ouis Napoleon Bonaparte was then Emperor of the French, and Haussman
was mayor of the city of Paris. General Dix, as before stated,
was United States minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary
at the court of France. Upon my arrival, I hired what in Paris is
called an apartment, but which includes several rooms, comprising
together a comfortable residence. Many similar apartments may be
in the same building, but with them you need have no communication,
and you are detached from them as fully as if each apartment was
a separate house. The concierge, generally a woman, takes charge
of your room, orders your breakfast if you require one, and keeps
the key of your apartment when you are absent. It is a charming
mode of living. You can dine or lunch when you will, and are master
of your time and your apartment. I employed a neat, light carriage
and one horse, with a driver who knew a smattering of several
languages, and found him trusty and faithful--all this at a cost
that would disgust the ordinary hotel proprietor in the United
States, and especially the hack driver of any of our cities. This,
in Paris, was the usual outfit of a gentleman.

General Dix advised me on whom and when and how I should make my
calls. My card in the usual form announced that I was "Senateur
des Etats Unis d'Amerique." A Parisian could not pronounce my name.
The best he could do was to call me "Monsieur le Senateur." With
a few words of French I acquired, and the imperfect knowledge of
English possessed by most French people, I had no difficulty in
making my way in any company. I received many invitations I could
not accept. I attended a reception at the Palais Royal, the
residence of the mayor, dressed in the ordinary garb for evening
parties, a dress coat and trousers extending to the knees, and
below black silk stockings and pumps. I felt very uncomfortable
in this dress when I entered the reception room, but, as I found
every gentleman in the same dress, we become reconciled to it.
Subsequently I attended a reception at the Tuileries, at which I
was presented by General Dix to the emperor and empress.

One feature of this presentation I shall always remember. The
general company had been gathered in the great hall. The diplomatic
representatives of many countries were formed in line according to
their rank, attended by the persons to be presented. Soon a door
was opened from an adjoining room and the Emperor of the F