Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-24
BI STERLING HEII.IG.

IAftlS, January IA.
TT is a frstclass human interest
story. The poor old man" who
had only one suit: who looked
i 80 unhappy that none dared speak
10 him: who had to eat lunch at
one friends and dinner At another s.
he was the feted Young poetrcaptain.
immortal author OF the 'Marseillaise.
Rouset de I.isle. gallant and hand,
some hero of Strasbourg.
Today Strasbourc immortalizes
along with him. the house in which he
wrote the Hymn Of Liberty" in
single hour. The house of Mayor
DIETRICH. in which The "Marseillaise
was first sung as we'll az written is
being Chased" as historic monu.
ment."
Glory and honors, loo wears apart.
In between. the MArseillsise went
round the world: wan forbidden. with
prison penalties, by kings and ON
pprors and became the defense chant
Of the French republic against united
royalty in three wars. But it's author
died poor and obscure. an aged man.
in 1896.
Pierre Giffsrd knew venerable
da me of Choisy toutside Parisi who
WAS Rouget de Lisle's neighh"r in the
last five years of his life. and her pic
ture Of him owes nothing 70 roma nee
or legend
Il saw RougeG de I.isle twice a
day said Mime. Desperrieros He
lived immediately on our left. and two
, houses from ours. on the right, lived
his friend NJ Voiart of Metz, who
with scarcely enough for his own sup.
port took on himself the care of the
poor old mans last wears They
lunched together, often on a crust and
n piece of cheese and they wrote
poetry tosether--it was the pleasure
Of their old age.
"At 1 o'clock every afternoon Rou-
get de Isle went out TO chat and dine
with his other old friend. Gen. Blein.
His place at table WAS always set; the
poor old man never lacked his family
dinner.
I'VE used to watch him pass. II
was pity. Aged, broken. lop-sided.
his hair snow white. he looked hun
dred years old. I never knew him to
t have but one suit OF clothes. On his
/ face was something so unhappy that
no one dared speak 70 him. He spoke
| to no one. Often we used to point
| him out saying:
| 1T Is Rouget de Lisle. who made
| the ''Marseillaise."
And people answered:
We know II.
Now for his youth and glory-the
| birth Of the "Marseillaise" in Mayor
| Dietriech's house, which Strasbourg
! is CHASING" AZ historic monu-
| ment."
| 1t is Stra sbourg in 1872. bulwark
of the young republic, with the coal
| lied kings at its gates. Strasbourg
| received the volunteers. trained them
! and passed them out the opposite side
| to fight for the soil.
I To celebrate such a departure. the
mayor. Dietrich. invited the volun-
| teer officers to fraternize with those
| Of the garrison. and the two young
daughters OF the yOr asked all their
| girl acquaintance to grace the ban
| Quet.
! Among them was curiosity to meet
an admired young poet. become cap
tain-Rouget de I.isle, ardent repuh
lican. though Of ancient and noble
| family.
j Strasbours at the moment was a
boiling center OF war. youth, JOY and
sorrow, where the noise Of fighting
and fetes mingled continually. AL
! this passed to the voice Of cannon and
church bells, sounding to Heaven for
mercy and justice. Friends were
greeting. sisters and swA<thearts
weeping. mothers praying and fathers
saying CO.
Alexander Dumas. who knew Rou
get de Lisle in his old age. had from
him direct the story how he wrote the
| "Marseillaise" at the banquet
| They sought something to sing
The old revolutionary Ca ira.' was q
song of anger and civil war. VIVA,
, was needed. they said. was a patriotic
cry. fraternal, republican. and vet a
menace to the invader. Then all eyes
turned to Rouget de Lisle The young
fellow The was only POI grew red In