El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-08
Wins Women; Dies Single
Ung1inIy, Unattracfive, Hume Be
cnme a Fad Among Paris
Women, but Chose None.
BY Madison c. Peters

By Madison c. Peters---
n AVID HUME, in the first rank OF
English historians. was born in
Edinburgh on April 26. III; he
came Of fine old stock, one OF his pater-
nal ancestors was lord Hume Of Doug
lass, a notable character in both Scotch
and French history.
Although Of an extremely unprepOs-
SeSSlng appearance, embarraslngly fat,
ungainly, heavy featured and dull
eyed he was popular with the women
and while in Paris, though quite the
fashion he was In the society OF women
a cCmical failure.
Hume declared himself TO be very
moderate in all Of MS passions and he
frankly confessed that his greatest
love was that Of literary fame; this
would indicate that he never cared
deeply for woman though the
countess de BOuIuerS pro1essed the
keenesr admiration and is suspected OF
having entertained a great passion for
him The beautiful FrenchWOman was
an extremely temperamental person
and was apparently incapable OF being
Geeply anamOureu OF more Lnan one
man at a time The beginning OF the
friendship between these two well
known characters was rather roman
tic. Nine % BlOufflers had read one
Of the historians books and was so
delighted with it that she wrote him
Of her enjoyment Of it Hume quickly
replied and lively correspondence en-
became warm friend Of the countess
who to use his words, saved him from
total indifference towards everything
In human life"
Nine de BouffIers wrote numerous
letters to Hume, which have been pub
llshed in their original language; there
were many other trenchWomen that
Hume was fond Of, though in per-
fectly platonic way. They were Nine.
Geoffrin, Nine. lie Page du BOcageY
Nine de Deffand and Nine. de
I ha M IN
have had a very serious love affair, he
tells US that: 4 took a particular
pleasure in the society Of modest
women. I had no reason TO be dis
pleased with the reception they gave
Lasts Until Hume's Death.
The friendship between the historian
philosopher and the countess de Bouf-
flers lasted until his death In one OF
his letters 10 her he says Three
months are elapsed since L left you;
and il is impossible for me to assign
q time when 1 can hope 10 Join you.
I sin return 10 my wish, that I had
never left Paris, and that had kept
out of the reach Of all other duties
except that which was so sweet ana
agreeable to fulfil-the cultivating
your friendship and enjoying your so
ciety- Your obliging expressions re-
vive this regret IN the strongest way, |
1t is said OF Hume that he once maue /
an offer of marriage to a woman VINO /
refused him, but whose friends AFTER
wards told him that she had changed 1
her mind. so have T. replied the ms I
+0-iau- He was at times depressed by :
his self imposed solitude and spoke /
OF himself as utterly abandoned ana i
Hume vas kind hearted and genial
He took the homage paid MIN Wnlle
secretary Of the embassy al Farls very /
modestly, thinking perhaps, JRat y
was his deeds rather than himself tnat
vs. the attraction, for his works We're
far more popular in France tnah III
Hume returned to Edinburgh IN 1896;
and for the first time IN his IRE I nao
an income that allowed nm 10 ~ ny
without necessity for economy. me
historian built q house in new par par
Of the city and a frolicsome young
E-o-7Sa1 wrote ST. David's street on tne
vi 80 II has retained that title 70
ne e. pregent day He died August -.
1-T6 he chose an original epiIap41- 1 ~
~ u tombstone: David Hume, III
us. Leaving it to posterity TO aoo me
rest"