Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-13
EUGEN1E'S EXIT.
Scenes In the Empress Apartments Pre-
vlous to her Flight.

fight, which are worth translating.
He says, under date Paris, September
8, 1870:
We only learned this morning Of
the empress flight. She was good
enough to be frightened away. There
are in the Tuileries some state papers
aud the crown diamonds. The govern
ment Of the National Defense APP
pointrd Durier and myself to see to
their safety. Wefound the gate closed
and the palace deserted. A captain
of the National Guard was in com
mand and was guarding it with his
company, He took us to the empress
apartments, On entering her dressing
room we perceived an odor of some
thing burning, A heap of burning
paper was smoking still in the chin
ney-place.
This dressing-room is quite long. 1t
would serve as a wash-room for a
boarding-school. A narrow marble
table occupies the whole of one side,
and supports a whole pharmacy of
pots and phials. 1t is a complete mu-
scum of all that the perfumer's art
has invented of pastes, powders, OPT
ateS, beef's marrow and perfumed wa
tiers, intermingled with brushes, pen
ellis, powders, pufs, chignons, false
hair in a word, Of all the contri-
vances for a woman who gives the
keynote to fashion, and teaches the
world the art of making beauty ridicu-
lous. A certain number of hats lie
all around so many candidates for the
last head-dress, successfully tried and
rejected.
A guardian of the place, in a green
cloak, was kind enoughto initiate us
in the mysteries of this sanctuary of
the toilet. He pointed out a large
rosette in the middle of the ceiling,
When her majesty dressed or I'M
dressed, this opened ike a fan. "A
railroad in the story above bore to the
opening the mass of v%elvets or laces
indispensable to the circumference OF
an empress. An elevator respectfully
deposits this august fnery in the
dressing-room, and then removes the
old clothes that her majesty has just
put off.
In this dressing-room the empress
passed her last moments as a sovereign.
She had to choose a travelling costume
suited to the circumstances. Doubt
less she hesitatsd about the head ar
rangements, judging by the quantity
of bonnets scattered all about the cab.
met. The empress talked a great deal
which saved her from reflection. She
had said 81 shall not fall like Maria
Antoinette. | shall be able rather Il
ride away on horseback. Indeed she
had remarkable skill as a horsewoman
But when the time came to put heI
foot in the stirrup, the blood rushed
to her heart, and she trembled, though
no danger threatened her. The people
were moving peaceably beneath hel
windows without looking up. They
had already forgotten the empress
they saw in her a woman, and the
passed by in silence.
At the moment of departure sh,
asked for a cup of bouillon. She hat
not the strength to take it. We founC
the cup still full with a bit Of breaC
beside it. When she started to 60 sh,
could not walk, and had to be sup
ported. Her loneliness frightened
her. She looked about for her wa.
minister absent Her minister o
marine gone! Her project of police
fed Every one for himself, sauy,
qui peutl Everything in disorder
the empire was to end.
The empress's apartment is quit,
regal. She had had it decorated b,
Chapelain in the Boucher style. 1t i
not altogether dazzling; no more is j
edifying. The artist had painted Of
the frieze of salon the portraits 0
Cochonette, of Turlurette, of Dindo
nette and of Brichonette but ! d.
not assert positively the authenticit
of these. They were the pet names O
the great ladies Of the court, the favor
ties of nearest intimacy.
The room reserved for jewels is alon
a complete jewelers. museum. Their
could be seen all the known or move
specimens of pearls, brooches, aigret
ties, diamond necklaces, bracelets, pin,
clusters, combs, all labeled and shu
in glass cases. Her majesty had ha
the presence Of mind TO carry ther
of.
She had established beside her bed
room an oratory, a confessional and,
believe, also an altar adorned with
profusion Of relics, Beyond the ora
tory was her houdoir, 1t contained
bookcase finely carved, but of sma'
size. In 1t were more than a hundre
volumes, some devotional, and other
of doubtful pioty, Ike the stories {
Boccaoclo and the tales of Lafontain,
A foreign medical book shone anon
the amorous poems Of the fahulis.
We would have supposed that tn
sovereign had borrowed it from
medical specialist, if the imperii
eagle, stamped on the cover, had nc
told us hal this suspicious book ha
the honor of belonging TO the empires
A little work, thick as the hand, ha
attracted our attention by the Ell,
gance Of its style, 1t was the maui
script of a novel az rather sprlghtI
style. The author had signed this il
decent thing, Your Majesty Clown.
/, The clown was Prosper Merimee, sem
tor, and member of the Frell
, Academy
Thero was on the table Of the boz
doir an album, richly bound and close
by a silver clasp. II was a collecti(
Of photographs, all representing Il
empress in various actress costume
She figures there as a seubrette,
Rosiaa, as mage, az aHEt young lad
/ as an Qnera dancer in tights and gauz
, The last photograph represents her
Arpnq unartnU a lcnu uIita dpot