The morning call., 1890-12-31


carefully laid on an elegant Sevres china
table, bought at Trianon by some Amcri-
can. Hardly would q European peasant
have consented to wear such a hat.
On the banks of the Ohio Mr.. Smith pos
sesses residence known in the country by
the name OF Lighthouse. The walls OF 1t
were formed with rough trees. The draw
ing.room contains a pianoforte enriched
with most beautiful bronzes. M. de
BeaumefZ having opened it. Mr.. Smith said
to him: please do not attempt to play on it,
for the man who tunes it lives hundred
year."
An Opinion of La Fayette.
HE did not like La Fayette; and he
thought the true interest of France lay in
cultlvating close relations with Northern
Africa rather than with America
lily OF Auvergne, boasting of but little luster;
under Louis XVI the intelligence of a
woman had brought the name into some re-
nown.
He was horn to a large fortune and. had
married lady OF the house Of Noailles.
d Had not an extraordinary occurrence drawn
him out OF the rank and file, he would have
been ignored all his life. M. de La Fayette
had not enough in himself TO come to any
thing; for he is below the standard at which
one is reckoned a clever man. In his desire
to distinguish himself. as well as in the
seems taught. What he does looks as though
IL did not proceed from his own self; lie
gives one the idea of man following the
advice Of somebody else. Unfortunately,
no one will boast of having offered him any
at the most important moment of his life.
He Meets Benedict Arnold.
tTalleyrand tells very briefly his expul-
setting out for America gives pitiful
glimpse OF certain well-knOwn American.
Fortunately, the danger we were running
was noticed on shore, and induced some
Falmouth lighterman to brave the fury of
the sea and come to our assistance. With
Whilst our ship-all the rigging of which
was much damaged-was being repaired a
rather striking incident added an impression
of special kind to the many l was to
experience in the course of this voyage.
The inn keeper at whose place had my
meals Informed me that one Of his dodgers
was an American General. Thereupon l
expressed the desire Of seeing that gentle
man. and shortly after / was introduced.
After the mutual exchange of greeting put
to him several questions concerning his
country, but. FROM the first, it seemed to me
that my inquiries annoyed him. Having
several times vainly endeavOred to renew
the conversation which he always allowed to
drop, ventured to request from him some
letters of introduction to his friends liz
America. mo, he replied, and, after few
moments OF silence. noticing my surprise, he
added: IL am, perhaps, the only American
who cannot give you letters for his own
country; all the relations l had there are
now broken; l must never return to the
States" He dared not tell me his name. 1t
was General Arnold! 1 must confess that
he excited my pity, for which political puri-
reproach myself, for l was a witness Of
his agony.
His Opinion of the Duke of Orleans.
Talleyrand paints a terrible picture of the
Duke of Orleans. grandfather of Louis
Philippe, and great-grandfather of the Count
OF Paris. He seems to have been intimate
with him before and during the Constituent
Assembly, and he describes him as ''iesti-
tute Of ability, ignorant 10 the verge of
illiteracy, without heart aud without prin-
ciple. All his actions had the character
istics Of tboughtlessness, frivolity and trick
occurs a significant gap, for which the
editors offer no explanation, excepting that
Here eight pages are missing in the
manuscript"
In 1888, after friendship of twenty-five
years duration, he displayed the most
his principal habitues, the Marquis de Con-
Hans. man always remarkable, first by his
handsome cast of features. lis noble bearing.
bis gait, his skill. and also by his faults
wnen ne Kept evil company, by his qualities
when he was among military men, by the
accuracy of his Judgment when he spoke on
serious matters and, at every period in his
life. by the frankness of his tastes, his feel
iDgs. and his hatreds. On the day Of his dea .b,
he was to dine with the Duke of Orleans
aud several others. at NJ. de Biron's, at
Montrouge. They were all waiting for him
the Duke more impatiently than the rest,
as he wanted to go to the theater. At four
o'clock, the company being all together, one
OF M. de Contains servants arrived with the
news that he had just died. Every person
in the room. according to his more or less in
innate acquaintance with NJ. de Contains.
expressed his sympathy. The only words
the Duke Of Orleans pronounced were.
We'll, Lauzun, as we are no longer expect
ing any one let us 60 on with our dinner so
that we can get to the opera in time for the
beginning"
After the instructions he gave to his BALI
wicks, the Duke Of Orleans ceased to be an
active political parsonage. His weak char
acter aud his co uiyocal, disquieting position
were obstacles to his becoming one again.
After the crime he committed by his vote
he was henceforth without purpose OF aim
a nobody. He remained in the rank and
file, and as that was not his place he became
a nonentity, a degraded. being, dead man.
What now becomes of the opinion, SO
loudly asserted, that the Duke of Orleans
was the author of the Revolution?