Year: 1876

the Directory threw to them, in
stead of bouquets, papers of sugar
plums, and bon-bons, which the
young debutantes would laughingly
deyour in the green-room between
the acts; in fact it was one of those
prodigious triumphs which are
greeted with braves for the present
and with magnificent predictions
for the future. "There are two
little girls" a critic remarked, "who
are destined to fame. One, she
with such beautiful eyes, aud who
plays with so much grace and SEN
timent, will hereafter be the sup
port of the high comedy; the other,
with such a piquant and wide
awake face, who plays with SO much
abandon, spirit and animation, will
one day lend to the Vaudeville the
brilliancy of a true and incontesti-
BILE talent"


Her progress was most rapid ;
from childish comedy she passed to
the higher walks of the Vaudeville,
such as Scribe then wrote it, and
each of the roles she created re-
ceived at her hands a character and
an impress all her own. Every
character seems suited to her most
flexible talent, but already the ac-
tress showed a prediction for male
attire. In the Marriage Infantin,
in the Loge du PORTER, and in
Ecarte, she appeared with equal
success in three very different cos
TUNES; by turns as the little Mar
quis of the olden time, in his coat
of velvet and embroidery as the
gamin of Paris, with leathern cap
and vest, and as the young dandy
with faultless coat and yellow
gloves. She proved in these three
characters the happy variety Of that





talent which was put to SO many
proofs.


What, indeed, is that costume
which she has not worn, from the
coat of Voltaire to that of Bona
parte, from the humble dress of a
drummer or of a peasant to the gor-
geous costume of Louis XIV or of
Richelieu? And whether, in fact,
it was Napoleon or Voltaire, Vert
Vert or Jean Jacques, a soldier or
a king, a student or rake, she was
always the character she represent
ed, with an exquisite tact and a liv-
ing portrait full of justice and
grace, By turns young and old,
man and woman, queen and shep-
herdess, tender and angry, loving
and coquettish, melancholy and gay,
she took all forms, she essayed all
tones, she painted every sentiment
and touched all the chords of the
heart and mind-these are the per-
petual metamorphoses which de-
manded an universal talent, COM
plete power in the vast domain of
dramatic art.


Out Of the theater, Mile Dejazet
was a woman of incompatible wit
and grace. Her household quiet,
well regulated and methodical, par
took Of an almost unruffled tran
quillity. Before the footlight alone
and thanks to the authors, did she
comport herself as a Bacchante,
smoke, swear, and drink cham
pagnej but at home all was
changed, Here sometimes gay,
often spirituelle, always modest.


Interest never guided her in her
affections, differing in this respect
from so many actresses who make
tariff for their smiles and ruin
those who pay for them. On the con-
trary, she disbursed in charity all
she made, and a year ago, when
oyer eighty years of age, a benefit
to raise her from want was ten
dered her by the Paris public, I'm
der her actress dress there beat a
compassionate, an evangelical heart.
She was indeed a second sister of
charity of Beranger,


The romance Of her life may be
recited in a few lines. A brnther
of a musician attached to the or
chestra of the Opera Comique, at
the age Of nineteen, with his soul
open to every illusion, every dream,
upon seeing the charming actress
was seized with an intense and
burning love. Deiazet was not free.
True and faithful in her affections
she tried to convince the young
man of the impossibility Of his
hopes, the folly Of his passion; she
offered him a sincere friendship and
thought to have cured his heart.
But alasl the barb had struck too
deeply, and one day he had disap-
peared. He had gone TO seek f9r-
getfulness in the retirement Of his
country home. But he found moth
ing but despair and in the arms Of
death alone could his love be for
gotten. Deiazet wept for him with
many tears nothing had caused her
to suspect so tragical a denouement.
She Immediately visited Lille, his
native town, and there finding his
grave neglected caused mausoleum
Of black marble to replace the sim