South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-13
BEHIND THE SCENES
With Rulers and Leaders of Wartime Europe
By the Princess RadZiwin
CsDyuEst
OVynEst MA


the water. and a mans head emerg- |
ing out OF the waves and handing 20 |
Noah. who looks down upon him |
from one OF the windows OF that |
Ark, a roll OF papers. with the in
scription. "Sauvez les papiers de la |
famille Lewis"
The Duchess rs. the Lions.
Another amusing story connected
with this house, which by the way,
pretends that IL owes it's origin 20
Levi. the son OF Jacob. is the adven-
ture OF the old Duchess de Noailles,
by birth a Levis-Mirepoix. who was
the first lady in waiting on poor
Queen Marie Antoinette. she was
a very eccentric old lady. and one
day she insisted on being allowed 70
enter cage containing three lions.
which was on show at some fair or
other The beasts were so scared
when they saw this ancient creature
with her big panniers. her rouge
and her powder. that they crouched
in a corner and never touched her.
She stayed with them for something
like five minutes. and then came
the relief OF her children. who had
not succeeded in preventing her
from trying this experiment. When,
afterward. she was asked whether
she had not been frightened when
left alone with the lions. she simply
replied; NO, why should J. have
you not read the Bible in which Il
is said that lions can never harm
descendant of the race Of Levi 2"'
The title of Duke de Mirepoix has
really been extinct since 1857. and
the ducal coronet OF the present
duke is worn by him not in connec-
ton with this former dignity Of his
house but because he is Duke de
San Fernando-Luis and grandee of
Spain. Both these distinctions came
into his family by the marriage OF
Gustave de Lewis, Marquis de Mire
polk, with Charlotte de MOntmor-
ency. who through her father. Anne,
Duke of Montmorency-Laval. &C
CURED and inherited those two
Spanish hOnOrs. She had an only
son who married Mademoiselle de
Merode, the sister OF the widow of
the famous Charles de MOntalem-
bert, the great Catholic writer and
who became the grandmother Of
the present Duke de MirepoiX or
rather San Fernando-Luis. She died
in 1899 at Hyeres, in the south of
France. where she possessed a mag
nihcent villa. She was considered,
together with her intimate friend.
| the Princess Hedwige de Ligne. as
the most formidable dowager IN the
whole OF the Faubourg St. German.
whose approval or blame either
made or marred a reputation.
The Inspections.
Whenever a girl belonging 70 high
French aristocratic circles married.
she Immediately. and almost before
| having called on her own relatives
made a ceremonious visit TO the
| Duchess de Mirepoix and TO the
Princess de Ligne. in order to be
| inspected by these two august ladies'
and generally her future success or
/ failure depended upon the judgment
/ which they afterward pronounced.
/ The duchess, however, In spite OF
| her apparent severity. was at heart
very kind person, and not at all
/ like the princess. than whom any
thing more malicious could, but
with difficulty, be found. She always
| dressed according TO the fashion OF
/ the days Of her youth. when the
/ Duchess Of d'AngOulene presided
over the Court OF the Tuileries.
She affected mushroom bonnets
/ tied under her chin. with a large
I bow of ribbons. remaining also
| faithful. until the end OF her exist
| ence, to the custom Of wearing white
! stockings and open silk slippers.
much 10 the delight OF all her
nephews and nieces, who one day,
during a visit which she was paying
at the house Of a friend, cOntrived
\ 10 get hold of these stockings and
! to hide them away. The duchess
after a frantic search accused her
maid OF having forgotten to pack
| them. and had perforce 10 ask her
! hostess to lend her a pair OF these
\ indispensable articles. Not a single
white one could be found. and for
I the first time in her long life, Ma
/ dame de MirepOiX had TO don black
silk hose. which pleased her so
much. that she then and there de-
cided to conform in the future to
( the fashion Of the day. and TO re-
nounce appearing in the beloved i'm
maculately white socks. without
which she did not think before THAI
she could even have existed.