504 Letter from Paris, upon A/fairs m general. NoV. 



Francois, which is not quite so fortunate ; her " Friend of all the World" does 

 not seem to have won the friendship of anybody. Hissed at the first representa- 

 tion, it was tolerated with a respectful silence at the second. The fair author 

 understood this, and withdrew her comedy at once. In order to compensate in 

 some measure fdr their disappointment, the manager announced her charming 

 little drama, the " Sequel of a Masked Ball,'* and it was received with the loudest 

 plaudits by the audience, who readily seized the occasion to heal, as much as 

 possible, the wounded self love of Madame Bauer. 



A dramatic writer, M Mazeres, known by the success which recently attended 

 his comedy of the " Les Trois Quartiers" author of the " Le jeune Mari." is about 

 to bring forth another piece entitled, " Chacun deson Cote" Of all our dramatists, 

 M. Mazeres has been allowed to attack the follies of the day with most freedom. 

 The following is the way in which he has acquired this privilege : Having heard 

 that his play of "Les Trois Quartiers" had been stepped by M. Lourdonein,one of 

 the censors, who retained it without giving any answer, he wrote the censor a 

 very polite letter, requesting that he would have the goodness to examine his 

 play, and send it to the manager. To this application no answer was received, 

 upon which Mazeres. without farther delay, went to the shop of the famous Verdier, 

 a dealer in canes, and so well known by his bill of 15,000 francs for sticks sup- 

 plied in the course of a single year to the Duke of D , nephew of Prince Tal- 

 leyrand. Here he asked for a cane of stout dimensions- agreed for the price- 

 paid the amount, and requested Verdier to furnish him with a bill and receipt, in 

 which the article was thus described : " Sold to M. Mazeres, author of Les Trois 

 QUIT tiers' a cane, &c." This done, Mazeres wrote the following note on the back 

 of the bill: "M. Lourdonein will have the kindness to hand the bearer, who 

 waits an answer, the play of the ' Les Trois Qu r <rtiers,' > such as the censorship au- 

 thorises its representation. Signed, MAZERES;" at the bottom were these words, 

 by way of postscript " Turn over." On seeing the alternative which awaited him, 

 the censor did not wait for a second message, but instantly delivered the comedy, 

 with his name affixed, and without taking the trouble of looking at it a second 

 lime. The successful gasconade of Mazeres excited a good deal of mirth, and was 

 not less useful to him as an author But what matter was it to Lourdonein? The 

 ridicule which fell on him only served to give him a greater title to the esteem of 

 the congregation. 



In speaking of the women distinguished by their talents, I ought to have placed 

 in the first rank, a young lady whose death has deprived society of a most in- 

 estimable member; I allude to Mademoiselle Cuvier, daughter of the celebrated 

 naturalist. There has seldom been any instance where the strongest benevolence 

 -was so closely united to the charms of intellect She possessed a rare mixture of 

 elevation of mind and firmness of character of strength and equanimity- sweetness 

 and simplicity. It was truly gratifying to witness her worship, or rather super- 

 stition, for truth, and to watch the avidity with which she used to seize and illustrate 

 whatever she thought likely to remove ignorance, or promote the cause of virtue 

 and freedom. The circumstances which attended the death of this amiable crea- 

 ture, have, if possible, greatly augmented the grief of her family and friends. The 

 day of her nuptials was fixed, and she was to be united to a man of her own choice, 

 and every thing was prepared for the ceremony. Being suddenly afflicted by rapid 

 symptoms of consumption, all hopes of her recovery soon vanished. Notwith- 

 standing, the ball dresses, veils, and shawls continued to be sent home to the un- 

 happy parents, who dared not refuse them, lest they should themselves be accused 

 of giving way to despair. This mixture of preparations for rejoicing, and the cer- 

 tainty of death, formed a picture the most melancholy and pathetic. When the 

 fatal moment arrived, her family and many friends surrounded the dying couch in 

 mournful silence. The funeral was attended by all that is distinguished for rank 

 and fortune at Paris ; a clergyman of the protestant church read the service for the 

 dead, and a funeral sermon. A number of young females whom she had formed 

 f>r succouring the poor, were ranged round the bier, dressed in white, and fol- 

 lowed it to the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, where M. Salvandy, one of her friends, 

 undertook to deliver the final eulogy, which it is usual in France to pronounce 

 on departed worth. 



