The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-09
Random Notes of
Life in London.
Some Interesting Sights Among the
Waxen Celebrities at Madame Tussaud's.

much of moral coward that I wasted
no time whatever upon him, and dare
say he didn't mind at all. Then, Ten
nyson was there in a little library all
by himself, and spent a good deal Of
time worshipping at that shrine.
The next were the Napoleon rooms,
where saw the real, actual coach in
which Napoleon and Josephine rode to
their coronation, as we'll as the coach
OF his which was taken by the English
after the battle of Waterloo. There
were number of relics of Napoleon,
collected long ago by old Madame Tus-
saud. who was alive at the time, and
who must have been a most indefatig-
able worker at such things. The fig
ures of Josephine and his royal wife,
Maria Louisa, are both there, as well
as those Of the ex-Empress Eugene
and the later Napoleons. The camp
bedstead. on which Napoleon slept
during the wars and while at Elba and
st. Helena, and on which he breathed
his last, some Of his clothing. some of
his toilet articles, besides the plates
and china which he used in his exile
are all there. together with a rag from
his pail. willow from his grave and a
number of other relics.
One of them in which I was much
| Interested was the famous toilet case,
which was planned and personally su-
perintended while being made, by
| Maria Louisa herself. before her hus-
bands departure for Russia. 1t IL this
box which contained the largest num-
Der Of comforts and luxuries ever
| packed In the same amount OF space,
! and which, upon the capture Of his
carriage, attracted the attention of the
| Russian soldiery, who broke open the
box and finding Napoleon's letters
there besides about 300 odd diamonds,
took charge Of its contents for its i'm
perial owner. 1t is a most ingeniously
cOntrived affair. and speaks great
deal for the inventive faculties Of its
contriver. Napoleon's and Josephine's S
| coronation robes are also there, besides
the sweet little cradle Of his son, the
King of Rome.
In the Chamber Of Horrors.
But l must not weary you with all
these details, which would, of course,
be more interesting to you If you could
see the things instead of merely hear
ing about them, 50 | will soon be done.
The next thing was the chamber Of
| horrors. to which ! barely descended
and saw the Identical guillotine. which,
| during the first French revolution. de-
capitated over $4,000 persons, among
| whom were the unfortunate Louis XVI,
| Marie Antoinette, Robespierre. the Duke
Of Orleans and others. This melan-
choly relic. which may be said to have
shed the best and the worst blood of
France, was mounted just as 1t was
when in actual use, with an executioner
at hand and body under the de-
scending knife, and must acknowledge
that l gave 1t only superficial in
spection, and then fled past 1t to the
other horrors. chief Of which We're
models of the heads of Marie Antoinette,
Louis XVI, Robespierre taken by old
Madame Tussaud Immediately after
their execution at the rear of the Ma
tional assembly of France during the
Reign Of Terror. They were all rather
grewsome to look upon and l did not
look long.
Historical Object Lessons.
The figures Of numbers of the famous
criminals of the world are in this ROOM
Guiteau among them, and their va
rious heads and faces are deep study
l fancy, for many a physiognomist.
think, If | wished to study character
should come to Madame Tussaud's. for
there surely could be no better place
for comparing the difference in people
than here, where good. bad and indif-
ferent are so faithfully portrayed. This
exhibition certainly has its historic
value, and If l were a teacher again
what a pleasure it would be to bring a
live little history class here and show
them the portrayals of the dead and
gone great figures in the worlds his
tory as we'll as the men and women
who are making history today. The
lessons would not read like an old myth.
| fancy, but with these vividly pictured
kings and queens stalking about their
imaginations l am sure they would
seize upon their histories as they would
npon good novel. l know that my
few stray recollections of the English
and French history learned in school
We're remarkably brushed and bright
ened up by my little visit to the wax
works. l came home on the under
ground railway all by myself, and
found my way about beautifully.
have disdained guide books so far
though they are not to be despised, at
times, and have found my way about
with what Miss Radical calls alarming
ease" She says my bump of locality
is positively abnormal" You know
the streets do not run like ours, in
blocks. but some of them are the crook
edest. cutest, most puzzling thorough
fares! 1t is like threading your way
through the Chinese puzzle sometimes.
Then. you know. If there Is any diff
ficulty there Is the great, big. kindly
policeman who looks way down at you
from his six feet of height and shows
you the way out, or the right bus to
take. These policemen are lovely.