RACHEL 407 RACINE the end of that period, he found in his veiled bride not Rachel, but Leah, her elder sister, whom he did not love, and was obliged to labor during seven more years in order to gain Rachel. She was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. RACHEL, ELIZA RACHEL FELIX, a French actress; born in Mumpf, Swit- zerland, Feb. 28, 1820; was the daughter of a Jew peddler, and in 1830 went to re- side at Paris. Sarah, her elder sister, used to sing at the various cafes. In 1832, the voices of the two sisters hav- ing attracted notice, they were placed, by the kindness of some connoisseurs, un- der Choron, a celebrated singing-master; and in 1833, the younger sister Rachel, having shown great tragic power, entered the Conservatoire at Paris, and in 1838 made her first appearance at the Theatre FranQais, in the character of Camille, m "Le Horace," where her debut was not auspicious. In the course of a few months Mademoiselle Rachel completely revived the classic school of tragedy which had fallen into decay, though her crowning triumph was gained in 1843, in her representation of "Phedre." Soon after this she made a provincial tour, visited the chief European cities, and at fest came to London, in 1846, reaping fame and wealth wherever she appeared. In 1855 she made a professional visit to the United States, interrupted by the failure of her health, returned to France, and died of consumption in Cannes, near Toulon, Jan. 3, 1858. RACHIS (ra'kis), in botany, a branch which proceeds nearly in a straight line from the base to the apex of the inflores- cence of a plant. The term is also ap- plied to the stalk of the frond in ferns, and to the common stalk bearing the al- ternate spikelets in some grasses. RACHITIS, a term which properly implies inflammation of the spine, but it is applied to the disease called rickets, which term suggested this as the scien tine name. RACHMANINOV, SERGEI V., a Russian pianist and composer. Born in the province of Novgorod in 1873, at nine years of age he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. When he graduated from the Moscow Conserva- tory in 1893 he produced his first opera "Aleko." For ten years, 1893-1903 he taiight in the Moscow Girls' Institute, and from 1904-1906 was the conductor of the Moscow Imperial Theater. For the next few years he traveled in Europe and America giving recitals, but finally set- tled in Dresden where he devoted him- self exclusively to creative work. He has written two operas in addition to the one already mentioned, "The Niggardly Knight" and "Francesca da Rimini." He has composed a great deal of piano music, several cantatas, two symphonies, and a symphonic poem, "The Isle of Death." RACINE, a city and county-seat of Racine co.. Wis.; on Lake Michigan at the mouth of Root river, and on the Chi- cago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul, and the Chicago and Northwestern railroads; 23 miles S. of Milwaukee. Here are Luther College, Racine College, Racine Acad- emy, the Racine Home School, St. Cath- erine's Academy (R. C), high school, Taylor Orphan Asylum, St. Luke's Hos- pital, waterworks, electric light and street railroad plants, many churches, a number of National and State banks, and several daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals. The harbor is one of the best on the lake, and is accessible by vessels drawing 14 feet of water. Ra- cine has manufactories of agricultural implements, carriages, leather, iron cast- ings, lumber, etc. Pop. (1910) 38,002; (1920) 58,593. JEAN RACINE B,ACINE, JEAN, an eniinemt French dramatic poet; born in La Ferte Milon, France, Dec. 22, 1639, and was educated at Port Royal. In 1664 he produced his tragedy of "La Thebaide," which was followed in 1665 by "Alexandre." In 1667 appeared his "Andromaque," which placed him far above all his con- temporaries except Corneille; and his fame was still further increased by the production of "Britannicus," "Berenice," and other tragedies. In 1677 appeared his tragedy of "Phedre." He wrote, by desire of Louis XIV. and Madame de Maintenon, the sacred dramas of "Es- ther" and "Athalie." Besides kie dra-
