Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-08-11

Br MRS ABELL-(LATE MISS ELIZA gALcoME,)
During the time spent by him IN her Fathers house at
81 Helena.
(Preface-Re. published in the n. Y. Alblon.)
The writer of the following pages truss, that she
will not be thought presumptuous IN presenting them
TO The public Thrown at early age into the society
Of Napoleon she considers il almost sacred duty 10
communicate any fact impression, which, uninter
esting itself NAV still be worth recording relat
ing him. aud rs serving To elucdar his character.
Could thes recolleciions OF The Emperor have been
published without her being appended TO them,
they would long ago have appeared; but telling thai
their sole merit consisted in their being faithful records
Of him; and that, If produced anonymously, there
would be no guarantee for their truth and being nt
the time, reluctant 20 publicity, and unequal to
the task of authorship they have been postponed and
perhaps would have been still longer delayed but for
the pressure of calamitous circumstances which for
ces her 10 hesitate longer, hut with all their mper
fections their head, 10 send them at once into the
world.
The authoress may compare her feelings casting
her little vessel those OF Shelly, when
on exhaustng his whole stock Of paper, he twisted q
bank note the shape Of llllc boat and thea
hitting il 10 the stream, waited the other side for
it's arrival with intense anxiety. Her ship building
powers she fears, fee be-her materials frail
but she has the little paper nautilus oang with
IMMUNITY and confidence the bosom of that mighty
ocean which has engulfed many noble vessel accept
ing the augnry, she entruss her Tiny bark TO the
Of public opinion not with confidence, however, bur
with fear and trembling, if mingled with CLEAN of
hope that il may reach ,a haven, II favored by prcp
tious skies and friendly breezes.
The writer must indulgence for the frequent
mention of herself during the narrative. The
of The subject renders this unavoidable. E. L. A.
My object in the following memoir is to copine my
self as far as possible TO what concerns Napoleon per-
sonaily have many "reminiscences (nncunnrc!e1 with
him, of those happy days OF my childhoodl but feel
that they would be embarrassing 10 The public and
have carefully excluded all but that in which the En-
peror took personal share.
slight description, however, Of the localities con.
nected with him, will not be considered deviation
from this resolution my part, and | may perhaps
commence this slight memoir of Napoleon most pro.
perly by few words upon the general aspect of ST.
Helena, and the impression conveyed by il on first aP
preaching it's shores
The appearance of ST. Helena, on viewing it from
the sea- is different from any land ever saw and Ger
ainlv but little calculated 10 make fall in love with
at first sight The rock rising abruptly from the ocean
with lis oblcns shape and perpendicular sides suggests
10 ones mind more the idea of huge dark coored arb
lying at anchor, floating the bosom of the Atlantic,
han land intended for the habalIon and support Of
living beings
Nor on nearer acquaintance does its character be-
come more amiabe. If vessel approached it during