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    84 MADAME DE GIRARDIN.

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    • In Her, The Published Following Two Ye...

    to tliis complaining friend , " is like a piece of landscape-gardening ; its apparent disorder is not the result of neglectnor of chance , but

    is , on the contrary , the highest achievement of , art , the result of the most skilful combination . There should be , in the drawing-room ,

    clumps of chairs and sofas , as there are in the garden clumps of trees and shrubs . Don't turn your garden into a formal parterre /

    but make of it a landscape-garden , in the English style . If the seats in your drawing-room be symmetrically arranged , the first

    hours of your party will be unbearably dull ; for just so long as the chairs remain in regular orderall attempts at conversation will

    be cold and languishing . It is only , towards the end of the evening , when the symmetrical arrangement of the seats has been broken

    up of , the when eonrpany chairs , and that sofas conversations have yielded can to spring the necessities up among and the interests guests ,

    and their meeting can become agreeable . And it is just when they are thus beginning to enjoy themselves , that they will be compelled ,

    hy the lateness of the hour , to go away ! Do you wish to know what you must do in order to make your parties pleasant ? You

    its your must teachings guests study the have Look disorder retired at . the in This which chairs disorder . your See is drawing how most they eloquent -room are is grouped ; left listen when in to

    . the way most convenient for conversation . The different groups seem really to have remained where they are in order to enjoy a

    ingenious stead little chat of putting among ing them themselves and back let after the stiffly disorder the int guests o their of have their places gone position , respect away at . their the

    Inend of a so group iree be a ; lesson to you how to place them before your next party , ready for your guests /

    With the art of arranging sympathetically one ' s drawing-room chairsthat of choosing and harmonising the guests who are to

    occupy , them shxmld , of course , be combined ; and this double talent was possessed by Madame de Girardin in a pre-eminent degree .

    • Her voice was clear ; her enunciation graceful , rapid , and prompt ; her conversation sparkling , lively , and striking ; and she had the

    art of always heart say laug ing h the and rig a ht kindl thing at the of bring right ing time out . to She the had best a

    merry advantage , the y talent ; s of those around y way her , and of putting them at their ease

    . improved On passing Pier into features womanhood somewhat , her g two irlish sharp beaut ly denned y had ri during pened and her

    of girlhood maturit , . were She softened was tall and , and harmonised large in person by the ; fuller the proportions development of

    her figure y being . rather majestic than elegant . That she rejoiced in the conscious possession of beauty she has candidly confessed in

    distinguishing life many ; for of her the e love arli characteristics er of poems beaut , y and , . elegance But it was she , prob refinement was abl certainl y true , was y of neither her one in of proud after her

    nor vain of her personal charms , and appears to have prized them

    84 Madame De Girardin.

    84 MADAME DE GIRARDIN .

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Oct. 1, 1860, page 84, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01101860/page/12/