Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-03-30
Written expressly for the Dayton EmPireI
A SUMNER In EUROPE.
NO. NIII1
VERSAILLES.


A traveller in Europe must be Sparing Of
his superatives Of admiration in the beginning
OF his journeyings or he will find his stock
exhausted at the very time he needs them
most We never more fully realized this and
the poverty of our language, than while riding
around tbs palaces, and through the Parks Of
Versailles The smooth roads through the
noble forest, the groups of statuary starting
out at every turn from among the green trees
and dense foliage, the placid lakes on which
were floating fairy vessels the gardens, most
tasteially kept, aRd resplendent with flowers
Of all hues and redolent with their fragrance
we're beyond anything we had yet seen, or
ever expected to see, until we gained entrance
to Paradise itself We thought surely earth
could not show to us anything more beautiful,
but still, our journeys had developed to us
such continued succession Of delightful sur-
prises, that we would not say so, but waited
to see what was yet to come
Before entering the main Palace we exam
ined tho smaller one near by, called the Tri.
snon-the difference between the two being
as it seemed to me, that the King regned 10
the one while the man lived 10 the other. -
The apartments occupied by Napoleon, his
bedroom, dressing room and sitting room, are
the smallest in the building and indicated to
me that his tastes were like those of other
people--that when he was working he wished
TO be quiet aud comfortable, with all his books
and papers within easy reach-that he pre-
ierred snug little corner, to the cheerIess
grandrue of those vast galleries aud halls
His cushioned chair, his desk, books, table
and bed, are all here, and precisely in the
place, that / would choose to have them il
had been destined TO residence In this
palace Josephine's suite Of rooms near by,
are also small but very elegant, and her bou.
dor is in such perfect order that we w0uld not
have been much surprised il we had found
the lovely Empress there, demanding why we
intruded so boldly upon her privacy aeei-
denlly caught sight Of my own figure in her
dressing mirror, and as | remembered that
her lovely form had often been reflected there,
started aside, and felt as though had been
guilty Of a profanation.
The many busts Of the Emperor and Jo-
sephine which adorn these walls we're objects
Of much interest 10 me. Living men who
have seen the originals, testify to their Aecu-
racy, and we can learn from them some OF the
characteristics OF those faces and heads. which
portrait painters are unable to give. Napole-
ons face was large, but his features were per
fectly regular, and his broad, high forehead,
long straight nose, delieAtely cnt lps and
round dimpled chin, justified the assertion Of
his admirers that he was not only the greatest,
but the hGndsomest man ia the world His
neck was not very long, but not near 80 short
as one would think from the portraits Of him
common in books His head was enormous,
and its depth from the brow 10 the point be.
hind was wonderful. There was no great IL.
Fegnlarities in it--no one bump predomin.
ated II was we'll Glied out all over aad per
feolly smooth,
should not imagine that Josephine was
possessed Of much intellectually, but her face
was ono Of rare delieacy and purity Her
forehead was rather small, eyebrows mere
line; nose thin and slightly refrousss mouth
a perfect cupid's bow, the under lip falling
away little from ita fellow the chin slightly
retreating. She was net q woman 10 plan
battles or conduct political ntrigues, but a
woman who loved with her whole heart--s
woman whose faithfulness and purity ought
to have secured for her the life long devotion
Of her husband
In one Of the long halls sau the painting
by PhfhRp0fsaRr, called, Russia in 1912"
copies Of which have seen in Ameriea--