The Washington times., 1927-04-12
Edits Great Grandnotber's Diary; Volume
Deals With Brilliant Paris of the Restoration
Mrs. Richard Parker
Crenshaw to Present
Treasure Trove Of His
torical Interest
BIZ JEAN ELIOT

nNCE upon a time q lady o.
~ fashion, Mrs. John Mayo, Of
Richmond. Va. went a'visiting to
Paris, accompanied by her son,in'
law ana daughter. DR.. and Mrs
Robert Cabell. and another daugh.
ter. Mrs. Winfield Scott.
This was back in 1928 when a
trip to Europe was negotiated in
. sailing ship and was in itself
great adventure. Moreover,
through the Marquis de Lafayette,
whom they had entertained when
he visited Richmond, the Mayos
established contacts with ali sorts
Of interesting persenages and were
caught up into the colorful and
interesting life Of the Paris Of the
restoration.
Great Grandmother's Diary
All this has been described in
vivid fashion in Mrs. Mayo,s diary.
And now, II you please, this is
being edited for publication BY her
great granddaughter, Mrs. Richard
She's had some experience a.
writer, having contributed arti.
cleS to many periodicals in the
last few years, most Of them deal
ing with historical subjects IN
which she IL keenly interested.
And, Of course. the shaping up 1T
her great grandmother's diary Il
q labor Of love. The volume Is to
~ al axI HNr A.N.s
through Houghton Mifflin and Mrs.
Crenshaw has already long list
OF subscribers who have signed
up Tor the book. Many Of them
number one or another OF the little
group Of visitors to Paris among
their forebears and consequently
have q special interest in the
volume. There will be eight Illus
trations in the book, which is to
10 handsomely bound.
Honored by Lafayette
In France, General Lafayette
showered attentions upon Mrs.
Mayo and her daughters. They at
tended, his granddaughter we'd
ding. They were present at many
Of his Paris soirees, where they
always met Americans, and were
guests ct Fourth of July dinner
ut which he made speech.
Later they visited him at his
chateu, La Grange, where they
found him surrounded with cher.
ished American souvenirs, among
them q fac-simile of the Declaration
Of Independence, which he priced
highly.
The diary gives an entertaining
account Of the little family's pres.
entation to the Due d'Orleans, soon
To be King Louis Philippe. Later,
at musicale at the PaIais Royale,
Louis questioned them about Amer.
lea, which he had visited in his
days of exile.
Sketches OF the dramatis personae
OF q picturesque epoch are to be
found In the yellowed pages Of the
diary. The sad-eyed Dauphine,
Marie Antoinette's daughter, OF
whom Napoleon had said, She il
the only man in her family" The
King, Charles v, destined next
year to be without q throne. The
gallant old Count de ,Segur, who
in his adventurous youth had
crossed the sea and fought in the
American revolution. In his old
age he was devoting himself to
literature and he gave one OF his
books, then unpublished, to Mrs.
Scott.
Home Again
The BRILLIANT Stephnie, Countess
Dc Genlis, grown old, too, was an.
other friend. She persuaded Mrs.
Scott TO write a letter in French to
4 NnvS
wondering naively il It were not
simply to see IL she could do It'll
When the president of Harvard
came to Paris, it was Mrs, Mayo
who presented him and his wife
to Baron Hyde de Melville, Minister
OF Marine, at one of the minister's
acirees. She met Chateaubriand.
Tallyrand. some of the shining
lights OF the stage. But at the end
Of two years, much as she loved the
colorful life. the diarist was glad to
brave another hazardous sailing
voyage and to return to her Virginia
home.
Mrs. Mayo was the daughter Of
John De Hart, member Of the Con.
tinental Congress from Elizabeth,
", ]. In Richmond she established
the first seminary for girls, placing
ct it, head Mrs. BrooTine, niece Of
Lord Nugent and cousin of Lord
/ Ryron--a strange recommendation
the last, for the headmistress Of 8
young ladies' seminary
Mr.. and Mrs. CrenshaW, by the
way, will have their son, Richard
Parker Crenshaw, jr. with them
for the Easter holiday. He ID com.
/ ing from Harvard University Law
school, where he Is student. Miss
Ellenita Crenshaw is also expected
home the last Of this week after 4
visit In New York.