The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-11-29

iHS curl tnat used 10 look Ike serpent OF the
Medusa being absent, leaving age and care to
deepen the Oriental lines of bis face. He re-
mained during the entire service motionless as
o statue''
The British youth, says correspondent, is
the perfection of physical manhood, as hand
some as Apollo, as strong as Samson, as swift
as an antelope, and as enduring as iron. Prior
to eighteen he is q callow, shame-faced youth,
with enormous feet, ill-ftting jackets, and a
plug hat. After passing thirty he grows beefy
and stolt. At forty he is paunchy, with nose
that is growing Dubious. At fifty he is short
winded; he measures forty.five around the
chest. and niDety-fve around his waist; bis
nose is pitted and blooming as . strawberry:
the top of his head is as white, as cleaning as
billiard ball. and he suffers from twnges in
his big toe.
There is pretty legend in connection with
the Bismarck family, which goes to show how
the oak leaves adorniDg the Bismarck shield
were added to the clover and tho nettle leaves.
1t runs as follows: Many years ago there was
lovely maiden, Gsrtruds Won Bismarck.
Numbers of noble knights and courtiers sought
her hand and heart, but she was by her own
consent and her fathers wish betrotbed to a
cousin. uobe aud princey youth. Que day
there came to the castle where the beautiful
Gertrude lived prince of the Wendop, with
one hundred horsemen. to try to win her. She
courteously but firmly refused him. The
prince was greatly epraged, and iucited by her
great loveliness determined to gain her; 20 he
called bis warriors and said he would break the
clover leaf [Gertrudel with bis own hand On
the same day be assailed the castle. which was
weakly defended. The castellan was soon over
come, and the Wende entered the castle and
then the maiden's chamber. II come to break
you iD you golden clover leaf You doh't sting
like singing nettles Glover does not sting"
he said, and with that put his arm around htr.
In a moment more he withdrew it, crying out,
"Mercy" Gertrude held dagger over him,
then struck it in his heart, saying, "Tbe nettle
stings hard whoever will break or touch Bis
marck's golden clover" Since then Bsrnarck's
shield wears the oak leaves as sign and
crown of victory.
Few men could, with impunity, work daily
as much as Leon Gsmbetta, says Paris Letter
His dress ID always unpretentious; usually he
dons short sack coat. gray pauts fitting as
though glued to bis legs, and thus displaying
their herculean form, and a turn-down collar
with cravat negligently tied. When address,
ing an audience. made up of his terrible cen-
stituents Of Bellevlle (the suburban district of
Paris, which returns hin to the Assembly, and
whose denzens are from father to son down, as
readily effective with the lamp-posts as with
the musket or reserve of guillotines), ha puts
on very little style-much less than when at
Versailles attending the sessions; but the
oratory in essence is precisely of the same
brand, if not out of the same bottle. Amidst
throDged attendance of his admiring co.,
stituents he invariably moves up to the speak,
ing stand, slightly waggng his body aud head
from right to left and back again, somewhat
after the manner incident to the brood of very
fat men, and those given to embonpoint, or on
the road to fattening up. The stand is slowly
ascended by him, entirely unmoved by the
bursts of applause, cries and clappings that
greet him; then he remains for two or three
minutes without budging-a feat that produces
charming and calming effect on the Gslhc
hot blood occasionally stroking his bearo.
Time up, be lifts erect, and well up, his big
head, leans against the railing, and begins to
speak slowly and lowly, the lowness of the
tones ompeliiog instant snd close attention,
in order that the matter may be heard gradual
ly his voice grows clearer and more distinct
until it reaches net to the ears of the most
distant Bellevillan present. He has q beauti-
ful baritone voice, and the old frequenters OF
the Chamber of Deputies only call to mind one
more powerful and penetrating-Berrye1's.
Among the actual crop of French orators Jules
| EAvra Ia tho ont b0
him as to voice.
We have two verbal portraits Of Keats, aud
both by skilful psioters-Leigh Hurt and Ben
jamin Robert Hayden. He was under the
middle height" says Hunt, sand bis lower
limbs were small in comparison with the upper,
but neat and we'll turned. His shoulders were
very broad for his size; he had a face 10 which
energy and sensibility were remarkably mixed
up, an eager power, checked and made patient
by i'll health" (But the checked aud patient
loox came laterl. every feature was at once
strongly cut and delicately aive. If there was
any faulty expression it was in the mouth,
which was not without something of the char
acter OF pugnacity. The face was rather long
than otherwise; the upper lip projected little
over the under; the chin was bold; the cheeks
sunken; the eyes mellow and glowing, large,
dark and sensitive. At the recital of q noble
action or beautiful thought. they would
sntfuse with tears and his mouth trembled."
Thus far, bis fellow poet. "ae.was below the
middle size,' says Hayden, with a low fore
head. and an eye that bad an inward look, per-
fectly divine. like a Delphian priestess who
saw visions" II read one or two of his sou
nets, and formed very high idea of his genius
After short time liked him so much that a
general invitation on my part followed, and we
became extremely intimate. He visited my
painting room at all times, and at all times was
welcome. r. Ii. Stoddard in Scribner's.
1t is stated that Russian soldiers are arranged
accompanies according to their personal appear.
ance. Under the late Emperor Nicholas there
was regiment of men with dark hair and
eyes, their faces pitted with small pox; another
OF lght-haired men with smallpox marks
Some regiments were fair-hared with blue
eyes, others eagla-eatured and swsrthy of COM
plexion. One object of.Ithis seemingly fanci-
full freak is to prevent soldiers from the same
home localities being masssd together, and thus
obviating clannishness and conspiracies. In the
present exigeney of war, however, the arrange
ment cannot bs csrriedsout. But the object is
reached without the 'pretence of CHASING by
compilations. The policy is said to be openly
followed of putting stranger, and different
races together without regard to their complex
ions. In all armies there are regulations which
seem to the peace man merely arbitrary, but
which have their purpose. For instance, in
advancing from a halt, the drilled soldier puts
forward the left foot first This is contrary to
the natural practice of the civilian, and has but
one intelligible reason. Deserters ara detected
by it. They may efface every m ark Of the mil
itary from their clothing and general manner,
but the left foot first betrays them to the keen
military detective.
Sara Bernhardt is placed beside Rachel by
her admirers. She is an excellent, painstaking
actress. She is tall, has square shoulders and
is frightfully thin. When her portrait with
her pet dog by Clairio, appeared in the Salon
last spring, wicked caricature of it came out
entitled "Portrais by M. Cairin dun CHEN
| ct un os." Her nose is long, the eyes are not
very large and in a word, she,is not pretty; she
has blonde hair of course, but her face, not
uithstanding its Indifference and col liner s, has
an iudescribable sympathetic ex preston; it is
| thoughtful, intelligent countensnce too; not