The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-20 00:00:00

ILLUSTRATING THE SCENES OF
THE WAR.

I came across a curious proof yesterday Ord the German
war was long meditate: by the Emperor , writes the Paris
Contemn:dent of the Deify IVrtm). Whilst in the drawing-'
rom of a fashionable hotel at Enghien-les-Bains I fell upon
three numbers of an illustratei weekly paper, founded not.
ninny n.ouths ego Ihe front page of each of these numbers
comets an engraving as super latively easoisite as anything
in 5" book of Beauty" style could be. lee several frontis-
pieces are done by the same hand, and are !toed " Guido"
evidently a laurowed name. At the very least, I w:h of them
must have cost the artist eta weeks' labour. Now, the tint
historical event depicted In the series happened scarcely
three weeks ago It is " The Empre, a pray ing at
the shrine oi Notre 11..una des Victor!. for France, with the
Prince Imperial. Her Majesty, kneeling in a pretty attitude
on a prie-Dirn chair, looks lovelier than ever, and certainly
younger than when she laid aside the name of Montij, for
that ef Bonaparte. Spleud id bouquets are lying on the floor
In front of the miraculous statue of the Virgin A priest and
some old scorns n with chaplet, in their hoods are grouped
like an operatic chorus in an aisle, and survey with worship-
ful wirMratiou the praying Empress. Her Maje,ly's back is
turned to the linmer ; but her profile is shown. IL is tearful,
but not by any means de,torte I with anxious care Hers is
the grief which touches, but does not corrode The artist
does not forget to load the Belprea with It !liners, which
are, and ever have been, vs thiracteristic of her taste.in
dress as the ruff and stiffenings were of Queen Elles.!eth's.
tl:e second number, and none with tender care and courtly
anlicitude to please, are the Demois. Iles d'Albe, also very
much flounced, waving lace bordered pocket handkerchiefn
at the Cherbourg squadron as it steams out into theChannelL
One would say they were done atter a painting by Winter-
halter in his best days Those who adnAre the Lucys and
Ellen. of "roe Keepsake" would by charmed with this pic-
ture. The eldest niece of the Empress—Mdllo Marie Stuart
—re made to resemble the unhappy Queen of Sc de, from
whom she Claims to Ice deemssl led through the Dukes
of Berwick. She weirs a very pretry hat, slightly
renal.ance, and a darling little ruff Her flounces
,flote.ces on Marie Stuart!) are part!), hidden by
her sister, Mdlle. Louise, the future bride of Alphonse ill.
Title young lady leans a charming head on the shoulder of
the other. Ihe third et gravieg is entitled, " Receiving the
news of victory " Toe Bowes+ Iris ju,t read the telegram
recording the Prince Imperial's tint military feat. She is
seated on a white pony, which she was riding In • glade
of St. Cloud when Um titlings of it were brought her.
The right band holding the dmpatch falls languidly
at her side, the rein is stropped on the pony'• ilea, and
the left had slightly raised towards Idmaena in the saute
direction as a pair of limpid eyes, tit which a tear for
the killed and wounded struggles with a smile of exultattea.
Baker-street ladies, if success had only faux-el the imperial
arms, might have regardcd the pose of this plaure as a
model for the imitation of their daughters The graceful
fall of the shoulders, sod tl.e flexile yet rounded form, are
not the worse for theaevere draping of an ordioary riding
habit. Toe pony is a delicious pet, with a long well-
Combed mane. Ile is as good a curlier as the artist
who engraved him, for he keeps in exactly the
position calculated to show to edvantage the figure
of his illustrious rider. No doubt it M. Dairies
portfolios were searched, there would be found 'n A meetieg
between the Empress and the Prince of Prussia," In
which the former is represented as the trentlednannered pro-
tectress of the latter : of "The young Victor's Return," in
which the Prince Imperial figures, uffering to his mother
ROMs jewel belonging to the P. ussiau regalia; or, " The
Piety o! a Youthml Soldier," wherein he would see the
chiid of France placing on the altar of Notre Dame des Vic-
toires the crown which King William declared at Kinulaw
berg he wore by Divine p,rmisslon.