New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-19
MADAME JTNO1"S MEMOIRS.
A HANDSOME NEW EDITION.

OF. LAURA DrcHEss OF AHRANTEs.
Portraits Octave. Pp.. xvi 20: viii e. vii
81. VIII S2l. New-i York: Charles ScrIbner :
Sons 1893
Napoleon. who had a very poor opinion OF
women. is nevertheless indebted To two OF them
for minute personal portraits. which serge him ad-
mlrably with posteriy. II is true that by degrees
Nine. de Remusa finds herself In radical disagree
ment with the connding attitude maintained always
by Nine. Junot. but these two writer's. holding
diverse Views. supplement each other and between
them provide Invaluable mass of data Tor those
who make from 1t the requisite" deductions.
Mime lie Remusars disilmzonment H. 4 matter
Of familiar record. 80 also Is Nine. Junots un-
swcrvns faith In the chief parsonage OF her time.
Devotion to her husband might have Influenced her.
Even whcr In semi-disgracc, Junot appears to
have retained the good viii OF Napoleon. The
latter. too. was generous at times to Nine Junot
herself But IL was in her nature to b. dazzci.
for II was "A nature anything but profound or
phllosophc. and II an entirely artless devotion
that expressed itself In such declaration as that
In the third volume OF her memoirs: Everything
was wonderful In that wonderful man. Whole
volumes are expressed In the passage In which Nine
Jnnot briefly describes the agitation In her family
circle upon the announcement OF General Bona
parties unexpected return from the Egyptian cam
paign. They were playing 'lotodauphn,' game
In which a little bag Of balls Is used The writer's
brother suddenly entered the room and after ban
tering them about some mysterious news he had
brought, news OF which they tried valny to guess
the nature. he said simply "Ronapartc is in
France" Nine Junot proceeds: when my brother
uttered these last words the whole party seemed
struck motionless as II by magic wand. My
mother who had just drawn a ball out OF the bag.
held her little hand raised In the air and the
bag having fallen down. the balls were rolling
about the carpet in every direction without
citing the notice OF anybody. Every sat as IL
petrined" Nine de Rcmusat has borne testimony
to the apprehension which Napoleon inspired In
those with whom he came In contact. but Nine
Junot less reflective observer u.s. perhaps.
for that very reason no less interesting
historian. She Is navely Photographic and tells
simply what she saw. such comments as she
makes betraylng neither insight nor strong emo
ton.
Nine. Junots peculiar domain is that OF 40
cal anecdote. OF details at once trivial and i'm.
portant. like the costume or habits Of her idol,
and there she maintains the vitality and interest
with which she has attracted readers for many
years. She describes Napoleon for example n,
very careless Of his personal appearance" with
hair ''combed and ill-powdered" giving him
the look OF a sloven." This was about the time
Of the 9th Thermidor. when he was content q,
go about with "a shabby round hat drawn over his
forehead ana his ill-powdered hair hanging over
the collar OF his gray greatcoat which afterward
became az celebrated as the white plume of Henry
Nv; without gloves. because ne used 10 saw they
were useless luxury: with boots ill-made and H.
BACKED. He was not only the very antithcs,.
OF the incrdyable' OF that era. but was then n.
well as later n man from whom none of the little
urbanities OF life was to be expected Upon one
OF his visits 10 the Permon household uhat of
Nine Junots mother he brought with him :,
bouquet Of violets anu presented II TO Nine Per
mon This piece OF gaantry 20 extraordinary
Oh his part" says Nine. Junot. that we could NOT