Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-18
NApoLEoN's HABITS.
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Eho Latest Anecdotes of tho Great Em.
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 Napoleon, we are told, was dressed every morning by the valet in attend, ance. He did not don a single garment himself; eventually, however, he was induced to shave himself. It happened in this wise; In 1908 the head valet, Hambard, pleaded ill-health as an ex- euse for not accompanying his master to Boulogne. 'Who Is to shave meP" asked Napoleon, for Hambard had regu- larly discharged this duty. Hambard suggested Constant, who. foreseeing this emergency, had been diligently taking lessons on humber chins and had acquired proficiency. He had no easy task, for Napoleon, while under going the operation, would talk, read the newspapers, and hdget in his chair, sometimes sitting as stiff as a statue and declining to bend his head an inch. Great care was necessary to avoid cut ting his face.
 Another peculiarity was that he in- sisted on one side being lathered and shaved before the other was touched. When Constant got free enough with him to venture on the step, he urged on Napoleon the desirability of his learn ing to shave, as he himself might be i'll or absent, and Napoleon would not like to be operated on by a stranger. Ma poleon was, with some difficulty, in- duced to try the experiment. but, of course, he eXperimented only on him. self, and did not therefore, acquire pro fessi onal proficiency. Very clumsy at first, he gradually became tolerably ex- pert On one point, however, he was obstinate-he persisted Tn moving the razor downward instead of upward, and occasional cuts were the consequence.
 While not lifting finger to dress himself, Napoleon dispensed with as- sistance in undressing; but he flung his garments all over the room-hiS watch sometimes missing the table or bed at which it was aimed and falling broken on the floor. As to dress he despised dandies, never wore rings, and aboniF mated scents, e xcept eau de cologne, with which he was often rubbed, and which was his specific for bruises. When coat-tails became shorter he stuck to the old-fashioned until Constant got the tailor to shorten them by imperceptible gradations. He disliked tightly-fitting clothes, found a new hat uncomforta. ble, though lined with .silk and wad- ding, and stuck to an old one as long as possible. He put on every morning a clean white waistcoat, with knee brooches to match-he never wore trousers; but as he habitually wiped his pen on his brooches after three or four washings they were done with.
 Constant denies, however, the com mon story of his keeping snuff loose in his waist-coat pocket. He always used a snuff-box, and, though he frequently took pinch, he simply held it to his nose and then dropped all or nearly all on the floor. His snuff injured the car pet not his waistcoat Smoking he never tried but once. An Oriental Am bassador had presented him with a chibouk. It was filled and lit for him, but he merely opened and shut his lips instead of drawing. When at last he was induced to draw the smoke went down his throat and eamo out at his nose. He felt queer for an hour, de- claimed against the habit as fit only fol lazy people, and never touched a pipe again. London Spectator.