The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-26

Lepelletier and then the sprt adins
and sps c Gus boulevards, were in com.
plete peps ession Of the pc e, bet ween
whose ssrried files the police with
difficulty kept a path jus; broad
enough for the procession, hardly
more than the width of the carriages
People peere9 PERI etuslly in at GU,
window. Rain was threate ming OF
falling, the landau in which we drove
had been closed, and we four locke d
out through the same two apertures
into which the multitude thrust its
multitudinous head. Mr.. Tilden saw
Paris in the streets for the first time,
nor had any Of US even bt held a spec.
tacle 30 extraordinary. He was keen
observer; few men had saw more, OF
saw as much, described the scene
at the time and | know l borrowed
from him many touch in the picture
/ tried to paint; probably without
acknowledgment for obvic us reasons.
But may now render to him what
is his due. II he had been all
his life trained in observing and
collecting facts for such pur-
poses he could hardly have OBJ
served or chosen more skillfully. He
asked us to notice the number of peo-
pie who had blue eyes or gray eyes,
and why there should be 80 many,
and was none too we'll satisfied with
the suggestion that the blue eyes and
gray belonged probably t. Parisians of
Norman blood. "Why ahould the re
be 80 many Normans in Paris" And
when said they we're the Yankees Of
France, he whispered: "Ah! you
come from Boston, l know" Nothing
impressed him more than the one fact
that during our four miles Journey
amid the immense throng Of people
of every class, there was no smoking.
That, he saw, was their French way OF
showing respect to the man they
loved; for they did love Theirs, the
liberalor Of French territory. AS the
hearse passed, not pipe or cigar or
cigarette was to be seen-1ot q curl
of blue smoke over that sea OF heade.
He asked que stions about dress, about
the quarters through which he
passed, about hundred things. They
were to the point and often extremely
acute, but what wss most remarkable
about the m and him was the freshness
of the interest he showed in 80 many
topics remote from
ALL HIS LIFELONG HABITS
OF thought. He had-perhaps a rare
combination-defnite views and an
open mind. On matters on which he
had thought, his mind was made up;
on new subjects he had thereceptive.
ness Of q child, and the eagerness of
child in novelty. There was no view
or theory he would not consider, but
if you supposed that he accepted it on
trust you presently found out your
mistake. 1t was long days work for
an invalid, this. funeral OF Theirs, but
Mr.. Tilden went through the whole Of
it, including the speeches at the tomb,
which our early arrival gave us the
chance of hearing. l next saw him in
London. He had crossed the chan
mel in gale of wind. The beat was
80 crowded that he could find no
place to sit but a bench amidship.,
with miserable masses OF second class
humanity all about him. Presently
came &C ia which swept and flooded
the deck, and there the old man sat
up to his knees in the brine which
surged back and forth about him.
His plaid shawl was no protection, he
was drenched through. Arriving at
Dover in this condition, he refused to
20 to the hotel; soaked as he WIS,
he travelled up to London. Naturally,
be was i'll after an adventure aud an
Of that kind. got note
asking me to 20 and see him, and l
found him next morning in bed and
with serious illness. The
voice was softer than ever, he was suf-
fering and little anxious, but the
spirit and vivacity OF the man were
unconquerable. l think it was week
before he rallied and departed, and
during this period | saw him sew
eral times, and never afterward. 1t
was 1877. My whole acquaintance
with him may be counted by hours,
but 1t was a delightful one to me. The
loctor kept him indoors. There day
alter day he lay and discoursed, and
hat is my last memory OF him, in
bed, in dull room OF private hotel,
IN dull November morning in Lon
lon, but illuminating the place with
his good humor and his admirable
ak,