Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-21
NAPOLEON AND BETSEE,
SOCIAL SIDE OF TIE GREAT GEN.
ERALS LIFE AT HELENA.


ERALS LIFE AT HELENA.
He Whiled Away Many Pleasurable Hours
the Lonely Desert Isle in the Com
pany of the Daughter of the Purveyor
Her Account of the Emperor's Life.
The decision of the English government
to withdraw the garrison of imperial
troops stationed for so many years on the
lonely and threatening rock of ST. Helena
awakens a thousand recollections. Many
heart sank at the aspect of the abrupt,
almost perpendicular sides of this huge
mass, when, early in the century, British
man-of-war approached the island, bearing
on board the unhappy Napoleon Bonaparte
Seventy days of almost uncomfortable life
On the Northumberland, ended by one
night, passed under military guard, in a
hostelry in St. Helena. The hateful prison
of Longwood being as yet unprepared for
its guest, the authorities selected the house
of Mr.. Balcombe, merchant, as tenn
porary resting place for the unfortunate
prisoner of war, and he went thither the
next day.
Mr. Balcombe had a charming wife and
SOulS ldIully. Out NOuliS uduSulSE,
about thirteen years of age at the time, has
recorded her impressions of the Emperor
Napolen in deeply interesting narrative.
For nearly two months this sprightly girl
was daily in the society of that most IN
happy exile, and saw him through differ
ent medium from that in which he had
ever had the opportunity of presenting
himself to English eyes; though Talma
or how CT Of hn
forgetting Mile. Georges, the actress who
begged permission to share and tighten his
captivity-knew his gayety and his artistic
nature.
Mr.. Balcombe, holding the appointment
of purveyor to the emperor, was in COM
munication with him, not only during the
stay at the Briars, but in the subsequent
terrible captivity at Longwood, and the
young girl who recounts her impressions
of Napoleon was without fear or self con-
seriousness in her intercourse with him.
THE EMPEROR AND THE GIRL.
All precopceived notions of the terrible
''Bony' gave way before the playful and
friendly manifestations shown by Ma
! poleon to 'Mademoiselle Betsee," as he
called her. The GOODNESS of his stern, pale
features soon melted into fascinating
smiles, and his games of play with the child
quickly put her quite at her ease Once, it
is true, finding her at lessons, he asked a
question as to the capitals of Europe.
''And what is the capital of Russia?" he
asked. petersburg now, but Moscow
formerly" said the little girl; when, with
voice of thunder and fiery eyes, Napoleon
asked who had burned Moscow
This CHASTITY and frightful remembrance
no doubt scorched his very heart, and
quickly changed the courteous gentleman
into an image of unbounded terror in the
eyes of his youthful companion. But, as a
rule, Napoleon would show an almost boy-
ish mirth not unmixed with a tinge of
malice.
A little friend of 'MademoiSelle Betsee'
came to the Briars, and having heard ter
rible stories of "Bony," chung in agony to
"Betsee" when the emperor came out on
the lawn. Seeing this, Napoleon walked
up to her, brushed her hair up with his
hands, shook his head, made horrible faces
and gave a regular howl after the Cossack
manner. Having frightened the child al
most into Mysteries the emperor began to
laugh violently,
The adventurous 'Mees Betsee," in re-
venge for some teasing tricks of the en-
per0r, kept him at bay, on one occasion, in
a corner of the drawing room at the Briars
by lourishing over his head magnificent
saber which he had shown her as a curios-
ity.
NAPoLEON's PLAYFULNEss
The spirited child made repeated passes
at her illustrious victim, and entreated
him to say his prayers, as she meant to kill
him. Her cries of eXultation brought her
elder sister to the spot, and indeed Miss
Betsee's" arm was dropping from sheer ex-
haustiOn, and she soon desisted. The
grand chamberlain also came to the rescue,
his parchment visage glowing with indig-
nation at the insult offered to his master
Napoleon, however, only pinched the ear
of the young rebel and laughed good hui
moredly.
At the whist table that evening he re-
venged himself On his youthful tormentor
by revoking and finally mixing the cards
together to prevent discovery. On being
accused of this by "Mees Betsee" he adroit-
ly ran off with her new frock, which lay on
the sofa-a white frock with rosebuds, in
tended to be worn at Sir George Cock
burns ball 1t was Napoleon himself who
had asked leave of Mr.. Balcombe for the
little girl to be allowed to attend this ball,
and he now ran off with her dress and
locked himself in his own apartments.
"Mees Betsee' demonstrated outside the
closed door, both in English and French,
but was answered only by laughter from
within, and it was not until the very day
of the ball that the emperor restored the
dress Such amusements as these hid for
few hours the calling sense of surveil-
lance which weighed on the mind of the
unsubdued captive
The fire still burned unquenched in those
veins of Napoleon's. He who would play
at blindman's buff with the children at
the Briars, and tease "Mees Betsee" to the
point of weeping, had his own terrible
hours of gloom and depression. 1t must
have been strange for Mrs. Balcombe to
hear him regretting his two wives, and
equally-one as Grace" the other as en-
nocence. "-Manchester Times.
"a Snail'S Pace,o