The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-08-22
NAPOLEON At BRIENNE.

he Had Great Difficulty In Learning -
Speak French.
On New Years day, 1879, the b.
aapartes arrived at Autun. For thres
months the young Napoleon was train
ed in the use of French. Prodigy az he
was, the difficulties Of that elegant and
polished tongue were scarcely reached
Il was with most imperfect kowl-
edge of their language and sadly de-
Hective pronunciation that he made his
appearance, among his future school
mates at Brienne There were $50 Of
:hem, although, the arrangement and
theory of the institution had ocetem.
plated only 1870, Of whom half we're t.
be commissioners. The instructors were
Minim priests, and the life was as Sc
we're as it could be made with such 4
clientage under half educated and in.
experienced monks. In spite of all ct.
forts to the contrary, however, tho place
Hid an air of elegance. There was ce--
tain schoolboy display proportionate to
the pocket money Of the young mobiles
and a very keen discrimination among
themselves as to rank, social quality
and relative Importance. Those familiar
with the ruthlessness of boys in their
treatment Of one another can easily con-
ceiye what was the reception Of the
newcomer, whose nobility was unknown
and unreoognized in France, and whose
means were of the scantiest.
It appears that the journey from Cor.
had already wrought a marvellous change
in the boy. Napoleon's teacher at Autun
described his pupil as having brought
with him a sober, thoughtful character.
He played with no one and took hi"
walks alone. But he was apt and vain
Of his aptitude. In three months he
learned the rudiments of French, to use
common phrases with some f1uency, and
b write easy exercises.
The boys of Autun, says Able Chardon.
on one occasion brought the sweeping
charge of cowardice against all inhabit'
ants of Corsica in order to exasperate
him. If they had been but four to
one," was the calm, phlegmatic answer
Of the l0.year-old boy, "they would
never have taken Corsica, but when they
were 10 to ~ "But you had fine
Reneral-Paoli," interrupted the mar
rator. "Yes, sire, p" was the reply, ut
tered with an air of discomfort and in
the very embodiment Of ambition. Il
would much like to emulate him" The
description Of the untamed faun as
he then appeared is not fattering-his
complexion sallow, his hair stiff, his
figure slight, his expression lusterless,
his manner insignificant. Moreover, hc,
spoke brokenIF French with an Italian &C.
cent.
During his son s preparatory studies at
Autun the father had been busy at Yer
sailles with further ''supplications, "
among them one for supplement- from
the royal purse to his scanty pay as dele.
gate, the other for the speedy settlement
Of his now notorious claim. The former
Of the two was granted not merely to
M. de Bonaparte, but to his two col.
leagues, in view of the excellent be-
havior ''-otherwise subserviency - OF
the Corsican delegation at Versailles.
When in addition the certificate of Ma.
poleon's appointment finally arrived,
and the father set out to place his son
with a proper outfit in his new school,
he had no difficulty in securing suf'
fcient money to meet his immediate
and pressing necessities, but more was
not Forthcoming. Sloape's
Life Of Napoleon" in Century.
It ID small comfort when q bank fails