The Meeker herald., 1898-08-20
"MR. SPEAKER" OF FRANCE.
Entertaining Sketch of MonsIeur Dos
chanel, the DIatinxuo Partisan.

|
| chanel, the DIstingue Parisian.
We have new president of tho
cham sr. He is worthy to lave him
sell In the silver bath OF De Morny.
and to act the part of host In the
tapestried Sale des Fetes. Deschanel
has those social gifts and talents for
which so many women are remarkable.
No woman could have more tact.
charm. quick repartee, or keener
feeling for what is elegant. distingue,
renned, He dances to perfection, has
an elegant figure, and face that
would be Of feminine beauty were the
forehead not SO virile. The well-cut
profile is one for Sevres. alabaster, or
cameo. 1t looks delicate, but II you
examine it you will find it strong. He
was nursed on Greek and Latin, but
took most kindly to Greek. sus-
pect him of a weakness for Alcibiades,
ferlcles, Aspasia. and the society that
gathered round them. Nobody talks
OF love a. an epicurean banquet with
more Anacreontic feeling than the
new "Mr Speaker" Now that l think
OF 1t. he is in some respects kinsman
of Moore, but received better educa-
tion and has harder head. Had he
been born to wealth he might have
grown up a dandy; but he was born
the son of proscript of the coup 'etat
at Brussels Q876), and was reared IN
honorable poverty. AS 1t is. his dress
is merely elegant, and good deal OF
th<, ole t. t,,t, h8yf
wearer There is no better drawing
room actor. He is Very clever ora
tor, though his speeches are over
studied. But he is a f1rst-rate lee
turer, as his father was before shim.
Such a man must have aristocratic
leanings. He would have been in
Athens with Alexander and Aristotle
as against the disciples of Demos
themes. But do not think he realizes
what a vast distance lay between
Athens and Corinth, though they were
but 30 miles or so apart. A Corinthian
republic perhaps would suit him bet
ter than an Athenian. M. Emile De-
schanel, the speakers father, was also
an Athenian in education and feeling.
but had no particular taste for ele-
gance, except in literature. He went
in, as professor of classic literature.
for analysis of the feminine heart.
have somewhere two little keepsakes
he once upon time gave me on lie
Bien quon dit des Femmes' and lie
Nal Quon dit des Femmes.' He was
a worshiper of Racine. and discovered
endless keys to his tragedies. They
turned in the rusty old locks and were
wonders of ingenuity. Throughout the
empire Prof. Deschanel had a black
mark against him. He nearly caused
the Introduction of certain courses of
lectures in the Rue de la Paix by his
expositions of Shakespeare. Poor
Badinguet had just been holding out
the olive branch to the Bishop of Or
leans and patronizing Darboy. Arch
bishop of Paris. the future martyrs of
the commune. Deschanel pere found
In this parallel with Richard III. be-
tween the two bishops. 1t was seized
by the audience. I never heard any
thing more spirited and more anus
Ing than the lecture. The passages re-
lating the Richard and the bishops
were admirably read. He also gave
lecture on Juliet's love affairs. which
brought pocket handkerchiefs to eyes.
Romeo he thought a poor creature. But
love is blind. and all the interest of
the play was centered in Juliet. Prof.
Deschanel has now a chair at the Sor-
bonne and seat in the senate.-Lon
don Truth.