The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-12-18

How the Brave General Passes His Lonely
Exile-An Interesting Rumor.

The descent of General Bonlanger from
the almost Dictator and possible Emperor
OF France. a year ego. to the lecture plat
form in America. has not been taken all at
one stride, in spite of the q~uickness with
which it has been performed. There has
been a middle stage-the brave Generals
soIourn ON the island of jersey. 1t is
doubtful, however. if the Generals fall
was much broken by this temporary land
ing on Jersey. Indeed. it is possible that
the hustle and excitement of skipping
about America to keep engagementsfo Tor ap-
pearances before curious audiences may
be for the General an elevation. rather
than an additional depression OF condition,
as compared with his life In exile. Ma
polean had mounted higher, and therefore
presumably felt his fall more severely: but
Napoleon could always remember that he
had once shaken the world. while to bou-
LANCER, conscious that he never did more
than threaten to shake 1t. IS denied that
consolation of "Reminiscences.
A French newspaper man. who has just
visited Jersey. describes almost pathetical-
ly the monOtonons life of the mar who wore
q ions skin and found it a misfit. He says:
They had said to me, 'BoulangIsm 10
dead but / wished to see for myself If the
General was really bound to exist no more
except as q memory. After a long enough
journey on an uncomfortable boat, we
landed at st. Heller.
The Hotel de 10 Pomme-d'Or. If you
please
II had no trouble to find it. Situated on
the little square that adjoins the fort. the
French flag float above it's roof. The en-
trance is in a little street back OF the square.
The rooms occupied 10y the General have a
view ON the sea. The five windows on the
second floor are his. There has gone into
retirement the great man of whom popular
favor wished TO make a demigOd, who. hav-
ing not known how to install himself upon
the shield horne by the crowd, has taken a
tumble. and is found again, now. less than
q simple citizen-One prescribed.
II have seen him; | have followed him in
his travels on foot, on horseback, in a car
rage. He does not hide himself; perhaps.
even. not enough. Not that the sentiment
of the Jersey people is hostile to him.: on
the contrary. there exists between them
and him rather % sort of sympathy. But
because. without cease, n goddess watches
over his precious days. his sincere friends
ask themselves with sorrow if in place OF
the fallen lion who was expected to roar
anew. the General is no more than the pale
reflection of Hercules at the feet of Om-
phale or of Samson made to cutthe nails of
Delilah.
The man has not aged. On the con
trary. he has a rested face. a fresher color.
and his gait become slightly, heavier. The
eye, always bright, clear and curious. has
lost none of It's expression, but the smile
is uncertain. One asks. seeing it wander
on his lips. If it indicates a cause for gay
ETY.. or if, rather, it seeks not to mask the
tears.
1.-The General. who rises late enough,
toward o o'clock. no more has need to indi-
cate TO his secretary the hour mp to which
one can enter his name to be received. He
has very few visitors, perhaps two or three
a day. faithful ones who brave the sea to
come. That is all. =.
"The corridor is sombre and deserted. AT
this time there are a few people in the ho-
tel. All is silent. NJ. Mouton. the Generals
secretary, has room No. So. No. 80 is occu-
the velled lady. the cousin, the lady of the
Rue de Berry. the faithful companion on
all the Journeys, charming woman. having
all that is needed to make herself loved
good foot. good eye and good hand. Next
comes the chamber. Transformed into a sort
of Office. where the General receives. Over
the furniture and at the doors a delicate
hand has arranged draperies. The vulgar
table of white wood that serves as q desk IL
covered with an oriental stuff. And every.
where about. haphazard. some one has put
books, photographs, some souvenirs of the
past. companions in exile. which, while
alleviatlng the bitterness of the present
might cause regret for errors committed.
Most striking in that chamber are two
large portraits, Gambetta and Theirs
These two statesmen, from the height OF
their frames. doubtless give counsel to the
General. 1t Is TO this room that the secre
tary comes to read the correspondence
The General. sitting in his armchair. list
ems silently TO the news from France. a
times he closes his eyes. One would say ht
slept. When the secretary has ended hi
takes the letters himself and writes on tht
margin. in blu pencil. his reply.
After breakfast he goes ont in q car
rage. that same landau that Parisians saw
the day after his triple election, from tn,
Somine, the Alsne AID the Ch3rente-lnferi
cure.
"Aloue7
ooh, no; the General rarely goes on
his officer d'ordonnance by the Baroness
de B, who. they say-but, chut, ii is
secret! A great secret that is whispered IL
the ear with reservations. The women adj
Perhaps" and friends so much the worse.
"Dynasties have often begun so. IL
France everything happens, even the mos
unlikely things. If the General returns tt
his country he may. if one believes the in
discretions and i'll speeches, present to hi
admirers a portrait after nature. In som,
monthe this will be history; j advanc,
simply the Judgment of my contempora
rles."
After describing how he lay in wait TO
the General and his mistress and captured
them with q camera, the correspondent
goes on:
"Since I am committing indiscretions,
can avow my emotion on seeingthe Genera
again. that evening after his walk. For
long time, after he bad returned. he caresSet
his black horse Tunis, the famous anima
that 100000 Parisians acclaimed at the re
view at Longchamps in 1897. He talked T.
il as to a friend; he questioned it, doubtless
perhaps he took it for a confidant
as the Arab does his horse. Then
slowly, with a weary step. he mounte,
to his chamber in the hotel. A quarter o
an hour later / eauntered on the littl,
square and saw the General on his balcony
He was leaning against the window-frame
his legs crossed. He had q cigar in hi
hand. but he was not smoking. and in spit,
of the night that began to enshroud thu
island | could distinguish the eyes of tn,
old Minister. His look wandered vsguel,
toward the horizon. Assuredly his thought
had crossed the sea. He dreamed of thos'
lannon's days in Paris. in the provinces
Wherever he went. his c~Ountrymen crushe,
themselves to see him. while. in this town
a genuine melancholy surrounded him
cramped him. pressed his heart. Though
he at the same time of his true friends. o
those who had betrayed him. of his EN-
ragged enemicsi Did he look to see his sta
rise in the sky, in which they say he has a.
absolute condolences Did he say to him
self, OIL the contrary. that hope was n
more permitted hint"
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