The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-02-11

AN OlsD DEAL 4 HtTty-OhC W tgd 70 AcpFt- |
sent Months Gro,oth.--AIany of the present
generation who were familiar with Paris prior
to the Franco-Prussian war, will recall the
sensation produced by every appearance of
the old Duke of Brunswick, who for many
years resided in that city. His residence was
a spacious, briclS-colored chateau of very
quaint architecture, situated not far from the
Champs Elysees, on the Boulevard Beaujop,
and, together with its surroundings seemed
so utterly unlike everything else in the gay
city, that one was at n loss to decide which
was the most rcmarlxaoie the nncient prince
himself or the stronghold where he and his
treasures were bestowed.
His Highness, even when past seventy
years of age, was, whenever seen in society,
so deliberately "got up as seemingly to have
told scarcely more than half that number OF
years. Passing him in his elegant pheton on
public drives or meeting him by the glow OF
wax candles in the recherche drawing rooms
of the elite, where he was ever one of the gay
est votaries of Terpsichore and most gallant
in his devotion to the fair sex, the casual OBJ
server would have pronounced him a well-pre-
served man of forty who had never felt the
pressure of care or sorrow. But If one
Glanced to get near him by daylight the raw
ages of time revealed themselves, despite the
tricks and brides of his elaborate tolettes.--
Handsome he could scarcely be called, but elc-
giant always, and courtlyas a Beau Brrimmell.
So studious was he Of his personal appearance
that, having unfortunately lost his hair, he I
had thirty-one wigs manufactured to replace
the original covering of his Uranium. One of |
them represented his hair as if just from the
BARRIERS shears q second, rs it would appear
after one days growth a third, after two
days, and so on to the end OF the month, in
order that he might be supposed still to wear
his own hair, having it trimmed by the barber
once a month, as formerly. The same careful
in other particulars. Each morning before
he left his private apartments n valet, kept for
this special duty, artisticaly painted the
dukes eyebrows, cheeks and lips another
skillfully padded the shrunken chest and
shoulders arranged the false calves within the I
costly silken hose, and otherwise replaced the
Youthful attractions which more than three
score years nstu stoich away ihcn oio VI lid
many charming toilettcs Of youthful elegance
was donned, and the aged dandy stepped forth
to be admired and envied by brainless para
sites, who for their own gain pandered to his
weak vanity. And, after all, no one was re-
ally deceived by these small arts, for the Duke
was quite too important q parsonage and his
too well-known for his age to be n
matter Of uncertainty.
In his other grand passion, that for the ac-
of diamonds, he was moro sue
cessful, his entire collection being valued ut
between three and four millions Of dollars
Among them were some that had passed
through more adventures than the heroine of
a modern romance. One Of the choicest, a
line pink brilliant, had once belonged to Bahia
Khan, the famous Tartar conqueror of India,
and is of fabulous value. Well-authenticatcd
report said that it had been dropped from Ba-
ba's diadem at Delhi where the victorious
monarch might well afford to lose even so
costly jewel, since he won an Empire in ex-
change, and left his opponent, the last OF the
Afghan race of monarchs, dead on the field Of
battle. The peerless gem was highly valued
by the Tartar conqueror having been the
dover Of his favorite wife, presented to him
by her own hands on their nuptial day, and
he offered immense rewards FORTS recovery
Lippincotfs Magazine for February