New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-15

The later Bonapartist literature, that
concerning the Third Empire and It's
creator. continues to grow proportion
ately with the unceasing study or the
great Napoleon. his personality en-
vironment and period The books deal
ing with this second Napoleonic epoch
which seems to be also the last OF this
remarkable house, have. since the
death Of the Prince Imperial dealt
chiefly with the ex-Empress Eugene
the most tragic figure Of nineteenth
century European history. 1t is no
doubt, for this reason that DR.. Barthez
book bears the title il has. In reality
II is as much concerned with the En-
peror as with his wife. These reml-
niscences are not of first importance
but they will serve in their unpreten'
tious way to confirm, and in some oe-
tails to elaborate. the portraits of both
Nspoleon III and his Empress which
we already possess. They show US the
imperial couple in its private lie en-
CiUegidtre
DR.. Barthez was appointed physician
IN the Prince Imperial when that au-
gust parsonage was four months Ola
and about TO be taken from Paris 10
Bisrritz' r the summer Of 1896. The
hook consists Of the doctors letters 10
his wife during the years looo-'oS' the
letters of a simple professional man
who, uneasy at the prospect or living
I'm such exalted circles. soon discovered
that this particular royal FAMILY NJ
least was, barring unavoidable poIhp'
very much like other human beings
The child he pitied. because the care
taken Of its precious life was so great
and so many persons were concerned
in II. that II had no opportunity 10 oe-
yelop its faculty for LOVING by constant
companionship with one single person.
Even its nurse must have remained an
unidentified stranger to it. Everybody
was distant, formal and chillingly re-
snectful. No wonder that the heir TO
the throne was an unnaturaily quiet
and serious baby.
Admitting the Empress. whom ne oe-
scribes as far more lovely than any OF
her pictures, Dr.. Barthez yet saw
plainly the lack Of dignity in her be-
hayior. Her intellectual resources
were small, wherefore, in her inner
circle, she played FRANKS and round
games in which she was slapped ana
slapped others with the shrieks ana
laughter of a schoolgirl" She did not
care for music, she understood little OF
art (which will explain her ardent
thirst for pleasure" and her friendship
for the Princess Metternich, VINO sang
Partisan chansonettes, frivolous and
hroad-very broad-and Sang them
like a veritable 0riSette." The En-
perors presence acted as a restraint
upon her, but when he was absent she
sometimes gave way to postures man
ners and expressions which were not
sufficiently those Of a great lady" But
she was a foreigner, explains Dr.
Barthez. and often, when she per-
ceiyed the establishment Of her entoun-
age at some action or expression OF
hers. she would blush prettily, and
ask: Have done something wrong?"
A lovable. amiable woman withal' ten
der hearted, unable to witness mental
or physical suffering in human beings
or animals, yet fond Of bullfights; not
greatly endowed Intellectually. but or
strong and often wrong opinions; a be-
lever. with the Emperor, In quacks OF
all sorts. Still, IT was after heated
discussion on this subject, in which DR..
Earthez forgot that he was speaking TO
lis sovereign lady, and not only de-
Tended science but denounced quack-
cry as we'll that she grew perceptDly
moro gracious 10 him. This serious
medical man incidentally gives a plaus-
ible explanation of the uses OF the
hoopskirt, which is worth quoting in
This day Of It's clinging opposite:
Thu Empress is greatly attached TO this
csea | can find only two excuses
for this fashion. one is that women VINO VINO
wear it have their legs free. no
other. in her case, is that there is a sort
of harmony between the amplitude or the
woman and the size Of the apartments IN
,rbich che lives In our little rooms, In
the street such thing is as absurd as II
e. announcement But In these great, loity
APARTMENTS a slight woman in ught-ntuhg
Garments would be lost would seem OF no
consequence. Here a dozen women auorn
the salon admirably, and are IN harmony
With the wide spaces, the ample seats the
width and height of doors ] knew noth-
ING of this effect. which now unuer-
stand. and now see why this taste raise
in itself has nevertheless certain just
ness in its application
Napoleon III, on his summer Vaca-
ton. away from offlcialdom and affairs
of state. was very much Of tease
and a mighty tedious one at that ac-
cording to DR.. Barthez. He would, for
instance. force the intimate circle to
listen to his reading Of boresome books
"yvitb ridiculous intonations and false
defamation" or--ingenious pastime.-
make some one else read every third
line. He had an atrocious habit ot
nretending that the Empress was older
than she really was-a performance
which was all the worse in taste be-
cause Il was sufficiently well known
that considerable uncertainty and mys-
terry surrounded the year of her birth.
DIR. Barthez, by the way, observes that
the coming of the Prince Imperial had
10 al fan "