The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-12
AT THE COURT OF
THE THIRD NAPOLEON

court of Napoleon III are told by
Nine. de -Lindencrone in
Harper's Magazine for August. The
following are features. of her story:
Preparing to Visit an Emperor.
We received the invitation to visit
the Court of Napoleon III twelve days
ago This gave me plenty of time to
order all my dresses, wraps, and ev-
eTything else that l needed for this
visit of week to royalty. | was OBJ
| liged to have about twenty dresses
eight day costumes Counting my
travelling suit, the green cloth dress
for the hunt, which l was told was alb
solutely necessary, seven ball dresses,
five gowns for tea.
A professional packer came to pack
our trunks, of which I had seven and
C had two; the maid and the valet
each had one, making all together
quite a formidable pile of luggage. As
we saw it, on the wagon, drive from
the house it seemed an absurdly large
amount for only one weeks visit.
I should say there were about fifty
or sixty guests who got off at the sta
ton at Compiegne, where there were
two landaus-one for the Austrian am
bassador, Prince Metternich and Prin-
cess Metternich, and one for the Ger
man ambassador. The char-a-banes,
of WI oh hrr
ten, were dark green outlined with
red, each with four prancing horses
whose tails, jauntily braided with red
cords, were tied to the saddles. Each
carriage had two positions, who look
ed very trim in their short velvet
jackets embroidered with gold and
covered with endless buttons.
The Princess Metternich had four
teen trunks and two maids; the Prince
had his private secretary and valet
and a goodly number of trunks. This
will give you an idea of the amount
of baggage. On our arrival at the
chateau the Grand Chamberlain re-
ceived us at the head of the stairs
with pleasant cordially. He waved us
toward a huissier, who, dressed in a
black livery with heavy chains around
his neck, looked very important. He
in his turn passed us on to the par
ticular valet allotted to us, who Lom-
pously and with great dignity showed
us the way to our apartments. Our
names were on the doors, and we en-
tered the brilliantly lighted rooms,
which, after our journey, seemed most
welcome with their bright fires and
cheerful aspect. Tea and chocolate
were on the table awaiting us. and
RECALLED myself while the soldiers (wbo
seem to be the men-of-all-work here)
brought in the trunks, and the maid
and valet were unpacking.
A Famous Poet and His Cat.
One night, during my visit at Com
piegne, l was a little dismayed when
was told that the famous poet Tbeo.
phile Gautier was to be NV dinner
companion. l was awed at the idea of
such neighbor, and feared | should
not be able to cope with the occasion
Would he talk poetry to me? and
should have to talk poetry to him?
tried to remember, during our
promenade down the hall, Longfel
lows Psalm of Life in case he should
expect anything in this line, and
tried to recall something he himself
had written.
l might have spared myself worry
ior from the time he sat down at the
table he talked of little else than cats
and dogs. He loves all animals IT
liked him for that, and one could see
that he preferred them to anv other
TOPIC. In appearance think he must
resemble Charles Dickens. I have only
seen the latter's photographs, but had
ne not rather skimply hair brushed
any which way and a stringy beard?
fancied him so to myself At anv
rate Gautier looks like the Dickens of
the photographs.
can't remember all the nonsense
ne talked, He said he had eight or
ten CATS who ate with him at the
TABLE Each had it's own place and
plate and never by any chance made a
mistake and sat in another cats place
or ate off another cats plate. He was
sure that they had heaven and hell
OF their own, where they went after
their death, according to their de-
Serts' and that they had souls and
consclences' All his cats had classical
names, and he talked to them as If
they were human beings. He said
they understood every word he said
He also quoted some of his converse.
ton with them. which must have
sounded very funny:
| baua Won hnnv