Theeconomistsandcalculatorsmighthereinterposewithagreatdealofreason;for,indeed,therewasnoreasonwhyanationshouldimpoverishitselftodohonortothememoryofanindividualforwhom,afterall,itcanfeelbutaqualifiedenthusiasm:butitsurelymighthaveemployedthelargesumvotedforthepurposemorewiselyandgenerously,andrecordeditsrespectforNapoleonbysomeworthyandlastingmemorial,ratherthanhaveerectedyonderthousandvainheapsoftinsel,paint,andplaster,thatarealreadycrackingandcrumblinginthefrost,atthreedaysold。
Scarcelyoneofthestatues,indeed,deservestolastamonth:someareodiousdistortionsandcaricatures,whichnevershouldhavebeenallowedtostandforamoment。Ontheverydayofthefete,thewindwasshakingthecanvaspedestals,andtheflimsywood—workhadbeguntogapeandgiveway。Atalittledistance,tobesure,youcouldnotseethecracks;andpedestalsandstatuesLOOKEDlikemarble。Atsomedistance,youcouldnottellbutthatthewreathsandeaglesweregoldembroidery,andnotgiltpaper——thegreattricolorflagsdamask,andnotstripedcalico。Onewouldthinkthattheseshamsplendorsbetokenedshamrespect,ifonehadnotknownthatthenameofNapoleonisheldinrealreverence,andobservedsomewhatofthecharacterofthenation。Realfeelingstheyhave,buttheydistortthembyexaggeration;realcourage,whichtheyrenderludicrousbyintolerablebraggadocio;andIthinktheaboveofficialaccountofthePrincedeJoinville'sproceedings,ofthemannerinwhichtheEmperor'sremainshavebeentreatedintheirvoyagetothecapital,andofthepreparationsmadetoreceivehiminit,willgivemydearMissSmithsomemeansofunderstandingthesocialandmoralconditionofthisworthypeopleofFrance。
III。
ONTHEFUNERALCEREMONY。
ShallItellyou,mydear,thatwhenFrancoiswokemeataveryearlyhouronthiseventfulmorning,whilethekeenstarswerestillglitteringoverhead,ahalf—moon,assharpasarazor,beaminginthefrostysky,andawickednorthwindblowing,thatblewthebloodoutofone'sfingersandfrozeyourlegasyouputitoutofbed;——
shallItellyou,mydear,thatwhenFrancoiscalledme,andsaid,"V'lavot'cafe,MonsieurTitemasse,buvez—le,tiens,ilesttoutchaud,"Ifeltmyself,afterimbibingthehotbreakfast,socomfortableunderthreeblanketsandamackintosh,thatforatleastaquarterofanhournomaninEuropecouldsaywhetherTitmarshwouldorwouldnotbepresentattheburialoftheEmperorNapoleon。
Besides,mydear,thecold,therewasanotherreasonfordoubting。
DidtheFrenchnation,ordidtheynot,intendtoofferupsomeofusEnglishovertheimperialgrave?Andwerethegamestobeconcludedbyamassacre?ItwassaidinthenewspapersthatLordGranvillehaddespatchedcircularstoalltheEnglishresidentinParis,beggingthemtokeeptheirhomes。TheFrenchjournalsannouncedthisnews,andwarneduscharitablyofthefateintendedforus。HadLordGranvillewritten?Certainlynottome。OrhadhewrittentoallEXCEPTME?AndwasITHEVICTIM——thedoomedone?——
tobeseizeddirectlyIshowedmyfaceintheChampsElysees,andtorninpiecesbyFrenchPatriotismtothefranticchorusofthe"Marseillaise?"Dependonit,Madam,thathighandlowinthiscityonTuesdaywerenotaltogetherattheirease,andthatthebravestfeltnosmalltremor!Andbesureofthis,thatashisMajestyLouisPhilippetookhisnightcapoffhisroyalheadthatmorning,heprayedheartilythathemight,atnight,putitoninsafety。
Well,asmycompanionandIcameoutofdoors,beingboundfortheChurchoftheInvalides,forwhichaDeputyhadkindlyfurnisheduswithtickets,wesawtheveryprettiestsightofthewholeday,andIcan'trefrainfrommentioningittomydear,tender—heartedMissSmith。
InthesamehousewhereIlive(butaboutfivestoriesnearertheground)lodgesanEnglishfamily,consistingof——1。Agreat—
grandmother,ahale,handsomeoldladyofseventy,theverybest—
dressedandneatestoldladyinParis。2。Agrandfatherandgrandmother,tolerablyyoungtobearthattitle。3。Adaughter。
And4。Twolittlegreat—grand,orgrandchildren,thatmaybeoftheageofthreeandone,andbelongtoasonanddaughterwhoareinIndia。Thegrandfather,whoisasproudofhiswifeashewasthirtyyearsagowhenhemarried,andpayshercomplimentsstilltwiceorthriceinaday,andwhenheleadsherintoaroomlooksroundatthepersonsassembled,andsaysinhisheart,"Here,gentlemen,hereismywife——showmesuchanotherwomaninEngland,"——
thisgentlemanhadhiredaroomontheChampsElysees,forhewouldnothavehiswifecatchcoldbyexposinghertothebalconiesintheopenair。
WhenIcametothestreet,Ifoundthefamilyassembledinthefollowingorderofmarch:——
——No。1,thegreat—grandmotherwalkingdaintilyalong,supportedbyNo。3,hergranddaughter。
——AnursecarryingNo。4junior,whowassoundasleep:andahugebasketcontainingsaucepans,bottlesofmilk,parcelsofinfants'
food,certaindimitynapkins,achild'scoral,andalittlehorsebelongingtoNo。4senior。
——Aservantbearingabasketofcondiments。
——No。2,grandfather,spickandspan,cleanshaved,hatbrushed,whitebuckskingloves,bamboocane,browngreat—coat,walkingasuprightandsolemnasmaybe,havinghisladyonhisarm。
——No。4,senior,withmottledlegsandatartancostume,whowasfriskingaboutbetweenhisgrandpapa'slegs,whoheartilywishedhimathome。
"Mydear,"hisfaceseemedtosaytohislady,"Ithinkyoumighthaveleftthelittlethingsinthenursery,forweshallhavetosqueezethroughaterriblecrowdintheChampsElysees。"
Theladywasgoingoutforaday'spleasure,andherfacewasfullofcare:shehadtolookfirstafterheroldmotherwhowaswalkingahead,thenafterNo。4juniorwiththenurse——hemightfallintoallsortsofdanger,wakeup,cry,catchcold;nursemightslipdown,orheavenknowswhat。Thenshehadtolookherhusbandintheface,whohadgonetosuchexpenseandbeensokindforhersake,andmakethatgentlemanbelieveshewasthoroughlyhappy;and,finally,shehadtokeepaneyeuponNo。4senior,who,asshewasperfectlycertain,wasaboutintwominutestobelostforever,ortrampledtopiecesinthecrowd。
TheseeventstookplaceinaquietlittlestreetleadingintotheChampsElysees,theentryofwhichwehadalmostreachedbythistime。Thefourdetachmentsabovedescribed,whichhadbeenstragglingalittleintheirpassagedownthestreet,closedupattheendofit,andstoodforamomenthuddledtogether。No。3,MissX——,beganspeakingtohercompanionthegreat—grandmother。
"Hush,mydear,"saidthatoldlady,lookingroundalarmedatherdaughter。"SPEAKFRENCH。"Andshestraightwaybegannervouslytomakeaspeechwhichshesupposedtobeinthatlanguage,butwhichwasasmuchlikeFrenchasIroquois。Thewholesecretwasout:youcouldreaditinthegrandmother'sface,whowasdoingallshecouldtokeepfromcrying,andlookedasfrightenedasshedaredtolook。
ThetwoelderladieshadsettledbetweenthemthattherewasgoingtobeageneralEnglishslaughterthatday,andhadbroughtthechildrenwiththem,sothattheymightallbemurderedincompany。
Godblessyou,Owomen,moist—eyedandtender—hearted!Inthosegentlesillytearsofyoursthereissomethingtouchesone,betheyneversofoolish。Idon'tthinkthereweremanysuchnaturaldropsshedthatdayasthosewhichjustmadetheirappearanceinthegrandmother'seyes,andthenwentbackagainasiftheyhadbeenashamedofthemselves,whilethegoodladyandherlittletroopwalkedacrosstheroad。Thinkhowhappyshewillbewhennightcomes,andtherehasbeennomurderofEnglish,andthebroodisallnestledunderherwingssoundasleep,andsheislyingawakethankingGodthatthedayanditspleasuresandpainsareover。
Whilstwewereconsideringthesethings,thegrandfatherhadsuddenlyelevatedNo。4senioruponhisleftshoulder,andIsawthetartanhatofthatyounggentleman,andthebamboocanewhichhadbeentransferredtohim,highovertheheadsofthecrowdontheoppositesidethroughwhichthepartymoved。
Afterthislittleprocessionhadpassedaway——youmaylaughatit,butuponmywordandconscience,MissSmith,Isawnothinginthecourseofthedaywhichaffectedmemore——afterthislittleprocessionhadpassedaway,theothercame,accompaniedbygun—