The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-13

fnVor OF the but did not proclaim
himself a partisan OF everything IL might do.
BY and by ho found plenty OF ground for criti-
cism, and eventually he was chased from Paris
by the
VII.
II will DO remembered that NJ. Rochetort
escaped from New Caledonia, and ultimately
reached San Francisco. Some of his impress.
sions OF the United States are amusing. For
instance, his experience IN a sleeping car aston
ished him. The System of beds let into the par
titions of compartments was. Mt that time, I'M
known In Europe. Our author observes that
tho American girls In onr sleeping car. al
though probably quito as good guardians
OF their honor as the French. were more free
ann easy. and better 'chums.' l had for my
bed-neiglbor, her fair locks almost touching my
crinkly hair, n young lady OF twenty, who was
travelling alone from San Francisco to New
YORK, where she was to he married. The perfect
security In which she lived among such n crowd
OF men had n really respectable and touching
character. Sho made no fuss about sleeping in
the same wagon, and as soon as our heads were
on our respective pillows we used to tell sto-
ries through the partition. She spoke French
fairly distinctly. Her beauty adds Rochcfort,
was. perhaps, Of the acquired taste category,
She had somewha thick. though tempting. lips;
still. she spread n res stless charm around her.
The other ladies whose society luck had decreed
that we should enjoy for eight days were quito
as interesting, and had none of the simpering
and coquetry which is usually affected by Euro
pean ladies. They are much more encyclopaedia
than In our countries: they discuss politics
without pednntry. and arc thoroughly well In
formed on contemporary events"
In the same chapter the author
remarks: 1.-THE American woman is generally
rG t..r . m 1lA. lttt xSl .Y H. q,
cation. her Intellectual superiority, and her
natural daring make her the most sed uctive,
that Is to say, the most dangerous, OF aLyen-
turesses. In the great cities OF America there Is
not n low-c!ass cOurcuSc who is not well up in
tho literature and politics az her country.
Miss Ada Menken, who played the mute
role Of 6cuvayc in tho drama 'Furi-
tires.' at the Gniete, was also u lecturer
and an authorcss. In our ATTITUDES the e1nca-
ton of an actress OF that description would be
just about sufficient to enable her to decipher
the love letters that fiu,ter down from the third
gallery. and ten times out OF twelve she would
only be capable o: replying to them by n nod OF
the head. The scandal provoked by the corre-
spondence exchanged between the nephew of
the Gar and Miss Blackford showed that. II she
had no scruples. this adventures was not lack
ing in education or wit"
NJ. Rochefort was by no means friendly TO
Gnmbet;a. This is evident from tn. tone of the
chapter entitled "Gamhet,a's End a Woman's
Vengeance" The author begins by giving us
some astounding details concerning Gambet,a's
habits. which were communicated by the wife
of II former Deputy who was very intimate
with the Dictator. 1t seems that Gamhci;a
spent II week ut their country place. and that.
after his departure, not only had the floor to be
scrubbed, but the curtains and walls to be
washed. He Inundated the bedroom with his cx-
pectorations. and the girl who took his coffee up
to him In the morning almost turned sick at
the condition OF the room. 1t will be rcmrm-
bercd that the official account OF the Incident
which caused his death ran as follows: M.
Gnmbetta while handling n revolver this morn
ing. was slightly wounded In the hand. The
bullet merely passed through the flesh. and the
injury is not serious" The truth was that
GHmbet,a had been wounded not by one but by
TWO bullets, and one of the injuries at least was
mortal. Moreover, so far from injuring himself.
he had been assassinatcd. Rochefort says that
tho wife OF one OF Gambetta's intimate friends
told him all about the drama, its causes, and
tho most insignificant details concerning 1t.
Among other iidis0Hs, Gambetta had one which
dated from his youth, TO which the woman
concerned chung the more tenac!ously in pro-
portion to the importance OF the situation she
hoped tn attain. or low oricin. but ambitious
ana turbulent she succeeded in becoming the
centre OF all the plots and manTuvres OF the
Gambe;tist encourage. When this woman
learned that Ganbetta was in the habit of
meeting a certain Countess in "A little place
nj JGrGies she lost her head completely,
FASTENED to the spot and arrived at the
psychological moment. As she lad all the
keys OF the villa. and knew every nook and
corner OF IL, she surprised the lovers and fred
on the wcman: not on Gainbctta, who Gener-
ously threw himself between the rivals and
received two bullets. one tearing the muscles OF
the arm and the other perforating the breast
bone. The arrest OF tire murderess would have
compromised everybody. including the muir
dered man and almost all tho Opportunist
chiefs. So they put their heads together to con-
coct n fable TO shield the guilty womah and
provide her a little annuity which would per-
init her TO leave Paris. According TO Roche
fort the allowance Is still paid 10 her.
VIII.
Rochefort was ono of gers friends, and.
II they had not fed from France. both would
have suffered the penalty to which they were
condemned. namely. perpetual transportation.
liochefort says that the question Of the sub
sides that enabled the BOulangist National
to carry on its costly propaganda
TIN oughout France was never mentioned in his
He declares that he and his personal
friends never drew Il penny from the party funds.
lie does not feel called upon to pronounce an
opinion between BoulanGer's intimate friends
Oh the subject and the story that
the money came from the Duchesse d'Czcs.
and even from the Orleans family. 1t is
evident enough that one size or tho
other was deceived, or WAS decelving the
public, 1t is manifest, also, that Rochefort be-
lievcs that tho ReNctionists would have found
themselves mistaken In Boulnnger. He writes:
"As to tine promises the General was alleged to
have made to the Orleanists, the LcGitimists,
and the BonapRrtists, these parties would have
been Incredibly stupid to have taken them Sc
riously in the face OF Boulauger's declaration
repeated at the various banquets In Tours.
Nevcrs. La Rochelle, and Ainiens. where
no never missed an opportunity OF affirm
ing his republican faith" Our author
further asserts that all tho criticisms
passed upon-BoulanRer, even the most favor
able, are completely erroneous: lie al
ways made me his conhdant and opened his heart
TO me The more sincerely because he knew that