Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-09-12
mon,alembert and O,CannelI

In Mrs. Oliphants " Life of Monta
lembert" is an account of an evening
spent by the Frenchman when he wa,
about twenty-one years of age at Der
rynane. "On his arrival at Derrynane
he found the door besieged by q crowd
of countrymen in their frieze coats, full
Of talk and argument, awaiting for the
return of 0'Connell, to whom they were
accustomed to bring all their quarrels
for arbitration. When the
great man appeared, however he had
but little time for his youthful visitor,
whom he received kindly, and-prob.
ably with good-natured notion that
this was what he would like best-ush-
cred him suddenly into the drawing
room, to his utter CONSERVATION and be-
wilderment. For the drawing.room was
as crowded as the lawn outside, with a
family of sons, daughters, nieces and
nephews-new figures, such as had not
presented themselves to his Imagination
in connection with 0'Connell. This
was very different from what the young
French patriot and philosopher had
looked for, and he seems to have been
completely thrown out of his reckoning.
He had counted, apparently, on making
call only, and most likely on be-
ing received by his hero at a
private audience, in which they
should have discussed with beftting
solemnity the great concerns of freedom
and piety. But to be thrust among a
merry band of laughing Irish girls and
young men, utterly unprepared for such
society, and to find that he was expected,
as matter of course, to dine and sleep
in the hospitable open house, drove him
wild with CONSERVATION, all the more that
be had brought no change of dress, and
was obliged to spend the evening in his
travelling costume, a misfortune which
must have keenly affected French
vicomte of twenty. In the sincerity of
his journal, and straightforwardness of
his youthful impressions, he measured
the man at once, and formed an enlight-
ened judgment of him. He perceived
instantly that this figure, which had
loomed so large through the mists, was
not so imposing near at hand, and re-
corded the fact with ingenious regret.
indeed, of the stunned sem
sation of one who has fallen from lofty
ideal hight into very commonplace
reality, is evident in all he says. So
far as that evening went, how
ever, he saw but little of the great
man. The family sat down to dinner
twenty-five in number; and probably |
o. O'Oonnell, though full of kindness, had |
no idea that the serious lad, who was
only twenty and Frenchman, would |
really have preferred patriotic DISCUS
sion with himself TO the society of the |
pretty and gay young Irishwomen who
we're so much nearer bis own age, and
30 much more likely to amuse him.
After dinner the post came in, and the
-iberator withdrew to side table in
he drawing,roSm, and read his papers
and letters while the young people
laneed and amused themselves. But
,ur poor young traveller in his morning
lress had no mind to dance, and stood
side, looking ct the bnrly figure over
us papers with rneful sense OF mortif-
atom and incongrnitg. Probably the
Toung ladies we're equally disappointed
md considered the grave young man, so
thrown among them, as a very
Inlikel y type of a young French vicOmte.
thus his pilgrimage ended in disap-
continent, and failed OF its chief pur-
,oqe and AIM IIIN