Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

shaken her health, but had made preparations
to return to the stage as soon as the war ended.
The holy man in this case was an aged
country priest who talked to her so simply
that she suddenly felt deep repentance 40r
her past life.
short time later Eve Lavalliere decided to
consecrate the remainder Of her life to re-
hgious service. She turned over all of her
goods to religious orders, took the vows of
eternal poverty and asked to be admitted to
a Carmelite convent. Because Of her frail
health she was not accepted at the convent,
but she did become a member Of the Third
Franciscan Order or lay sister
When Paris heard this news no one would
believe it. The idea Of this frivolous comedi-
enne, of all persons, being converted, taking
up religious work and retiring from the world
seemed incredible.
But Eve was in deadly earnest. at have
never been so happy in all my life," she told
some of her old theatrical friends who went
to see her about this time. "Oh, II you could
only realize the folly and the futility of world
illness. The shame and the hollowness of it.
How wish you could discover the beauties
of the spiritual life. Surely there is nothing
else worth while" Perhaps the greatest sacri-
flee Of all was that she gave up silk stockings
for coarse linen ones. This troubled her more
than anything else.
A symbol Of her new life, the comedienne
turned lay sister, went up to a magnii-
cent castle In the VoSges that Samuels, her
divorced husband, had given her, handed 1t
over to a religious order and rented herself
one Of the most humble cottages in poor little
mountain village nearby so that she would
have a place to go TO from time to time.
Having accomplished this sacred duty she
asked the heads Of her order for the most
difficult task they could give her. She herself
even chose Tlnis where some nursing centers
were being opened up for the natives, and this
choice was approved. 1t was her calvary.
Tunis is hot and the poor natives she worked
among were filthy. Both she and her COM
panion, Leona, a former actress who had be-
come her bosom friend and became converted
at the same time, were taken down by fever
after few months and after long stay in
hospital had to be repatriated to France.
The doctors had decided that neither was
strong enough for such hard work. 1t was a
bitter blow to both Of them
Returning as an invalid to her humble
cottage in the Vosges village In 1918, she be-
gan to prepare herself for the end that seemed
to be drawing near.
She spent her days In prayer. On Sundays
she would sing in the little church-in the
same sweet voice that had held Paris for 20
the countryside doing good as she could; nurs-
ing the sick, comforting those in sorrow and
helping the poor from her slender income
Publishers who went to offer huge sums for
her memoirs were never even received. To the
few old friends she admitted to her little home
she. spoke only of the happiness of her new
life.
If her last years were spiritual Joy, they
were a physical agony, but she accepted both
in devout spirit.
In addition to her broken health Eve de.
veloped painful malady of the eyes, due to
using drugs during her theatrical career to
make her eyes sparkle. To avoid losing them
entirely she had to undergo several serious
operations.
To the very end, however, she was filled
with great joy for her new life, and Just O
short time before her passing she whispered:
Il am going to God by way Of the devil"
(CSpy-.rht, I~29l