Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-03-15

ton was at this time we'll fitted to be the
finishing ground for young military as.
pirant. L'Ecole Militaire dc Paris held
the relation to that of Brienne and the
others of college to academy. The curric-
ulum was more ample and the methods
moro rational in the first than those pur-
sued in the provincial institutions. Here
the academic training Of Napoleon Bona
parte-as that of his younger brother Lu-
Glen afterwards-was completed. From
this school he was to be delivered, as If by
a second birth, to the world.
The social character Of Napoleon now
began to show itself more distinctly. Back
at Brienno he had been introduced by
General Marbceuf to some private fam
lilies of distinction. Them he impressed as
a peculiar, forceful and solitary genius,
more capable of heroic dreams and boyish
monologue than of polite conversation or
social amenities Going to Paris, his &c
quaintanoe was somewhat enlarged. Mar
bpuf's nephew, the Bishop of Autun, now
lived at Versailles; and that worthy was
glad, after the lapse of five years, to re-
oeive his former pupil, greatly grown in
intellect and person, but virtually the
same in demeanor. Elise, the sister of
out from Corsica, and was now member
of the Royal School for Girls at Saint Cyr.
So that the young man had now few
friends and some social advantages.
For the rest, he pursued In Paris the
same self-centered life as at Brienne He
was hard student-in his way. He still
disprized the polite branches Of education
in favor of the exact sciences and geog'
raphy. In humane inquiry, his sole en-
deavor was to master History. His study,
however, in this field did not reach histor-
ical generalization or a broad philosophy.
He stopped with the individual. He dwelt
with interest and enthusiasm upon the
lives of great men. Plutarch he knew al
most by heart. The well-known stories
which in that age passed for history he
conned with the passion Of zealot
In after life, the peculiar effect of this
discipline was manifested in all of Napo-
leon 8 work and policy. Out Of his history
proper he branched in only one direction
politics. He became rather expert in the
political platitudes and persif1age Of the
times To the end Of his life he was never
capable Of high and abstract views; but he
knew all special things as If by Intuition.
His mind flashed out, lightning-like, in
this direction and in that; the blaze of it
illumined many dark and blood-splashed
place; but from that prodigious intellect
there was never diff used a broad and uni
versal light. Much of this must be attrib,
uted to his Unborn character; aud some,
thing to the manner Of his education.
We must here allow also for the reac-
tionary influence of Paris itself on great
genius in boyhood. Napoleon saw and
felt Paris for ten months, in his sixteenth
year. 1t was q revelation; but he seems
not to have been greatly affected by it. Sc
much was he concentrated on himself-sc
strongly was tho concept Of a destiny
struggling to form itself within him.
that even the glare, the magnificence, the
charm, the seductive vices, of the metrop'
oils were hardly noticed by the Corsican
in his onward course.
The year 1855 was in all respects crit
ical to Bonaparte. His course at the Mill
tary School ended with August of that
year. He was admitted to his final exami'
nation almost precisely at his sixteenth
birthday. Nearly six months before this
| time his father, who had found tempo
rary residence at Montpelier, came to the
final scene The visionary and unsuccess
full Buonaparte had discovered a refuge
for himself at the chateau of Madame Per
mon, mother Of the Duchess d'Abrantes
q great fame. There, on the Gath Of Feb
ruary, he expired, Of chronic malady
perhaps cancer of the stomach-most fata
prsmonition of what should happen to hi
famous son thirty-six years afterwards
At his deathbed were his eldest son Jo
seph and that other Joseph who should
become tho Cardinal Fesch. The latter
now q priest, would fain administer some
consolation of religion to the dying man
but Charles Bonaparte would not accept
tho solace,-preferring to die, as he had
lived, in absolute unbelief.
Hard was this stroke of death on the
members Of Buonaparte's family. From
the time of his union with Letitia Ramo
lino-,a period of twenty years-thirtcer
children had been born. Eight Of these
were living; three were in France, ano
Eve with the mother in Ajaccio. All were
NJ the door of penury. 1t is law Of ma