The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-21

kingdom. Tall and handsome, the most
superb figure on horseback and vain as
a eacock. Murat waA no invisible hero
In khaki but dressed himself for battle
as a bride for the altar his ostrich
feathers and a heron plume waving from
his tusby--his feathers for one cam
paign costig him more than S50O0-his
raven hair falling in curls over his gold
embroidered collar while his diamond
hilted sword glistensd againet the gor-
ge0us background, which always with
seams of gold, were sometimes a canary
yellow. sometimes scarlet or purple or sky
blue.
1t was generally this gay war dog
fate to be held in leash and miss hours
of his fighting until the Emperor was
ready to deliver the knockout blow
when he would send him dashing in with
10000 or 10000 horsemen. And as Napo-
Icons eve followed the plume of Murat,
he could mark the rise and ebb in the
tide of his own fortunes, while even the
ferocious Cossacls have been known to
pause and cheer this fearless foe .IIe
was my right arm" the Emperor said
"a paladin in the field and the best COW
airy officer in Europe"
But his frank and chi-cish vanity often
tried the forbearance of Napoleon. When
throne were being passed around like
campstools at garden party, he and
jealousy and ambition At the guess
that the Emperor was about to set up
throne In Poland, Murat Immediately
dressed for the part and presented him
self at Tilsit In a startling Polish cos
tune. "C}o away!'' Napoleon disgustedly
ordered his brother-in-law. Put on
your generals uniform. You look like
coni''-Franconi being a Partisan
circus proprietor who disported himself
with whip in the center of the ring.
Disappointed in his dream of reigning at
Warsaw. Murat next made up his mind,
If not his costume. to be the Spanish
monarch and he believed with tears of
grief his black curly wniskers when he
had to content himself with being only
the King of Naples
A Business Man in War
Another southron. Hassena. offers
Just the proper foil for Murat, since
he was a plain. frugal, dull-spoken,
stupid-looking, hard-fisted, dull-spoken
man of brains, and an able commander.
According to Napoleon's estimate. Mas
sepa was the foremost soldier among
the marshals and equal in battle to 5000
men. 1.-THE roar of the guns cleared
his head" the Emperor said of him.
I'm the midst of the dead and dying.
amid a hail of bullets which swept
down all around him. ne went on giving
orders end making his dispositions with
the grea test calmness and good judg-
ment. There you have the true nobility
of bloodv'
Massenas first chance as general for
tunately came in the Maritime Alps whose
passes and gorges he had learned as a
smuggler. For this short, black-eyed
italian from Nice was a business man
who left off dealing in olive oil and fruits
to make business of war. And right
well he prospered in the business. Tile
began by small amounts" Napoleon said
in speakinr Of his ro',Ne~i.s but row
millions would not satisfy him.
When the Emperor was starting his
Austerlitz campaign he left the defense
of Italy to Massena, and. knowing the
proper stimulant to administer, sent him
a pift of s5ONn0. The thrifty soldier took
II and then p 'he course of the cam
paign stole sl.2oo. 900 to add to it. Ma