Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-03
NUMBER 1l8.
From the Home Journal.
The Imperial Dandy.
A "REMINISCENCES.

i
route for his own capital from Paris, where he had
been resting his war-worn limbs and displaying his
handso ne person for a season, shortly after the
issue Of that great day of Waterloo, which had
changed the aspect and destinies of dynasties and
nations. The Belgian provinces, for long tino
annexed to France had been placed under the
sovereignty Of the House OF Orange, and William
of Nassau, but a few months before reinstated In
his hereditary dominons, had united these posses
sions to his crown His principal residence and
that OF his officers of State was at the Hague but
| he occasionally visited Brussels and that his ap.
pearance there might not be deficient in pomp and
regality, was generally accompanied by his house
hold, and by the representatives of foreign Powers
at his Court and their suites. The visit Of the Cznr
chanced to correspond with one Of these royal mi.
| grations TO the Belgian metropolis and ball at
the palace in honor of this event announced for
the evening succeeding his arrival To this, as a
member Of the corps dipionati9ae was favored
with an invitation; 80, donning my court dress
then worn such occasions without risk of sub
jecting ourselves to imputed violation of republI-
can simplicity, or Of unbecoming compliance with
royal and mmemoral custom--I made my way
through pages, ushers, and chamberains, to suite
of splendid apartments filed with rank, fashion,
chivalry and beauty.
plain Monsieur would have been such an an
omaly in this courtly assembly, that silently ac.
| quiesced in the title which had attached to my
person in my progress from landing place to land.
| ing place along the lofty stairway was required
| to ascend, and the last usher bowed me into the
| room as Count Something, or Somebody soJri-
gaet, however, which attracted as little notice as
| If lie had been content to introduce me under nv
own legitimate patronimic. The Emperor had not
| made his appearance ; and MS seats were not pe.-
mitted in the presence Of royalty, the company
soon became impatient for the guest of the eveIl-
| ing. The ladies stood in row next to the wall
extending from one end of the very spacious apart
1 ment to the other; the gentlemen in detached
groups in different quarters OF the room--inost of
them, being military men, in gorgeous regimentas,
4 and some almost bowed down by the weight Of
decorations attached to their button holes or su-
| pended from their necks. Many showed, in addi-
tion to these atterng testimonials other tokens Of
hard-fought fields and har-breadth escapes anl
manned limbs and scared faces told of other and
ruder sports than those for which they were at
present assembled. But all went merrily now and
as the military band, which had lately narshalled
them in
Battles magnifcenty stern array"
announced the hero of the pageant "grn-yis-
aged war" would hardly have recognised, in couu-
tenances glowing with anticipations of festivity
| and smoothed to smiles Of gentler galantry, fen
lures so lately compressedin sternness or distorted
with pain on the blood-staned fields where for
years he had been accustomed to encounter them.
On came the Gar accompanied by the King cf
himself the cynosure of wondering eyes-as well
he might be- for seldom had nature and art com
bned to produce a finer specimen of humanity.
Somewhat exceeding the common height, Of fair
complexion, with just enough of e,nbon-poju 10
indicate perfect but not rude heath-his appearance
| apart from his halfmilitary costume, was rath,r
that of the well-bred gentleman than Of the hero,
| or the grandee. His face-round, smooth, and
| somewhat forid, with light whiskers but no mus
tache--had neither martial nor very intellectual
| expression; but was not wanting in animation,
and bespoke amiabilty and good-fellowship, rather
| than disposition or capacity TO command. An ap-
proach TO badness perhaps no disadvantage to
him, as it gave elevation and expansion to his
forehead, and lordly character TO the head
which, wcll-placed on his manly shoulders seemed
better adapted to this emblem Of peaceful sovei.
| eighty than TO the warriors helmet or the con-
| queror's wreath
His dress was fultess scarlet coat, fitting
tightly to his person, as, but for the color to
seem part of it. crossed by the broad ribbon
OF st. Andrew, and bore no other insignia while
his wel-formed limbs, in white knee-breeches, rs
they were called and silk stockings Of the same
color, terminated in feet ofproper proportions, en-.
cased in pumps, fastened by large buckles of gold
Moving gracefully to the middle of The ROOM he
took his stand in front Of the line of assembled
beautics-for really all we're lovely women--and
lifting his orgnefte TO his eye and directing il from
| right 10 left and then from left to right Of the
dazzling array, with much sang froid as if he
had been inspecting file of soldiers, he fixed at
last on one of the expcctant and agitated bevy let
fall his glass stepped forward and putting his arm
daintily around her waist, without uttering word
| led her out In a poiondiss--a dance between
walk and A watz-n which he was followed by the
principal personages of the assembly, each of whom
had provided himself with partner, though with
less Of the Grand Seignear in making his selec-
! tion. A very few turns round the room sufflced
xuha Ca
ant, and doubtless envied favored one TO the rank
from which he had withdrawn her, he stood in the
middle Of the room, apart from all others, compla
| Gently looking down on his own fine limbs with
the air Of one well satisfied with their symmetry
| and their achievement.
There rather more Of dandyism than Of Dig
nifty In this sselfadulatonmore of the petit mditrc
than of the Emperor; but then an Emperor is but
man, and few men, so favored by fortune, pusi.
tion, and personal endowment, would have been
less desirous to display them. After few mo-
ments repose, the same ceremony Of selecting ani
leading out a fair partner was repeated, and this,
at Intervals three or four times during the evening
after which, he conyersed for an hour or two with
his royal associates, and then withdrew, that his
| august presence might be no longer a restraint on
festivities which proceeded more gayy and more
naturally without him.
Would you think, gentle reader, that in tlis
identical hail. but three short months prior to this
held that bright assembly Byron has immortalizcd,
when
" Belgium's capital had gathered there,
Her beauty, and her chivalry,"
that the cannons rude throat might disturb its Joy.
BUSINESS, and turn to mourning its sounds Of rcvel.
ryp Yet so il was; and as Emperor, princes he
roes and beauties glided past me in the dance, OBJ
trusive fancy led me back TO the fatal night which
had blanched with terror cheeks that but mo.
ment before had been suiIused with pleasure, aud
changed to stern, and, in many instances, eternal
adieus, the lovers vow and the galants aduIation
Alas how many brave spirit did that solemn
aud unexpected sound summon to the deadly bat
tle-held, never to return how many a bereaved
fair one retired from that gay chamber to hide her
blghtcd hopes in seclusion, or the grave The
spectres Of that brief past mingled with the living
who thronged the animated hail. aud mirth and
festive music, though countcnanced this ocoa-
sion by Russias imperial autocrat, appeared inhar-
monous and out Of place in precincts so lately in.
vaded nv the tf11mnef-call of war, and the awful