GAMBBTTA'S PRIVATE LIFE.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4451, 11 April 1883, Page 2

GAMBBTTA'S PRIVATE LIFE.

A Swiss gentleman, who has been on terms of great intimacy with Gram betta, gives, in the Gazette de Lausanne, some details concerning the private life of the ex Dictator. The writer, after stigmatizing as absurd and untrue tbe stories told about the pistol shot which was the occasion, if not the cause, of Gambetta's death, baring been discharged by some hostile hand, and repeating the Torsion of the occurrence, which you hare already giren, speaks of his relations with Mdlle. Le*onie Le"on. " It is only right," he says, " that Gam* betca's friends should rebut the odious calumnies of which he has been tbe object

by a simple and truthful statement of facts and the Tacts are these:—Mdlle. Leonie Leon is the daughter of an officer of high rank who died several years ago. She is now abont 35. Her far*, though not beautiful, is exceedingly expressive and sympathetic, and she is intelligent and well educated. / t the time of the war with Germany, she conceived for Gam* betta an ardent admiration, and 1872 she wrote to him This led to an interview*, and from that time to the end their cor-* respondence and their intimacy continued without interruption. Bnt they saw each other very rarely, ani nearly always at Vile d'Array, where he hardly received any one safe Mddle Leon. Nevertheless they exchanged letters daily, and those who knew Gambetta best say that these letters contained a com* plete record of his life, his labors, and his thoughts during the last ten years of his life. Mdlle. Leon was in the habit of giving him an account of foreign journals and books, which she read diligently for this purpose. The question of marriage was several times mentioned between them, But for a long time the* lady, hearing that Gambetta's influence migh^ be thereby impaired, refused to become his wife. Last autumn, however, it was finally decided that they should be married, and of this several persons were informed. All that has been said of a rupture of violent scenes, and so forth, is false. It is equally false that Gambetta was the father of an illegitimate child. The young man who was supposed to be his son is 17 years old and the nephew of Mdlle. Le'on, who had undertaken to provide for his education. It was to visit this youth, whose name is Massabie, that Gambetta and Mdlle. Le'on went to Dresden (where young Massabie was at school) in 1881. This was not the only journey they made together. In 1878 they were in Canton Vaud. in the Valais and the region of the Italian lakes. She was with Gambetta immediately after the ac« cident which had so terrible an ! ending; from that moment she never left | him, and until he drew his last breath 1 nursed him with unstinted devotion. And yet Leonie Le'on," says the author of this communication, " has been accused of having caused Gambetta's death; but in the midst of her bitter sorrow she has the consolation of receiving every day ex* pressions of respect and gratitude from the truest friends of him whom she and they loved so wall."