My First Years as a Frenchwoman, 1876-1879

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My First Years as a
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1876-1879
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Title: My First Years As A Frenchwoman, 1876-1879
Author: Mary King Waddington
Release Date: November 10, 2003 [EBook #10003]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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YEARS AS A FRENCHWOMAN ***

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MY FIRST YEARS AS A FRENCHWOMAN
[Illustration: Madame Waddington. From a photograph taken in the
year of the Exposition, 1878.]
MY FIRST YEARS AS A FRENCHWOMAN
1876-1879
BY
MARY KING WADDINGTON
ILLUSTRATED
1914

CONTENTS
I. WHEN MACMAHON WAS PRESIDENT II. IMPRESSIONS OF
THE ASSEMBLY AT VERSAILLES III. M. WADDINGTON AS
MINISTER OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION IV. THE SOCIAL SIDE OF
A MINISTER'S WIFE V. A REPUBLICAN VICTORY AND A NEW
MINISTRY VI. THE EXPOSITION YEAR VII. THE BERLIN
CONGRESS VIII. GAIETIES AT THE QUAI D'ORSAY IX. M.
WADDINGTON AS PRIME MINISTER X. PARLIAMENT BACK
IN PARIS XI. LAST DAYS AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE
INDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS

MADAME WADDINGTON Frontispiece From a photograph taken in
the year of the Exposition, 1878.
MONSIEUR THIERS
MARSHAL MACMAHON
SITTING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AT THE PALACE OF
VERSAILLES
THE FOYER OF THE OPERA
MEETING OF OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AND
OF DELEGATES OF THE NEW CHAMBERS, IN THE SALON OF
HERCULES, PALACE OF VERSAILLES
THEODOR MOMMSEN
PALACE OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, PARIS
FRANZ LISZT
WILLIAM E. GLADSTONE
LORD LYONS
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, IN 1876
PRINCE HOHENLOHE
M. WILLIAM WADDINGTON. IN THE UNIFORM HE WORE AS
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND AT THE BERLIN
CONGRESS, 1878
NASR-ED-DIN, SHAH OF PERSIA
PRINCE BISMARCK
THE BERLIN CONGRESS

M. JULES GREVY, READING MARSHAL MACMAHON'S
LETTER OF RESIGNATION TO THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES
M. JULES GREVY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC BY
THE SENATE AND CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES MEETING AS THE
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE ELYSEE PALACE, PARIS
HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA, ABOUT 1879
M. DE FREYCINET
MME. SADI CARNOT
PRESIDENT SADI CARNOT

MY FIRST YEARS AS A FRENCHWOMAN

I
WHEN MACMAHON WAS PRESIDENT
I was married in Paris in November, 1874, at the French Protestant
Chapel of the rue Taitbout, by Monsieur Bersier, one of the ablest and
most eloquent pastors of the Protestant church. We had just established
ourselves in Paris, after having lived seven years in Rome. We had a
vague idea of going back to America, and Paris seemed a first step in
that direction--was nearer New York than Rome. I knew very little of
France--we had never lived there--merely stayed a few weeks in the
spring and autumn, coming and going from Italy. My husband was a
deputy, named to the National Assembly in Bordeaux in 1871, by his
Department--the Aisne. He had some difficulty in getting to Bordeaux.
Communications and transports were not easy, as the Germans were
still in the country, and, what was more important, he hadn't any
money--couldn't correspond with his banker, in Paris--(he was living in

the country). However, a sufficient amount was found in the country,
and he was able to make his journey. When I married, the Assembly
was sitting at Versailles. Monsieur Thiers, the first President of the
Republic, had been overthrown in May, 1873--Marshal MacMahon
named in his place. W.[1] had had a short ministry (public instruction)
under Monsieur Thiers, but he was so convinced that it would not last
that he never even went to the ministry--saw his directors in his own
rooms. I was plunged at once into absolutely new surroundings. W.'s
personal friends were principally Orleanists and the literary element of
Paris--his colleagues at the Institute. The first houses I was taken to in
Paris were the Segurs, Remusats, Lasteyries, Casimir Periers, Gallieras,
d'Haussonville, Leon Say, and some of the Protestant
families--Pourtales, Andre Bartholdi, Mallet, etc. It was such an
entirely different world from any I had been accustomed to that it took
me some time to feel at home in my new milieu. Political feeling was
very strong--all sorts of fresh, young elements coming to the front. The
Franco-German War was just over--the French very sore and bitter
after their defeat. There was a strong underlying feeling of violent
animosity to the Emperor, who had lost them two of their fairest
provinces, and a passionate desire for the