Evening star., 1911-08-12
italian Queen Spending Sum-
mer in the Mountains.
SAYS SHE SAW NAPOLEON
French Actress Claims Spirit Of the
Old Emperor Visited
Her.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

i
PARIS, August 12.-The beautiful Ital-
ian queen is spending her summer in the
wonderful mountains of northern Italy
Here in the hills Helena lives the simple
life with her children, who accompany
her on all her walks.
Queen Helena's domestic virtues are we'll
known Lately she has been trying to
arouse among ladies of the Roman aris-
tocracy little enthusiasm for the nursing
profession, which she holds to be wom-
ans special mission.
Just before she left for the mountains
she visited Rome's largest hospital, the
Policlinica. situated just outside the city
| gate known as the Porta Pia. Here, In
company with the Duchess of Ascoli, she
went through the various wards and gave
kind and cheering messages to many Of
| the patients. Finally, the queen asked to
see the new nursing school attached to
the hospital. and showed the deepest in
| terest In the students and their work It
! Is likely that the queens energetic action
will lead to the founding Of a home for
trained nurses under the auspices Of a
committee of society women-a long-felt
want In the Italian capital.
Ugliest Woman in Paris.
Mile. PoIaire, long known as "the
! ugliest woman in Paris and the actress
| with the smallest waist" now proudly
declares that since she has become the
! owner of a famous old mansion in the
aristocratic Faubourg st. German she
| she been honored by visit of the spirit
of the great Napoleon who first met
Josephine Beauharnais within the walls Of
| the mansion. Mile Polaire relates that
| toward sunset, a few weeks ago. she was
| reclining on couch in her drawing room
suddenly l became aware" she says
that man was approa ching me in the
half light. looked at him steadily, with
! emotion, but without fear. He was dress
| ed In a strange, old-fashioned, military
| uniform. AS / scrutinized him | recoK-
nized the features of the great Napoleon,
I as they have been made familiar to me
by David's portrait of the emperor as a
youth.
AS the emperor appeared to me. he was
as beautiful as young Greek god, full OF
love and fire. 1t Is thus. that he must
have appeared at the time of his court
ship with Josephine, on the eve Of the
second glorious campaign in Italy. As
looked at him / was thrilled with joy.
felt that 1 was in the presence of the
| greatest man that ever lived.
| His face was thin with the pure outline
OF a Greek cameo. His great, deep. dark
bracing ambition. His beautiful face
seemed to be appealing for love. He
pressed his hands together and bent for
ward, as if implOring me, but without
| saying a word.
| ''Three times the same apparition pre-
| sented itself to me at the same hour and
place. Was he brought back by memories
| of Josephine, or did he come to see me?
| l can hardly tell.
| A French paper suggests that Mile.
| POlaire try the cure.
Changing Old Paris.
| Another picturesque part Of Paris, the
| most picturesque perhaps OF any. is to
disappear this summer. 1t is a portion Of
the little country village. which has lived
on unchanged for centuries upon the very
summit of Montmartre.
One Of the quaintest houses to be pulled
| down is an old inn 1t must be quite
:,GO years old, and is called lie Restaurant
du Lapin-Agile-''At the Sign Of the
| Sprightly Rabbit For some time past It
has been used as a cafe and restaurant
by the painters. the poets and the bo-
| hemians, who care more about Mont
martre freedom than for such things as
sewers. electric lights and baths.
| Every evening at about bohemans
and all kinds of other people met there
| for kind of free and easy smoking con-
cert. 1t used to be favorite haunt.
and there were few more pleasantly
unconventional ways OF spending an even
| ing than in the red-tiled Kitchen where
"A cigar was looked upon as a breach Of
| etiquette, and where the host in his shirt
sleeves and three-day beard served
drinks, called most of his customers by
| the familiar thou" and If the entertain
| ment Jagged. picked up mandolin and
sang to US. He sang extremely well. too
| But latteriy the Apache began to look
| on the small winding streets at the top
| of the Montmartre as useful for his pur-
| poses. 1t became rather dangerous to
! walk home from the 'Sprightly Rabbit"
| Then 1t became uncomfortable to go
there. And now the "Sprightly Rabbit"
| the Rue du Mont Gents, and other pic
| tureque points on the hilltop are to dis
appear entirely.
! Paris. Of course. will soon be altogether
| modern and uninteresting, although. of
course, as parts of the old town are mod
! ernized others continue growing older.
| The trouble is that modernization is as
quickly done and streets. like some folk,
| age SO slowly.
| Miss Isabel Boyer of New Market, Md.