New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-19
GRANT IN PEACE
BY GENERAL ADAM BADEAU.
NO. xxx.
THE wANDRRING5 OF ULYSSES.
CoDurfoht lS8R

elias sic namesake; his Penelope accompanied
him. They once came upon the course OF the
ancient hero, and sailing along the Italian and
SiciIian shores the story Of the Odyssey was told
again. Mrs. Grant liked TO be shown where the
son of Laertes had landed, where he escaped from
Calypso or avoided Scyla or Charbydis. But the
practical General was more curious about geog-
raphy than mythology. The coasts and channels
he inspected closely but cared nothing for the
fables of Homeric origin. Ancient history itself
hardly interested him. I rememember that IN
Rome, when talked Of the Forum and the Capitol,
he replied that they seemed recent to him after
Memphis and the Sphinx which be had seem Re
mote antiquity inn pressed him; but the venerable
associations that scholars prize had no charm
for Grant. There was little in his nature for
sentiment though abundance Of genuine feeling.
At Homburg they dug up the grave Of Roman
soldier for the American who had fought in region
the Romans never heard of, and Grant was attent-
i've TO the coins and the weapons IN the tomb but
unmoved by the strangeness Of the spectacle-the
exhuming of a-forgotten warrior for the Inspection
of another still in the prime Of his renown. So. too.
on Lake Luzerne though he was never indifferent
to mountains the railroad on the Righi interested
HIM far more than the famous scenery, and he ex-
amined the highway of the Axenstrasse more care
fully than the chapel Of William Tell At Caden-
abba he refused to visit the Villa Carotta to see
the marbles of Canova and Thorwaldsen, and at
Berne he was vexed with his son, Jesse. and with
me- because we insisted on visiting the Cathedral.
He said we had seen Cologne and Mayence and
Brussels. why should waste our time on any
more architecture. He was indeed little I'M
reasons able at first as a traveller If he could not
discern the beauties of a cathedral or gallery. he
would not believe that others did. But later be
became more catholic; he found out that there
might be things IN heaven and earth he had not
dreamed Of in his early philosophy.
In that same Berne he made me walk for hours
with him, turning away from the Cathedral and
the Bernese Overland, to stray till We got lost
among the narrow streets and the Swiss citizens.
It was always indeed in men that he took the
keenest interest; in the people. the peasants, the
citizens greasy" though they often were. For
without being coarse or ever in any wav vulgar, he
still was not over-refned He had a healthy
naturalness that affiliated with plain people,
though it was not offended with princes Yet he
did not like these last because they we're princes.
as so many democrats do. He found out their
human traits and touched them there In this way
he liked the Prince Of Wales. despite the discour-
tesy of Marlborough House, because there IS IN the
Prince vein of hearty naturalness which Grant
discovered. If Albert Edward had not been royal
he light have been good fellow; and Grant and
he could have played cards or billiards together
and enjoyed themselves.
Grants own naturaness was always as refresh
ing as a breath of mountain or the smell OF the
pine woods Once. in the Brunig Pass, on the
way TO Thur we stopped at a chalet where we
dined. 1t was just beyond the great rock. which
travellers will remember. that overhangs the Pass.
General Grant, Jesse and stroed on after dinner
in advance of the vetturino and the carriage came
up to us empty. Mrs Grant was not within.
Her maid was called and. almost crying. said she
nad not her mistress for nearly quarter OF an
hour. We searched and called, but could not find
her. The General became anxious, fearful lest she
might have fallen down the PERCEPTIONS sides of the
road But she did not leave us long IN doubt it
was a game of hide and seek in the Alps between
the Conqueror of Vicksburg and the woman he had
wooed and won than a quarter of a century
before.
When we went up from Tnterlachen to Grnden-
valid he and Mrs. Grant hirted nearly all the way.
They half quarTelled to how they should sit,
and wanted always to be by each others side.
Mrs. Grant once changed her seat so as to get
better view of the Wetterhorn this placed her next
to me, and General Grant, who was grand
father and nearly sixty years old, didu't
like it at al. Mfs Grant perceived this,
rived at certain point in the valley
and the hero was uncomfortable until Grindenwal
was reached, and he could sit by the side of The
mother of his grown-up children. Then he was
happy again under the SHOWS and the shadows OF
the Jungfrau. Neither the compliments OF palaces
nor the plaudts of two continents had lessened his
simplicity or domesticity.
Sometimes, however. he made use of his greatness
rather oddly At Il tie town in Norway, think
it was ChristIana as he arrived he went out
alone TO walk and wandered away till he was lost.
He could not speak a word of the language. aud
found no one who knew any more English than
he did Norwegian. His Typographical sense, which
rarely deserted him. on this occasion was quite at
fault and he was An hour or more trying to ma
bis way. At last he approached an ntellgent-
looking man of the humber Sort and said 70 him
distinctly and several times, 4" General Grant, Gen.
era Grant, Then by signs he made him compre-
bend that he wanted to go to the hotel where
General Grant was staying The citizen did not
suspect for moment with whom he was speaking,
but he knew as every one did in town, that Gener-
al Grant had arrived he could not suppose that so
great parsonage would be walking unattended,
but thought it was one of his company who was
lost and took him to the hotel to reioin General
Grant There he found out whom he hal led
ID the streets Oh CurlsIlaua; anu uouoooso III LIS
family the tradition will long be told how their an
cestor went about with the republican Haroun al
Raschid.
Once, at least in America his name was of use to
him. 1t was while he lived at Long Branch. de
was taking the steamer that sails down New-fork
bay. when poor woman came aboard with two
small children whom she wished to send to Long
Branch. She could not herself accompany them.
but they were to he by friends on their arrival
The General was always fond Of children, and see
ing her anxiety, stepped up and offered to take
charge of the little But the mother hesltated
to trust her children TO stranger He delayed a
moment and then, blushlng up to the eyes, ne
stammered: IL am General Grant" The woman
looked at the features that were known to every
American, and exclaimed, why, so you are ~
And he took her babies to Long Branch.