The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17


premises have been extemporized for their
use. with servants in the imperial livery
and large force of clerks and guides, who
all speak English, French and German.
One gathers only vaguely from the reports
that refreshments are free at this admir-
able place, but explicit mention is made
OF the fact that gratis tickets to the opera
and theaters are provided. Each journal
ist has solid silver badge to wear on his
coat. and finds bewildering number of
princes, generals and other exalted swells
told off TO entertain him. No newspape
man has ever seen anything ike 1t before.
The arrival in Moscow of young Prince
Louis, who is hereafter to be called
General Bonaparte, is announced in the
various dispatches, although much greater
personages are reaching the city daily
without mention. This seems to indicate
the existence of suspicion in Moscow OF
what l suggested in these dispatches
week ago-that the Russian court intends
by the expedient of paying exceptiona
attention to this youth to give the French
people broad hint which side their bread
is buttered on.
1t is quite ineligible that the Russians
should have grown tired of seeing France
a republic and should welcome the notion
of supplanting it by the restoration OF
some sort of monarchy, imperial for
choice. If they should say so plainly and
should put this Bonaparte forward osten-
tatiously as their favorite, 1t will be very
interesting to see how the French take 1t.
The recent municipal elections in France
showed some slight monarchical gains,
though not enough to be significant IN
themselves. 1t is important, however, TO
note that in a number of districts the re-
dictionaries worked in an underhand ALI
ance with the Socialists just as they did
when Boulangerism was at the height OF
its career.
There is an open split in the Orlean
| family over this development, about which
we shall probably hear good deal during
the next few weeks. but it is not unlikely
when all is said and done that the Duke of
! Orleans and his mutinous cousin, Prince
| Henri, Will turn out TO have a shell each,
and that Louis Bonaparte will be in pos
session of the oyster.
| Baron Hirsch's will, after confirming
Jewish and other philanthropic bequests
arranged in his lifetime, really leaves the
rest Of his vast fortune to a natural daugh-
ter of his dead son. This child, named
Luc1enne, is the daughter of a French gov
erness, who is described as be ing q woman
of great charm, of good sense and of many
excellent qualities.
The Baron himself had a great liking
for her, and under ordinary circumstances
would have left her to bring the child up,
! but this little Lucieune is to be the great
est heiress in the world, and the Baron
J ! L. g.
cordingly she was taken from her mother
who consented on the stipulation that she
| should be reared Catholic, and has been
| intrusted TO the charge of Baroness
Hirsch's sister. who is the ablest woman
in the remarkably gifted family of the Bel
| gian Bischoffs helms. Little Lucienne is
said to be an exquisite child. now in her
early teens, and she will be reared in Bel
| GUM. where she already has quasi royal
establishment, with her own chapel and
chaplain, and all the surroundings of one
destined for throne.
| As for the Baroness Hirsch, though she
is DominaIIy the universal legatee, it is well
! understood that Lucienne is to be her
| eventual heiress. 1t is also said that she
has observed q considerable number of
private instructions left by her husband,
including the destruction of proofs of in
debtedness on the part of The Prince of
Wales and other royal persona es.
Those who imagined that bicycling was
merely temporary spasm confess them
selves bewildered at the steadily multiply
| ing evidence of their error. 1t is beginning
to be realized that instead, we are in the
presence of vast revolution in the man.
ners, habits and economics of national life,
! which must profoundly alter everything.
Already this year it is discovered that
the Thames is practically deserted.
Where year ago every bright MAY Sun
day saw the river swarming with pleasure
craft for twenty miles, spectacle quite
unique in Europe, you see now only what
seems like week day casual gathering.
1t IS the dusty highway skirting the river
which is now alive with humanity flying
on wheels instead of dawdling lazily in
punts. All England is suddenly devoured
| with the notion of rushing through the
air at breakneck speed, and it forces one
to wonder if in generation or two this
will not quicken and key up the slow Eng
lish temperament to quite unnatural
pitch.
The Daily Chronicle recognizes the revo-
luton by starting a regular cyclists de-
partment IN its sporting column. 1t says,
doubtless with truth, that bicycling has
become as important as literature or art.
Its first article OH the subject lays stress
on the superiority of American models
over the English ones, and warns the Brit
ish manufacturers that unless they reduce
the weight of their machines, which are
seven pounds heavier than the best Amer
ican types, and adopt the American
saddle and other improvements. they will
lose the home market itself in com petition
with the Americans.
One hears often of the melancholy
straits to which thousands of the lady
class il England are driven to keep body
and soul genteeIly together, but rarely
does such curious example come to the
surface as is afforded now by the decision
of the House of Commons kitchen com
mittee hereafter to have feminine waters
on the terrace. Why, except on the dec
orative theory, this change should have
been resolved, am unable to guess The