXANDRIA. Empress

else in the world tha death or Coun-
tess Edmond do Pourtnles. III her
seventy eighth year. last week III
Paris Although thero are many thou
sandn Of women In the French capital
bearing tho title of countess. with
moro or less right. yet whenever one
spoke OF Ia Comtcsso.' every one knew
mat Nine. dc puurtalcs was meant
thereby. just as II she had been the
only dame of her rank In tho gay met
Jopols
Queen Alcxanlra's intimacy with
Mime de Pourtales dates back to 1868,
when rs Princess OF Wales she first
cane TO Paris as n bride. They have
boon lifelong friends, and II Il to the
wise ana tactful counsel OF tho ooun-
less IN those days that Queen Alex
nndfa, much younger woman. IS In
dcotcd Tor her marvellous grace ana
c!cGance III dress. Queen Alexandra
never d'eamt Of passing through rarls
without visiting Nine. dc Pourtalcs 1T
her beautiful homo In tho Kue Trou-
chet' and King Edward was also de-
voted to her
( After having figured ms ono OF the
most celebrated and popular bcautica
That formed the immediate encourage
81 iimpress Euweuie at the court Of the
Tuilcrics where she served as n arccIes
iof connecting link with tho old
nohlcssc. 10 which she belonged ~
"irth' The countess, after the downfall
o. Napoleon, used her iniiuonco with
Timers. when President of the republic.
10 secure the restoration % tho nm
pcr!al couple. and to their non. the III
f"tod Prince Imperial, Of all their pri-
waite property and personal belongings
Mhich they had left behind them In
Franco In 1870. E;urcric never forgot
TINS, and tho affection which already
cS's'cd between the TWO women prior
10 1870 was vastly increased thereby.
NFNn
death OF tho countcss last week
y" for Princess Pauline Mcttcrnlch.
u Ia probable that sho viii from hence
Iorth abandon her annual visits to
faris. where she was always wont to
stay with her oid-timc crony, Mclnnic
&c fourtoies. Tho countess would al
ways give II number OF dinners and
dcjeuners In her honor. and when one
saw them thus together. II was easy
for those present 10 realize that
nose two old women, still mprvcIoUa;y
witty. brilliant and cXtrcmcl, elegant
in their old ago. formed. with tho lnto
NarGu!so de Gall!fct. the all-powcrful
trinity governing Partisan fashion
throughout tho palny days OF the en-
pirc.
The salon OF Nine dc pourtn,cs may
Ire said TO have enjoyed altogether In
tcrnatioual celebrity. For she was on
terms Of the warrncSt friendship with
'
/ Russia. Denmark. Austria end Spain.
rs we'll as with The nonrc.pnlnE
branches of the house OF Bourbon. who
all met under hcr hoSpitahlc roof, and
shc stood equally high with tho Ger
man. and especially the prussinn,
royalties. Indeed. II was through her
personrl relations With the late En-
press Augusta, with old Emperor WI.
liam and with Emperor and Empress
Frederick that she was ah!o IA he
war OF 1871 To obtain many ravors cal-
, Culntcd to alleviate The lot OF the
French prisoners In German captivity.
NJ RUprechtsau. her beautiful coun-
try scat In Upper Alsace. to the north
| of Strasburg, she was always treated
with the utmost distinction by the
! people and by the German authorities
! although her husband who died near
twenty years ago. and her three sons
had all chosen TO remain French citi-
zcns. whom called upon I'm 18Th IA
Als1tiaus. to decide upon the!r future
nationality. Nor ala tho popularity
which she enjoyed with all classes In
AlSace under The German nag ever I'm
pair In tho slightest dcGrcc her hold
upon the affection and regard which
( she enjoyed in France. and moro espc-
cially In Paris.
/ do not know IL the countess ever
( koIt diary, or preserved the letters
/ that she received. iiut IT she did so.
would prove contribution OF iuoa-
| tiuiahle value TO the history of Europe
during tho last sixty years
Thc most wonderful thing about
NirEc de pourtutcs was the fact that.
! In spite of her lovoliuess-she retained
hcr good looks almost to tho last--and
Notwithstanding her Clcverucss and her
wit she had Virtually no enemies.
She was the one woman whose roplta-
lion passed absolutely unscathcd
through all those chrouiques scan
( doleuscs OF tho second ciupjro, and
OF whom every ono always spoke well
/ Not - word but what is admir!ng ana
/ profcundly respectful can be found
/ concerning her iu any OF the memoirs
! and "reminiscences, either of tho Ma
! poloonic era or OF III. subsequent
/ forty flour years, no matter how sour
/ rilous these publications may have been
on tho whole"
/ Tho countess leaves three sons and
+ two daughters. tho eldest ono of them,
/ Jacques de Pourtules, formerly in tile
/ diplomatic service The second one IL
/ foul former cavalry officer Of The
French army. The third j.. Count
hubert. who, since his marriage with
the daughter Of old Baron Schickler.
+ the tronco-German banker. has lie.
! come tho owner of MnrtInvas;. IN Nor
mandy. the most famous race horse
stud In France. OF the Two dauEhtcrs
/ rH"ehcth - mnrr!cd to Colonel Baron
/ dc Scrckheim. Of tile French army,
while Agnes is The widow Of tho late
/ MARQUIS de Lows Chundicu
There are few families Of the ola
/ World ar!stocracy that have Furnished
more titled husbands 10 American wo-
luen than that at the DO pouttnlcs
There are at least 3 couple Of dozen OF
/ counts de fourtaics who have taken
American wives. ana, thanks to this.
. the house is extensively represented IN
the United States IS we'll as In France.
/ switzerland and Germany. In both OF
( which latter countries II has been es-
'aoiished since the repeal of the Edict
s of Nantes
Ihus, there is Coun: Frederick
t',urtaics who iY German ambnssof,or
Il; st Petersburg. while Count RAY
I iuond de fou'taics. when secretary of
th' German embassy ct WASHINGTON.
I married there the only daughter of his