The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-05-17
NO.. ,.

Grasse, in Provence, do not know OF
any place where l have seen roses in
such abundance rs in the gardens of
Nanterre.
Our next stopping place is Ruel, and
on the opposite bank of the river lies the
charming village of Chaton, from which
the road leads to the famous race course
of Vesinet. Ruel suffered considerably
during the Franco-Prussian war and the
country residence of Mr.. Jules Favre,
which is here, did not escape, but shows
the marks very plainly on its succeed
facade In the pretty little church of
Rueil lies buried the remains Of the
Empress josephine and her daughter,
Queen Hortense.
Let US finish up our drive by riding
over 70 Malmaison, the residence of un-
happy Josephine; now a bare and barren
place, reminding one somewhat of Mon
ticello, once the residence of Thomas
Jefferson. The placards, announcing
the sale of the place at auction, are still
fresh on the wall as if they had been
stuck up but yesterday; but the beauti-
full garden is overrun with weeds, and
the plaster is scaling off the wslls,leaving
ugly large blotches of the bare stone ex-
posed. The mansion was built IN 1743,
and purchased by General Bonaparte in
179S, two years after his marriage with
Josephine. II was she who caused the
beautiful esplanade in the rear Of the
chateau to be constructed, after her own
design, and had it planted with rare
shrubs and trees, many of which still
remain. The drawing rooms, council
rooms, and Napoleon's private study, are
on the first floor, and ON the second or
top floor we're the private apartments Of
Napoleon and Josephine. The small
door which separated these two rooms is
still walled upand has so remained since
the day, four weeks before their separa-
ton, when Napoleon ordered it to be
closed. In Josephine's bedroom may
still be seen the remnants of the gorgeous
tapestry, of purple velvet embroidered
in gold, with which the walls were hung;
and on the damp and cracked ceiling
may be traced the outlines of rosy sum-
mer clouds and merry cupids floating
among them, shooting golden arrows
down into the room below. The relics
of the reign ofNapoleon, formerly stored
here, were removed some years ago; and
IJosephlnes harp, the strings all broken
and twisted, is, with some few other ar
ticles, all the souvenirs that now remain
at Malmaison to remind the visitor of
the noble women who once lived here,
and who here breathed her last.
Let us return from Malmaison, so rich
in sad memories, by way of Bouginal,
and look, in passing, at the spot where
Henry Regnault, the Communist leader,
was killed in 1871 by shell from Mont
Valerien. Turning then to the right, we
pass the mansion of La Jouchere, be-
longing to Madame Staub, and the
Beauregard estate, which is now the
property of the Countess de Beaufre-
mout. Half mile further down, and
we reach Croissy and the famous bathing
establishment of Grenowillieres, which
is almost Asnieres over again, so gay
and lively is it, thronged with bathers of
both sexes and the air fairly filed with
music from the large orchestra on the
river bank. And here we will dismiss our
driver, pay his fare, and give him an ex-
ira france pour bOire, and return to Paris
by one of the little steamers. that We
may be in time for dinner at Bignon's
and the Theatre Francais in the even
ing. LOUIS.