The Washington herald., 1914-04-05

place, he was by no means as short as
many historians have mistakenly as
sumed. Some of the most careful writers
haze fallen into error on this point.
through an inaccurate translation; The
translators of Constant and OF Mallet
du Pan say nc was five feet three inches.
while the translator OF Baron de Meneval
saws he was tive feet two inches. Those
latter figures arc most generally adopted.
II is true that by the French measure
ment he was five feet two inches and four
lines: but the French foot is lcnger than
the English. and Napo!eOn'S actual height
was fv" feet six and one-half inches. His
gray overroat hanging now in the Hotel
dCs lnvalidcs is itself four feet three
inches in length.
His stature. therefore was not far
from medium. according to the modest
standards Of Latin nations. His habit Of
stopping. however. with his hands behind
him. and his short neck made him appear
shorter than he was. He did not have
the vanity OF small men to make them
selves seem larger and employed no trick
TO enhance his height
The Imperial Front.
His shoulders were broad and his trunk
was long for his legs. which. however.
were well shaped. He was vain of his
small fect-I have seen many Of his shoes
and slippers and they look like a wom-
an's-of his delicate hand with its taper
ing fingers. and of his teeth. albeit they
were hardly worthy Of his pride
His bust was handsome one. in spite
of being mounted on an inadequate pedes-
tai, well designed for the gallery of i'm
mortals. The profile was modelled to
adorn an imperial coinage. while the
great head. twenty-five inches in cirCum-
ference. which had alarmed his family in
10 inf aT,., gr,L
luminous gray. eagle eyes the straight,
sensitive nose, the smooth, ivory skin,
were tho delight of artists, many of
whom. however, chose to give him dark
hair rather than his own fine. though thin
chestnut locks. We see some lack of
strength in the under lip. as il was drawn
in his early portraits. but when he rose
TO mastery the painters and sCulptors
corrected their predecessors in this de-
tail. or perhaps improved on nature her
self.
Tho expression of his face was so act
i've that II was like a moving picture film
of his mind. He could still smile when
nc became consul as softly. as sweetly
a girl. but he could no longer laugh.
II angerCd. a sort OF cyclone suddenly
tore across his CountenanCe and con-
vulsed every feature; a tempest swept
the brow: the eyes blaZed: the nostrils
swellcd: the mouth contracted: the hand
seized the offender or smashed the Gilded
r..
storm passed as quickly as ii came, and
left him as calm as a summer harbor
after downpour Of rain. Notwithstand
ing these facial hurricanes, he insisted
that his passions never rose above his
neck. and his physicians CorrOhorate him
with the report that his blood was not
given to rushing to his head.
Josephine ms n shopper.
He had the weak desire of one VINO
had suffered from poverty and privation
TO see himself surrounded with a display
of luxury and splendor. But Josephine's
almost childish extravagancc often made
him vince. The mistress of Malmaison
had far more taste than thrift, and she
pursued her love of pretty things there
and in Paris with a light-hearted disre-
gard of the cost.
The tradesmen were quick to discover
her weakness and prey upon 1t. Napoleon
had forbidden them admission to her. but
laden with their tempting wares they
penetrated and crowded her apartments
When at last their clamors for payments
came to his ears he ordered Bourricnne
to investigate the matter. Josephine con-
fessed to the secretary that she owed
S2iO.oO, but begged him to conceal half
for the present. in order to spare her his
violence.
The pile of bills astounded Bourrienne;
thirty-elght new hats. heron plumes to
the value of $3.50 and perfumes to the
value OF $50 in one month. The secre-
tary called in the creditors and insisted
on cutting their extortionate charges in
half. One man who had made out a bill
for slGGce received only 5000. but was