The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-25 00:00:00

A Family Scene at St, Cloud.

A writer in Bentley's Miscellany furnishes the following
interesting sketch.—(Charming reading for Mr Kinglake.)
The Empress was close before us on the upper terrace,
which is connected with her apartments by a light iron
bridge. This bridge was entirely concealed by a wild vine,
whose splendid dark red leaves were the sole thing which
reminded us of autumn. The terrace was still covered with
the gayest flowers, and orange and pomegranite flowers
stood in the open air. In the centre near a perfect mound
of flowers, the Empress was seated in one of those pretty
wire-work chairs, which are elegantly made in Paris; In
front of her lay, on a similar table, a book and some needle.
work in a plain basket. The face of the exalted lady was
sickly and pale--the noble profile, which appears so classical
in marble busts of the Empress, was still the same—and so
was the full hair, but in the features there was a sorrow,
and the pallor was almost painful to look on. A cheetful
contrast was afforded by the youthful Prince; he was play-
ing with a snow white dog, which impudently leaped on the
lap of the Empress. What does a dog know of the etiquette
of court P The Prince is a remarkably handsome boy, tall
and well grown for his age, with curly hair, and round
fresh face, with clever eyes, and very like one of
Raphael's angels ; at the same time his manner is admir-
able, and there is grace in all his movements. lie wore the
trousers of the corporal's uniform, and over them a blouse,
pale yellow with blue embroidery, which became him well,
In the background sat two ladies, in one of whom I recog-
nised Madame Bruat. " Gouvernante des Enfants de
France." At this moment the Emperor slowly crossed the
iron bridge ; an old white haired gentleman accompanied
him, Mocquard, the chief of his cabinet. The Emperor said
a couple of words to him, and then dismissed him with a
kindly wave of the hand. Mocquard, after making a deep
bow, disappeared. The little Prince ran to meet his father
and the dog barked at the Emperor most improperly. The
latter raised his son from the ground, kissed him on the
forehead, then took his hand, and walked with him up to
his mother, the Empress rose and the couple walked along
the flower beds in conversation, with the Prince behind
them. The Emperor was in civilian dress, with hat and
gloves and the traditional lilac paletot—a fashion which the
King of Holland left him on his visit. The Emperor looked
remarkably stout; his face was as usual dark and stern,
and the heavy moustache rendered it still sterner. Still he
seemed to be in good spirits ; he often laid his hued on.the
Pat:as curly head, and pointed to several of the
flower-pots, as if telling him the names of the plants.
The Empress soon seated herself again at her former
seat, the Emperor took a chair by her side, and took
a portfo'io, in which he wrote, though without inter-
upting his conversation with the Empress. The
Prince was very busy with his mother's work-basket, and
listened the while to Ills parents' conversation. The little
Prince suddenly addresses a question to his father, who
shakes his head in refusal ; but the boy leaps on his knee,
and begs and coaxes, and at last draws his mother into the
embrace. At length the Emperor appears to give way, and
consent, the Prince at last leaps about merrily, the lapdog
comes to life again, too, and the old gentleman with the
white hair appears again in the allee and begins bowing
long before their Majesties notice him. M. Mocquard an-
nounces that the Ministers are assembled, and awaiting the
Emperor. His Majesty rises, kisses his son, and seems to
repeat his promise; then he cliffs the Empress his arm,
and escorts her over the bridge to her apartments. The
Prince remains on the terrace with the two other ladies and
the lapdog, when M. Mocquard disappears again on the side
alio°. On the same day I read the following notice in an
evening paper :—" The Emperor came this afternoon from
St. Cloud to Paris, in order to inspect the new Boulevard
du Prince Eugene; he was in a light open phaeton, and
drove himself. The Prince Imperial was seated by his side
—the first time ho has accompanied his Majesty on such a
drive. The carriage was without escort—there was only
two footmen behind. his Majesty was received with loud
shouts on all the Boulevards, and the public were delighted
at the pleasant salutes which the little Prince offered on all
sides." It was this, then, the little Prince had asked and
coaxed from his father—a trip with papa, and not, as usual,
in the largo stupid four-horse state coach, surrounded by
chattering dragoons and aides-de-camp.

FATAL ACCIDENT ON LUDGATE-111LL..--An in■
quest took place yesterday before the City coroner, at
St Bartholomew's Hospital, concerning the death of a
man named Garrett Puna, a labourer, aged 53, under
the following circumstances :—The deceased was employed
on the works of the new bridge for the railway which
crosses Ludgate-hill, and was at work on a scaffolding 16
feet from the ground. One of his companions dropped
a coat to the ground, and the deceased removed ono of
the planks on the scaffolding, leaving a gap through which
he drew up the coat. Ho replaced the plank, but, as it
proved, did not do so properly, for stepping on it afterwards
it gave way, and he fell through the aperture. He was
painfully injured, and, having been removed to the hos-
pital, died on Saturday. His back was broken by the fall,
and ho suffered dreadfully from the injuries. The jury
found a verdict of " Accidental death,"
EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCE OF THREE POTATOES.
—Three large-sized potatoes, planted in Mr. Ran-
som's garden, at Hawthorne Cottage, on Southampton
Common, wore this week dug up, and found to have pro-
duced 362, weighing in the aggregate 711bs. A dozen
weighed 16 lbs., and four selected from the dozen weighed
6i lbs. The largest single potato weighed 2 lbs. 7 oz. These
potatoes were planted about three feet apart, and kept well
earthed up as they grew, each forming a small moand about
18 inches high.--Hants Advertiser.