Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-01-12
seeing nav face thu, orsrspre.a rith the rIas.


| afterwards made " These are nearly the
words Of Washington
~, some time after my acquaintance with Mrs.
| wright commenced, she informed me that an
eminent female chemist Of Paris had written
ner q note that she would make her a visit a.
.neive clock the next day, and announced
4 a,so Lnat sne could not speak English. Mrs.
| wright desired me to act AZ inteTnrater At
| the appointed hour the laundering of a car
rage IN the courtyard announced the arrival
OF the French lady. She entered with much
grace In which Mrs. w. was no match for her.
enc was 9iu, with q sharp nose, with
broad patches of vermilliOn spread over the
I deep burrows Of her cheeks. was plaeed in
chair between the two originals Their
| tongues few with velocity-the one in English
and the other in French, and neither under
| standing word the other uttered saw no
| possibility Of interpreting two such volleys Of
words, and at length. abruptly commanded
| silence for a moment,
L asked each, "Do you understand !'' s'Not
| word, said Mrs. Wright. "Nimporte,"
| replied the chemist, and bounding from her
chair to the middle Of the floor, and dropping
| low courtesy, was off What an old
painted fool, said Mrs. W, in anger II
was evident that this visit was not Intended
for an interchange of sentiment, but a mere
act of civility-a call.
L employed Mrs. W. to make the head oC
Franklin, which was often the source of much
| Amusement to me. After il was completed
both being invited to dine with Franklin, /
conveyed her to Passy in my carriage, she
bearing the head upon her lap. No sooner
4 were we In the presence of the doctor than
| she placed one head by the side of the other
There, she exclaimed, "are two brothersn
| The likeness was truly admirable and, at
at the suggestion of Mrs. Wright 10 give il
more effect, Franklin sent me a suit of clothes
he wore in l77S. Many years afterwards the
head was broken in Albany, and the clothes 1
presented to the " Historical Society of Mas
4 sachusetts. -
/ An adventure occurred to Mrs Wright, ia
connection with this head, ludicrous in tho
| highest degree, and although almost incredi-
| ble, is literally true. After the head hal
been modelled, she walked out to Passy, car
| rylng 1t In a napkin, in order 10 compare it
with the original In returning in the even
1 ing she was stopped at the barrier, in course
| TO be searched for contraband goods but as
| her mind was as free as her native American
| air, she knew no restraint, nor the reason why
| she was detained. She resisted the attempt
l to examine her bundle, and broke out In the
rage of fury The officers were amazed. as
no explanation in the absence Of an interpre
ter could take place. She was compelled
however, to yieldto power The bundle wa
l opened, and to the aStonishment Of the Off
clals, exhibited the head of dead man, as
/ appeared to them in the obscurity Of the
night They closed the bundle without far
ther examination, believing, as they after
| wards assured me, that she was an escaped
u Sniac, who had committed murder and was
i about concealing the head Of her victim.
| They were determined to convey her t. tho
| police station, when she made them cofnpre-
hend her entreaties to be taken TO the Hotel
d HOrks l was in my room, and hearing In
the passage great uproar, and Mrs. w.
voice pitched upon higher key than usual,
II choI
her fine eye flashing. L thrust myself he
tween her and the officers, sxclaiming " Ah,
mon DIeM, H'eSt-ce gH'H ya2' An eKpla-
nation ensued. ALI except Mrs W. were
highly amused at the singularity and ab-
surdity of the affair.
The head and clothes I transmitted h
Nantes; they were the instruments of my
trollcs, not inappropriate to my youth, bat
perhaps 1t is hardly safe 10 advert to them in
my age. A few L will venture to relate. On
my arrival st Nantes, l caused the head to
be properly adjusted to the dress, which was
arranged in natural shape and dimensions
L had the figure placed in the corner of large
room, near a closet, and behind a table Be-
fore him laid an open atlas, his arm resting
upon the table, and mathematical instru-
ments stTewn upon it. A handkerchief was
thrown over the arm stumps; wires were ex-
tended to the closet, by which means the body
could be elevated or oppressed, aud placed
In various positions. Thus arranged, some
ladies and gentlemen were invited t. pay
their respects to DR.. franklin, by candle
light. For moment they were completely de-
ceived, and all profoundly bowed and court
sled, which was reciprocated by the figure.
Not word being uttered, the trick wac soon
revealed.
A report soon circulated that Doctor Fraul
lin was at Monsieur WatsOn's " SHr EI,kc Il
FTydeon." At eleven O'Clock the next morn
ing, the Mayor of Nantes came in full dress,
TO call on the renowned philosopher. COssoul,
my worthy partner, being acquainted with tho
mayor, favored the joke for a moment, after
their mutual salutations. Others came ia,
and all were disposed to gull their friends in
the same manher.
The most amusing of all the incidents con-
nected with this head, occurred in London,
where had IL sent after the peace of 50,
when had established a bachelors hall in
that city. L placed the figure in full dress,
with the head leaning out of the window, ap-
parently gazing up and down the square. He
had formerly been well known in that part of
the city, and was at once recognised. OBJ
serving a collection of people gathering a.
another window looking at him, 1 ordered him
down.
The morning papers announced the arrival
of DR.. Franklin at an American merchants
in Belitoi Square, and found it necessary tD
contradict the report. In the interval, three
Boston gentlemen who were in the city, ex-
pressed wish to pay their repects to the doc
tor. / desired them to call in the evening,
and bring their letters Of introduction, which,
they had informed me they bore, expeetingto
see him in Paris. 1 concerted measures with
a friend, to carry the harmless deception to
the utmost extent, on this occasion. Before
entering, l apprised them that he was deeply
engaged in examining maps and papers and
begged they would not be disturbed at any
apparent inattentiOn. Thus prepared, L con-
Quoted them into q spacious room. Franklin
was seated at the extremity, with his atlas,
etc. ETC., and my friend at the wires ad-
vanced in succession, with each, half across
the room, and introduced them oy name
Franklin raised his head, bowed, and resumed
his attention to the atlas. L then retired and
seated them at the futher side Of the room
They spoke TO me in a whisper: sWhat ven
erable figure !" exclaims one. "why don't
he speak ?" says another. "He is doubtless,
in reverie," L remarked, "and forgotten the
presence of his company: his great age must