The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-02

hlHeE-butAuuE EhhA Ahken To N1OEL.
 have read a very interesting article by Sir Rowland BIennerhassett on Thiers, the great French statesman, who did so much to rescue France from the abyss into which she had been thrown by the war of 1870. Among the many peculiarities of his wonderful man was his incessant industry up to the last day of his life. He was little morsel of a man-five foot nohing high-but he managed to get through the work of a dozen men. He wrote two histories, ] each of a dozen volumes or so; he con ducted the affairs of France as prime minister for some years; for several years he was leader of the opposition under Louis Philippe, and then leader of the opposition underLoui Napoleon; from being a starveling from Mar seilles, and living in two rooms in a miserable hotel when he came to Paris frs, he succeeded in building up a big fortune, and made speeches, when the occasion arose, which marked epochs in the history of his country.
 His hours were largely responsible for this extraordinary power of work. He rose winter and summer between four and five o'clock in the morning. He took a cup of coffee and some very light food, and then began work, and kept on at it for hours. Before he sat down to the second breakfast-which constitutes the meat Frenchmen most delight in he took short walk or a game at lawn tennis; then he saw some of his friends, paid visits, had a drive in carriage, and, returning home at four o'clock, went immediately to bed and there slept till it was time to dress for dinner. Din- ner was always served at 1850, and he was particular that people were punc- tual even to the minute for dinner; then again he slept for twenty minutes or half an hour; and then, when he woke up, he was at his best-talked of all subjects under heaven. and always with interest; and was, in fact, brighter, keener, readier than almost anybody in his company.
 Here is a programme which it would be impossible for any man, however exalted his position to carry out, unless he was surrounded by people who re- spected his least wishes. Thiers had devoted wife and a sister-in-law who was quite as devoted; and they kept off the bore and the interruption. But his colleagues were equally respectful. l remember reading of an occaion once when Jules Favre--the great orator who was foreign minister after the fall of the empire-shesitated whether he might wake up his chief, although the news he had to communicate to him was something of almost tragic importance to the nation of France in her hour Of agony and humiliation.
 Here is 9 little scene. described by Sir Rowland Blennerhassett. which suggests some Of the moments of such solicitude on the part of the colleagues of the great man:
 T once saw Monsieur Thiers under very interesting circumstances at Yer sailles, when he was president of the republic. went to him in the even ing with Lord Lyons. AS we entered the ante-room there was not sound to be heard. The entrance to the re- ception room was wide open. When We got there we perceived Monsieur Thiers in an armchair fast asleep. Barthelny Saint-Hillaire was sitting next him, and held up a hand to signi- fy that no noise was to be made Stand ing in semi-circle in front of the sleep ing president were a motley group of persons of uncertain political and social reputation, among them the historian, Henri Martin. When Thiers woke up his eyes fell on Lord Lyons; he instant ly came to the ambassador and gra- ciously remembered me. We were some distance apart from everybody else. and Thiers, looking at his Fall staff's regiment of admirers, said: 'Je alaine pad sec gemini, mais que vou- lezvousi Je les faconne, je les faconne T give them some notions of govern ment." And then he added with cer- tain vulgarity, which I think he affec- ted, Ills sentent mauvals; c'est vrai; mais on s'habitue, on s'ha habitue.'
 Here is certainly a strange scene possible, should say, only in France. Just fancy MT. Balfour seated in an armchair in a large room fast asleep. while Mr. Chamberlain, Mir. Ritche, MT. Long, the Duke of Devonshire, and the rest of his colleagues, as we'll as a few ambassadors walked on tip-toes or spoke in whispers until he woke up from his slunbers-these slumbers, too, being fixed at a certain length which nobody would dare to curtail!
 The habits of some of our own great men bear some resemblance to the hab- its of Thiers, but, after all, the differ ences are greater than the similarities. MT. Gladstone it is true, used to get up early every morning.. When he was at Hawarden the hour for rising was eight o'clock. MT. Gladstone was human enough to confess that he hated getting up at eight, and that he hated it afresh every morning of his life; but with that extraordinary power of self-conquest and self-control which he acquired, he overcome his laziness, and, shortly af- ter eight o'clock he was walking down to the church. at Hawarden, and when his prayers were said, he sat down to a good breakfast But then, though eight o'clock is an early hour, it isn't like four or five o'clock in the morning MT. Gladstone, however, was in one re- spect like M Thiers-he took full ad- vantage of any little opportunity there was of taking rest during the day. He used, as everybody knows, to go home from the house for his dinner; and then