Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-10-05

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Napoleon as "a Playmate.
No man, says the proyerb, is a hero to
his servant. Yetno mans character can
be fairly judged till the testimony is
heard of those who have seen him in his
s'off moments" when his dignity is laid
aside and lie abandons himself to simple
and natural influences. The intercourse
of great men with children is Il study
more amusing than their state conyersa-
%Etions, although less imposing. Hercules
with the distaf is 4 more agreeable
picture than Hercules with the Hydra. d.
1t is easy to understand Why the Eng
lish people are intensely Interested in the
daily occupations of Louis Napoleon,
now powefless an1 an exile in their land.
1t is easier to imagine how great was the
interest of the world in the life of the
Great Napoleon on st. Helena. Volumes
were written concerning him, and were
sought and read. with even more avldlty
than the histories of his campaigns
Among these records there is a brief
statement now little known-the i'm
p%ressions ola child concerning Napoleon.
1t was Written in her later~years, and
describes with charming simplicity what
she saw; how the'great man looked, and
what he did. The author is Miss Eliza
Baleombe, daughter of the gentleman at
whose house Napoleon was a guest for a
shert time. willie the residence at Long
wood was being fitted up. Miss Bal
eombe's earliest and truly English ideh
of Napoleon was that of am ogre,s VITA
one fieIyege and great teeth with which
he devoured naughty children that did
not know their lessons3 4 had some
what outgrown this when he arrived at
St. Helena; but her opinion Of him was
that he WAS the worst human being that
Fever existed. She first Saw him with
terror, mingled with admiration, as he
sal. on his horse But when the great
Emperor drew nearer the simple assor-
ance Of a child enabled little Miss Bal
combe to make the close observation,
from which she paints the following ink
land pen portrait: "He was deadly pale,
and / Thought his features, though cold
and immovable and somewhat stern,
were very beautiful w. ~
When once he began, to speak his fasci+
mating smile and kind name removed
every xistage- of the fear with
which had regarded him. While he
was talking to mamma had al oppor-
tunity of serutinizing his features, which
I did With the keenests interest, and Ger
tainly 1 have never seen any one with so
remarkableJand striking q physiognomy.
The portraits of him givea good general
idea of his features, but his smile and
the expression, of his eye could not be
transmitted to. canvas, and these cor
.stituted Napoleon's chief charm. His
hair was dark brown, and as fine and
Isilky as a child's; rather too much so,
- = - Or Z o,,eaT1 = IN 1ooIy
thin-His teeth were even, but dark, and
1 afterward found that this arose from
his constant habit of eating liquorice, of
which he always kept a supply in-his
wafstcoat pocket" -
In the very first hour of his residence
in the house he commenced questioning
Miss Balcombe; "You speak French ?'
Upon her reply in the affirmative, he ex-
amined1 her in geography, asking the
.Feapitals of the different countries in
Europe. When he came to Russia, she
answered Petersburg now,M Moscow for
merly." He then sternly asked, "Who
burned Moscow ?n The poor child,
frightened, said she did not know. Eyes,
yes,'' he answered, laughing violently,
styou know very well that it was II"
Miss Balcombe, treasured, said "I be-
lieve, sir, the Russians burned 1t to get
rid of the French" He again laughed,
and changed h conversation. 20
Napolen called his young friend Miss
Betsy, and amused himself constantly
with her. There was a lady who tboaght
she. could sing Italian music, and who
was. a frequent Eisiter at the house,. Ma
poleon always invited her to sing, and
} preserved a grave face during her alb
surd attempts. As soon as she was gone
he would pursuade Miss Betsy to imi-
tate her, He would close his eyes and
a.oko- - 1ie&o- 4 - efN,,,. 1a,1o-fa1 friap6 -
as he calledler, andthen fnishthe enter
tainment by paying Miss Betsy elaborate
compliments. -
Learning one day that there was a
child In the house who was afraid of
him, Napoleon brushed his hair awry.
contorted his face, frightening the child
almost into Mysteries. He then tried the
same performance on Miss Betsee, who
only laughed at him. Las Casas did not
like the young lady, and called her a
rude hoyden. She triedAt to amend, but
NapoleoIs invariably teased her out OF
her propriety. He stole her dresses, and
she his papers; he pinched her ears, and
she pushed his attendants against him
as they walked together. On one occa-
sion she cornered him with his own
sword, not desisting from her rudeness
till her arm dropped from mere exhaus-
Etion. He corrected her French exercises
tut ucI. ~ SCCuiCu W CllbCA III V
sort of mirth or fun with the glee Of a
Echild, and thought says Miss Raleombe,
III have often tried his patience severely,
1Inever knew him to loose his temper,
Tor fall back upon his rank or age to
Il Shield himself from the consequences OF
his own familiarity and indulgence to
me- I1ooked<upon him, Indeed, when
with him, almost as azbrether or COM
panion of my W age, and all the eau
tfons IreciVed, and my5own resolutions
to treathim with more respect and for
mality, were put to flight the moment T
eame within the influence of his arch
smile and Taught" Miss Betsee would
Evidently have made a betterTcustodian
for tine prisoner than Sir Hudson Lowe.
And il the exile had remained at her
fathers house, his last years would, per-
thaps, not have been embittered by puerile
lquarre1s with a man who evidently did
not understand the exile as-well as this
child did. ~.
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