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Show GRAY AND WRINKLED THIERS. The old gentleman, seventy-two, but gray and wrinkled to a wondrous degree, occupies a small, obscure apartment, furnished with a camp-bed, camp-bed, as his sleeping room. He has slept on one of these hard and Darrow couches for the last forty years. In habits he is one of the most methodical methodi-cal men alive. Although he rarely retires before midnight, he invariably rises at 5 o'clock a. m., and his valet brings him a cup of coffee. He then throws himself pell-mell into his work, and rarely stops before nine. All his important private business is considered and prepared before most other people are up. From nine to noon he usually sees company, and at noon he takes a very light breakfast. He always dines at eight o'clock wherever he may be, and uses wine only once a day. It is no exaggeration exaggera-tion to say that for forty years he has not varied from this routine. He is so active and energetic, even to-day, that his secretaries find but little to do. He prefers writing his own letters to dictating them, and on the morn ing of yesterday he wrote thirty -five before breakfast. He gives most of his important messages verbally, and keeps five or six confidential personages person-ages constantly engaged in delivering them. There does not esist a more admirably preserved old gentleman. He is quaint and odd to a degree, however, how-ever, and seems to be most intensely annos'ed by any attention from the herd. The look of impatience and distress dis-tress that comes over his face when he is compelled to march between two lines of gapers is indescribable. His entry into the Assembly, with his ministry behind him, was marked with great applause. His speech written in his own plain, bold hand, on huge foolscap sheets, was heard in every corner of the house, so distinct was his enunciation of each point. Somenmes be repeated a sentence over twice, as if fearful that he should nntimpress it on his hearers' memories. Especially at that point whieh refers to the unique future policy of France, he read with great care, aud repeated a number of times: "No, no, gentlemen; to pacify, to recognize, to lift up credit, to reanimate labor this is the only policy possible or conceivable at this moment." Those portions of the speech which condemned the precipitation precip-itation of France into "a war without serious motive, and without sufficient preparation," and concerning the reformation re-formation of the army, were largely applauded. ap-plauded. Edward King, in Boston Journal. |
