The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-24
Little Joker" Is tho best amoking to.
b6cco.


Alexander FoTbes, the London Daily
Nova ianlous var Correspondent, IN "a
Der to tao English llustreted M6gssine
save: Pcrhsps IA al history their l, ao
episDle 80 barren Of touches OF nature .,
was tue Second Empire. From first 20 Lost II
was 4 mere scniloidingo. meretTicious srtl'
nciaity. There Har shan ttri'r, hAcuid
persou with d knark OF uttpung oh cusitieB
conveying a vague favor OF Ominiousn"sk M
which The nations priCssd their sou;itlye
snrs. Tao inner ne of he empire was !
atran,o mixtuEc Of ro.teAoss aui gim-
crscterv. What cour, The atmo,'
ubere Of Jumpiegue had confused arc "a
OF bAsihrdy. the demi.motd de-, tho ooursc
bogus upnility, journalism 10 The dFRraaA-
tion Of prostitution, mili sryinm, hsi
bravo, halt galiabt; Of intrigue, OF d'sso-
luteuss, Of iDsirCurity, 81 CHASTITY ntlloW
ness IL Is among the mos humulalinI
prob ems OF modern times how long tHls
nasty gAuGy caTicatnro OF empire was able
to impoas upon thu world. lt ~ n poor
consolation tor the worldB long seli-dslu-
SION thu, whan the windbas WAS once reso.
lutely pickrs, IL phouid hava collapsed
With each headlong swiitness. Tha humii'
isting memory cannot oat OF hat eighteen
yerr.iong disposition.
lmast IN vain does one range throsgh
the record OF tho eupire 10 quest or but
plimner OF naturalhosU, There IN a boy In
the story, It is true, and surely, hopes the
iuouirer. some trait OF nature IL TO be rec
ornizsd with him. But no; no was buck
ram nov from his swaddliug clothes, poor
littIs TOW and tool of sham imperialism
do ~n to the baptism OF fire." No trace 10
discsrnable Of him asa bog in the iashion
Of ether boys; he Is ever found mere pad
ded clothes.horsc, or rather clothes-pony.
Now uttirsd in the cunt rous uniform OF the
Champiegne hunt, with couteau de ohA,se
and huge hunting horn hung about TIE
poor melancholy lutte chap, now bedight In
military garb. with pupy olt OF SWORD
dangling about his shinp, and his glOvoa
hand raised in tho 'requept formal salute.
The boy OF the second empire IN perhaps TIE
most melancholy figure in its story, DC
cause We are fam TO expect some human
nature OF boy hood, and the boyhood OF tins
unior.uns'e child was as unreal al wai Inv
fantasy Of which IL was n victim.
IL is su old story now, you VIII say, TINS
Second Empire; aud why recall me hall
sombro, hulf udicrOus memory do not
know that have valid excuse. othere
have had such stimulus OF porsonhl IN tr'
est in The successive cAtasrophe' OF the
late Napoleon a. that wben the chances OF
INV profession have bro ught to me. L have
seen Napoleon III at tue pinnacle oil hIu
nolluy splendor. From the German pique'
line on the - oi August, 1870, hparu Tue
distant cheering on the SplChereno rs thal
greet him and the lad whom he had broui al
from Me- 10 receive thei day ms ptp
tism OF fro" Again l saw him on Toe
morning alter Sedan, rs the broken man -
broken l. mower, in perstige, in health, IN
ap,riis--s.t with Bisrnark on the grass plot
in front of the weayef's cottage on tht
| Dondfearv road. Next morning witnessed
| his departure into the Wilhelmshole cap
tiyity. have seen him doddering abuO'
| Brighton aud strolring under the oench
trees that eucirole Chislehurst Conn on
| md tor the last time OF all saw that stolid
careworn lace as IL lay on the raised pillow
| OF the bier n the brosd corridor OF tamdeu
Place, ana " hen the face was no more visit
| hle Witnessed the coffin laid down in The
| little chapel among the Chislehurst elm
| trees. ! knew the BOY OF the empire when
| the shack les OF the empire had falien from
his limbs, and he was no longer ouckram
creature, but = lively, natural lad. Ny &C
ouaintnpce endured iLio his manhood
| When the twilight was falling on the roll
| ing veldt Of Zululand, and his days WORK
| In the staff tent was done, be hkeo, as IL
| seemed to me, TO gossip Win one whe
knew the other side OF the picture
aoont the early days Of the Franco
German war-a var thai had wroughs al
oucr his ruin aud bis emancipation. AMI
finally, poor gallant lad, | saw dimly
through tears this last OF him, a. he lay
there -ead on the blood.s.nlned sward oy
| the Itvoryosi river, with a ca m, proud
| smile on his f.ce, ana his body pierced py
cnnntlrfs as,sgai stabs. Men have called
his death ignobe. Petty. as was the quar-
rel. wrotcned a. was the des' ION tha'
wrought his iaie. call him, rsther, happy
| In the opportunity OF hts death. Had n,
lived, what of srtjticiality. what oil hollo"
unre,lily might there no. have been IN stor'
/ tor him A. u was he had moved In th'
| world "A live ghost. Better Than this, surely
80 be u dead heroic end the Napoleoiti'
serio.c ,n,edy with his y ing iace gailantl'
/, his assaiiants and bis life blood drawn o,
4 q. a,ft q aa1