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Show ON THE RIVIERA. Douiocrary of Distinguished People ne II Appears to a Plain American. Balla.d Smith writes to tho Now York World from Beaulien: This narrow nar-row littlo strip of France 40 miles ot so from Cannes to Montone and not above four or five miles wido anywhere between tho bine sea and tho practically impassable mountain chain beyond might bo called during any winter season sea-son tho Republic of tho GJrGat From All Lauds. Tho democratic fashion of it is a Iifc-tlo Iifc-tlo startling to tho newcomer. Yon maj sit at tho next table in a restaurant r an ex-president of tho republic Yon may como suddenly in a public pathway upon an emperor and empress walking arm in arm together; you Bit in tho next chair in a hotel meeting room to the groat ox-premier of England Politicians from all countrios, reerouo highnosses Irom every " raonarehy in thj world,' great artists their faces become as familiar fa-miliar to yon as thoso of tho conventional convention-al people whom most of us havo the fortune for-tune only to bo brought in daily contact with. It has happened to me, a very plain American citizen, to havo had tho throe experiences mentioned above within tho Epace of 24 hours, rogothor with some others as interesting, and tho fortune of It all, the reader being tho judge of what measure of fortuue it is, may coma to any other plain citizen of any land who forms a part of this littlo ropublio within with-in a republic. In a former letter I described bow absolutely ab-solutely democratic is tho daily wa.i hero of Casimir-Porier, until only the other day prosidont of France. . In the rotunda of the Hotel Cape Martin Mar-tin we aro to see a greater man than any hereditary king or emperor or potentate po-tentate of today, of yesterday, of the century. Luncheon is just over when Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone como down from their rooms and take seats among tho other guests before the fire, awaiting await-ing their carriage. The venerable statesman states-man looks much older and mop9 worn than when I saw him in London as he fctartod for tho Pdviora. The arduous journey in the bitter cold weather which mot him in Franco and its extraordinary continuance here in the Riviera havo evidently been most prejudicial to him. He walked very feebly to his carriage, escorted on the one side by his faithful wife and on the other by tho hardly less faithful Mr. George Armistcad many times mil lionaire, who seems to havo no objeo in life beyond this friendship and almost constant attendance and now for the first time in his adult lifo looks all his age. I had como to the hotel hoping that Mr. Gladstone might wish to Bay something some-thing moro to tho American publio on the prospects of homo rule in Ireland, but Mr. Armistead pleads that the statesman is in too feeble condition to talk upon politics, and that his restoration restora-tion to health demands absolute rest from all political concerns for tho present. The ex-Einpresa Eugenie is another guest at tho hotel, except that she occupies oc-cupies a cottago in tho grounds, and she, too, takes her daily walk abroad with a single attendant, or moro often alone. Jho also seems very feeble and looks very old, supporting herself with a strong crutch stick. She has lost every trace of her fcrrs,ar beauty and graceful aamago. |