Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13
Written for TIE EVENING stan.

II
N personally acquainted with the janitor
MI clipped him O wink" at the
door and walked in just like an artist
or a preacher (artists and preachers
don't pay. Consequent upon its being
9 pay day" there were very few visitors
at the gallery, and as the other visitors were in
other parts of the building and the floor
walker was asleep in his chair at the door,
may say that had the main gallery Of paint
ings to myself. While deeply absorbed in a
study of Charles Louis Muller's beautiful paint
ing of Charlotte Corday, and weighing in my
mind the relative value OF the arguments ad-
vGnced by the different authorities a. to
whether Charlotte wore o plain white or a
striped dress when she went on the expedition
looking to the ventilation of the gentle Marat's
spleen, the soothing effect Of the hot air at
mosphere Of the gallery overcame my
dropping eyelids and I dozed of into a
gontle and sweet sleep. How long
slept know not, when my attention was
attracted by the sound OF q human voice. At
first thought some newspaper man was inter-
viewing Pope Julius III or the man at the door
had q nightmare, put on looking around
found that was apparently alone. Just then
l heard the dulcet tones Of a female voice and
turning quickly saw. much to my astonishment
and alarm, that Corday had changed her posi-
ton in frame and was conversing with Napo-
leon 1, who had come mp from his position on
the first floor to pay visit to his fair country
woman.
NAPOLEON VISITS CHARLOTTE coRDAY.
Wondering what Charlotte might have to
say to the emperor listened. She was fatter-
ing him and seemed to be succeeding better
than did Nine. De Stael 'Yes, sire," she said,
''if you had appeared on the scenes little
sooner would not have had to hurt poor dear
Mr.. Marat. for when you came you attended to
everything and the people really had nothing
to do with affairs"
You are right. my dear" answered the great
man. Il could have gotten Marat killed in a
manner that would have been highly honorable
TO himself. Marat lacked one quality essential
to a great leader. He did not know how to
persuade people that it was to their honor and
interest to be killed. l possessed that faculty
in a marked degree. Thousands Of men
marched to death at my command and es-
teemed it an honor so to die"
''Oh, dry up" exclaimed Gerome's dead
Cesar. who had apparently come suddenly to
life again. "You never were half the man you
cracked yourself up to be. You never crossed
the Rubicon. You never licked Britain You
did get few thousands Of Frenchmen killed
and steal q lot Of pictures and statues from
Italy, but i'll had been there you wouldn't
have done it, and neither would you have
pulled the popes nose: Why. during one little
trip up into Gaul killed az many Frenchmen
as you had killed in all Of your wars"
Napoleon did not seem at all abashed at the
sneerin9 tone OF his infinitely great-uncle, but
turned and spoke to him in a very conciliatory
tone. why. my dear uncle" he said. Il am
truly delighted to find you here and sufficiently
recovered from Brutus' gentle thrusts to be
able to converse with YOUR kinsman. have
often wondered since my little experience with
the Muscovite CANNES what you would have
done had you been in nv place.
why, you incomprehensible condemnation
OF pomposty and insignifcance," growled
imperial cesar, do you suppose would ever
have attempted to spend u winter in Rus
STA, when left Britain once before had thor
oughly conquered it simply because oven its
mild climate was too cold for my soldiers? No.
sir, would never have been in your place.
Your case but proves the old adage. Put a beg
gar on horseback and he II ride to the devil ~
odd Nap" began to got ''riled" and l could
see the red v in his forehead rapidly turning
purple. ''You antiquRted FOSSIL" he shouted,
you never even got to be a king, while was
emperor Of the French. made my little son
king of the Rome you bluster SO much about.
You had bribed a Roman senato Of your own
making to elect you king outside Of Italy, but
your friend, Brutus, euchered you. That's the
kind OF men you associated with-assassins!
You follow poor, feeble Cato into Africa aud
scare him into suicide and you did have fun
with Cleopatra, and treat her sister, Arsinoe,
badly because she was not SO good looking, but
you never did anything truly great While l
cultivated and encouraged literaturs and the
arts and sciences, you burned the Alexandria
library. That's the kind Of a barbarian you
are, and still You set yourself up a. a greater
man than /. Fudge!"
OLD HICKORY PUTS IN HIS OAR.
Gentlemen" l heard shouted from the
west end of the hall, in the stentorian tones OF
Andrew Jackson, "if I may be allowed TO
say word here will state that 1 do not be-.
lieve either OF you was as great man as l.
Neither Of You could have defended New
Orleans as did, and am OF the opinion that
1t would have fatigued either OF you very
much to have had to carry my old hickory
cane"
saw that there was going to be trouble,
and, fearing that some Of the valuable property
OF the Corcoran Gallery would be injured and
not caring to be mixed up in it, turned from
the men to the gentler sex.
CoRDAY HAD TURNED TO THE vEsrAL TuccrA
and they were engaged in very animated con-
versation.
where did you get that beautiful dress"
asked Charlotte.
''Ihe mother superior gave 1t to me-" an.
swered the vestal. Zone day it was nv turn
to look after the sacred fire, and, after had
piled on a lot Of coke, poured some coal oil
oh IL anu ~ uareu up 30 suddenly that my old
dress caught fire. The other girls dipped me
into the Tiber and put it out, and the mother
superior was SO struck with my piety and de.
votion to duty that she gave me this new
dress. Don't you think it's awfully stunning?"
Yes" said Charlotte Il wish had had one
like 1t to be executed in. had been here in
prison SO long that hadn't a thing that was
decent to wear, and hated to appear before
the public on my farewell tour in this old
striped dress, but the kind-hearted executioner
removed tho covering from my neck and
shoulders and my beauty unadorned' dis
tracted the attention Of the dear people from
my dilapidated wearing apparel.
THE SIEVE TRICK.
"By the way" Charlotte continued, show
about the story OF the sieve? Is it true bill9"
"Til tell you about that" answered the vestal,
''but you mustn't give me away. Nuns the
word, you know, as the messenger boys saw
when they bring Us notos at the temple. You
see. had been accused of being naughty and
had to do something startling to prove my in
nocencc, 10 1 thought Of the scheme Of tho
sieve. The water OF the Tlber Is very slimy
and the sieve used was a fine one went out
alone and filled the sieve several times and
each time filed it the water ran out more
slowly. At lAst it didn't run out at all, 80 I
called the girls out to see me and then dipped
up sieve full of water and carried il into the
temple.
'Of course t proved my innocence and tho
other girls said was too cute for anything :
The young man had been accused of flirting
with stood by disguised as isher boy and nav
it all and played hockey that night and he
took me down town and gave me some hockey
pokey ice cream. He's awfully Jolly and dead
stuck ON me. Il met HIM ut the roller coaster
one night when was ON French leave from