The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-04-19


Since NJ .Gambetta has risen TO pow
| er, his enemies have been busy weav-
| ing a fanciful web Of fable about his
| life and his habits. The Palais Bour-
bon and its portly occupant have
been begirt with an aureole of enter
tanning and menacions linels. The
Palais Bourbon has ..ve.. ,sturnished
en- prince to suit ti.s laSe Of the
scandal-losing public: the rnse-coior-
ed saloLs have reflected IN their mir
rors the seductive charms ofhouris ;
the Turk of the seraglio bathes dai-
ly in silver bath-tub, and is given
over 10 Lucillian taste for the plea
surcs OF the table. AS Nepoleon the
First courted Talma's intimacy that
he might learn The secret of the great
tragedian's imposing bearing and
gesture, so Gambetta aouiant SO torsc-
er, as the French descriptively put
it, frequents the society Of the cele-
brated Coquelin, the finished actor
of the Theatre Francais, that he may
model his own manners after so adj
mirable pattern.
All these bubbles of falshood col
lapse at touch of the Ithuriel spear
of truth. Gambetta remains. in
truth, perfectly simple and democrat
ic in his habits. He leads a bache-
1 lor;s life. surrounded by his intimate
political and personal friends, whom
he receives with a warmth Of hospi-
tality peculiar to his southern ma
ture. The favorite gathering hour
is the midday breakfast. at which
the leading politicians, men ofstate,
distinguished English or foreign WIS.,
itors, are frequent guests. Small
parties of friends are also always to
be found at les Jardiey, or at his villa
in Switzerland, where Gambetta
throws off the cares of state. lives with
the utmost simplicity, and enjoys a
somewhat lately developed love of
sporting But, as in his earlier days,
he is a tremendous worker. His
ratet de chambre has strict orders to
call him at nine in the morning, at
which hour he rises, no matter at
what time he may have retired. It
is then all the newspapers are read,
with lightning rapidity for which
he is noted. To those who find
pleasure in knowing the personal
tastes of great men. it may be mat
ter of interest to learn that Gambet-
ta's favorite authors are Rabelais and
Montague, in whose plain-spOken
company, however. the busy states
man finds few leisure hours to enjoy
himself He possesses also the true
Italians love for the fine arts, and
that nicely of critical taste which
distinguishes both the Gaul and the
children of the sum-
NJ. Gambetta at forty-two has the
prematurely aged look of a man who
had made in youth heavy drains on
his mental resources. Far from
appearing like a man in his prime,
he looks ike one who has passed it
some time since. The figure is heavy
and obese, although Gambetta's
movements are still vigorous, active.
and alert, and the gesture is as flu
ent as ever. But the face in repose
wears habitually fatigued express
sion. 1t is when he speaks that his
Italian fervor returns to him. His
greatest personal charm now is to be
foundin his voice, that wonderful, stir
ring, magneticvoice. whose sonorous
qualities seem to belong peculiar to it.
self. 1t has in it the piercing, puis-
SAINT vibrations of fine brass instru-
ment, making the air thick and yet
sweet with sound. Gambetta's into
nations are such also that he seems
to add something to the delicate
idiom of Paris" He imparts to its
lightness and grace an indefinable
but noticeable quality OF richness
and depth.-A. B. BLAKE, in Hdr-
Ders' M11d-ine