Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-17
AN OLD FRENCH LADY'S REMEM.
BRANCE OF NAPOLEON.
By Grace Greenwood I'm New York
Times.

BY Grace Greenwood I'm New York
Times.
Our friend, the old French lady, of
whom have already spoken, says of
Josephine: She was not pretty, but she
was the most graceful woman in the
world" Of Napoleon, whom she remem-
bers as First Consul aud as Emperor,
she gives a singularly vivid description.
She says that though in youth he was
thin and sallow, and in middle age stout
and pale, his face had always a strange
beauty-sterA, yet delicate; something
almost fearful. "His eyes were like blue
steel, yet when at rest they had an alb
sent, dreamy look; it was only when
they regarded you that you felt their
power, then something cold and sharp
seemed to pass through you. His finely
curved chin was firm as marble, but it
had q dimpie fit for a young girl. He
had small, beautiful mouth, which
seemed always ready to smile and never
smiled, His speech was abrupt and
startling; ii made one tremble if he only
said bon jour There was something
meclant about him, even in his pleas.
antry. he played roughly, especially
with the Empress Marie Louise, whom
he treated as a child, sometimes tossing
her in the air, and carrying her down
stairs on his shoulders.
OF Marie Louise she said. Her neck
and arms were fine, her complexion was
not bad, but she had an ugly face, un.
meaning eyes and a vile nose" The
old lady startled me by adding that as a
wife and mother that royal dame was
sans entrailles."
This Nine Mere has given us some in
teresting accounts of the late siege-of
its sights, fights and privations. She
says that, given little more time. the
Communists would have re-enacted the
most bloody scenes Of the reign of ter.
ror; that they were "resurrected sans
culottes." For many weeks the family
lived on the very verge of starvation.
They have preserved a small piece Of
the black bread to which they were re-
duced. 1t looks as though made Of the
refuse Of an old granary, ground up into
something which could hardly be called
-four. But Madame says they ate of it
thankfully, as they did of the meat Of
horses, dogs, cats and even rats. The
latter, she confessed, was little too
much-she could not keep it on her pa.
triotic but enfeebled stomach, but imme-
diately rendered" it. "Cat meat" she
said, was not so bad; indeed, we all
found it very like hare"
Then, she added with childlike smile,
Et maintenant, quand nu mangeous du
lievre, nous pensons au chat. To eat
hare and think cat is not pleasant, but
when we see lievre served for dinner
lying in state on the platter, with his legs
in the air, we are inclined to suspect that
the big brindled serensders OF the house.
tops and the portly promenaders of the
courts are really being fstted for the
market by these wonderful French econ.
omists. Charles Lambs Chinaman came
into knowledge Of the deliciousness o.
roast pig through the burning of bis
house-the Parisians burned PALACES and
found what nutriment there was in grim
akin. AS for me, own to a weakness
for oats-those lazy, luxurious, lordly
creatures that can be touched by neither
our JOY nor our sorrow, that attach them
selves without attachment, and follow US
without devotion. There is something thai
piqdes me to love them in their very in
sensibility to Affection but there is q
vast difference between loving cats anC
liking cat.