New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-20
TOPICS IN PARIS.
DOM PEDRoS LAST BTRTHDAY-DEAr Am
DUMB ACToRS-FRANCE AND CHINA
Paris, December

| eX-Emper0r Dom Pedro lived In alterations n,
| hope and sorrow, which must have been A.
haustng to his strength. One day he was IA
| to believe that he would soon be recalled ..
preside over the Brazilian Republic. Another A..
he learned that the idea OF restoration In =.
matter what form vas illusory lie then be,,a
that the States rights principle was being pu,h.d
so far as to threaten Brazil with speedy Al.
ruption. The ex-Emperor suffered for years fron
diabetes, than which chronic maady Is nor.
weakening. He grew tired Of being prudent Ana
often disregarded his doctors orders La.
week he went to the Institute TO hear NJ Ju..
Simon read his mastery paper on La Ctr
Antique" The weather was bitterly cold d.,
Pedro chose to walk home in the teeth Of ke.,
November blast. He had to cross the Seine when
there is always a strong draft Of cold air. 4
chill was the consequence OF this exposure, and
on December 1, the eve of his birthday, be told
| his son and daughter that he felt it would B.
| his last one and that he thought it should h
! kept in q religious manner, the occasion being
solemn one. A priest who is also PHILOSOPHER
| and friend Father Furtado, was asked TO conf,~
| the Emperor on the vigil Of the anniversary. and
| TO exhort him. Next day vicar OF the parish
| of the Madeleine, who had been authorized Nv
| the Archbishop Of Paris, came TO celebrate mass
| in Dom Pedro's bedroom, and TO give the Com.
munion to him, his daughter and son-in-aw and
their children. The ceremony drew tears from
all who took part in 1t save the old exiIei
tropical sovereign. He by his sweet resignation
has escaped being King Lear Quantities Of
flowers were sent him by old friends They
were placed before him for little, aud then
taken by his order to the churches Of the Made.
| leine and st. Augustine. When he and the k,s
Empress were here they generally attended mass at
| the former
Dom Pedro rose rather than deterioratcd IN
exile. The love Of appreciation never died out IN
| him. He had q sense Of dignity and what he
| owed TO himself and to his caste. But he was
| free from restless vanity, although he used 70
| be. when he exercised Imperial power, an intel
lectual beau, wishing people to credit him with
encyclopaedia knowledge As ruler his MOTIVES
| / believe, were pure, as he says they were, and
that his best efforts made for selfdiscpline, self
culture and the progress Of science and humanity
| in his tropical domain.
The Emperor and late Empress Of Brazil led q
| Darby and Joan life, though she did not set up
to scientific knowledge. She was, however, no,
| only q good woman, but shrewd and strong
| headed. Her weak side was the supersttoas
piety in which as a Bourbon Princess of Naples
she was brought up, and in which she reared the
Princess Imperial. She had great skill in nut
| tering commonplaces and nothings at her recep
tons. This inarticulate and meaningless sort Of
speech was the one prescribed by custom TO the
Queens of the House of Bourbon. IL originated
at Versailles French Queen in the time when
the etiquette of Louis Quatorze reigned in all
the courts of Europe was supposed to have no
ideas or feelings when she showed herself in the
State apartments. One of the charges brought
against Marie Antonette by her husbands rela-
tives was that she spoke distinctly and in an
audible tone, like an actress.
The Friendly Association of the Deaf and
Dumb, which gave the other day its first banquet
at Voisin's restaurant and pantomime later In
the evening, is going to form theatrical COM
pany from which persons who hear will be ex-
cuded. The eyes alone will be spoken TO, and
mimicry will be the language To start the CON-
pany funds are wanted, and charitable and wealthy
persons are appealed to for pecuniary aid. |
should imagine that if the pantomime the deaf
and dumb actors and actresses practice Is not
too conventional, the scheme will be a success
was present the other night at their performances
and never saw anything more expressive. They
gave selections from well known French tragedies
and comedies, and then broad farce. One OF
the selections was from "Aedipus King" which
was this evening played at the Francois and an
other was from lie Roi S'amuse" AS they
warmed to the work, they became more ex-
pressive, and their graphic power was often Won
derful. The whole body Of each seemed to think
and speak and in a truly natural manner. There
was no trace of affectation stage posturins
/ never saw a more flexible style Of acting or
faces so mobile in conveying shades of feeling or
varying emotions. There were passages in The
acts they played in which they were allowed to
speak with their fingers. This was the better
to enable them to render subtle shades of thought
expressed in versifed dialogue, and TO time then
effects The eyes and other features shaped them
selves according 10 the ideas uttered by the
fingers, and with more delicacy than II mere
gesticuation had been employed. This perform
ance took place on the anniversary Of the Able de
l'Epie's birthday. an event which happened early
in the eighteenth century. He was the inventor
Of the manual alphabet. AS he was buried In tne
Church of st. Roch, the Friendly Association OF
Deaf and Dumb began their day at a commemors
ton there.
The Franco Russian entente appears as strong ID
China as Oh the Paris Bourse. The ambassadors
of President Carnot and the Gar TO the Son OF
Heaven are pursuing an identical course anu
have reached Pekin within few hours OF eacn
other have reason TO think that England VIII
not cooperate closely with them. The Chinese
it has turned out, have let the Protestant mis-
sionsries alone, and British Nonconformists &c
not trouble themselves about the Catholics who
are under the Official protection of France
Curiously enough, when one considers the Vol
tairean spirit Of her people, France is not only
the official proseotres of the Catholics in the fH
Fast but the parent Of most Of the Catholic mis-
sionaries there. NO more enterprisng mission
aries are to be found in the Pope's service than
those who are graduated at the College
of les Missions des Etrangeres. Rue de Seyres
The martyrs roll of that institution
startles one by its length. What is more re.
markable-each time news Of massacre Oh
Catholic missionaries was brought to the Rue de