The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-21 00:00:00

THE FETE EUGENIE.
(From the Daily News of Monday

It was expected that the fete day of the ex-Empress
Eugenie would be celebrated in some formal manner
at Chiselhurst, and a few strangers, having read in
the newspapers of white lilac sold in Paris, and in-
tended deputations from France, to do honour to the
occasion, made a pilgrimage to the place, and spent a
portion of their Sunday in the rain-drenched village
where Napoleon 111. is buried. It was fortunate
that there was no fete, for a more miserable day
could not have been. The ex-Empress and the
Prince Louis Napoleon, accompanied by the Duc
de Baaaano, M. I ilon, Dr. Couneau, and others of
the Camden household attended the usual eleven
o'clock mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The
congregation, which WM not large, although a few
visitors were added to the usual attendance, rose, ac-
cording to custom when the ex-Empress and her son
entered the building, and remained standing until
they had reached their places near the altar The Rev.
J. Goddard, her Majesty's confessor and favourite
preacher, officiated, wearing magnificent vestments
elaborately embroidered with cloth of gold ; these
were a recent gift to the reverend gentleman from
the ex-Empress, and it was told from mouth to mouth,
as the congregation broke up, that her Majesty had
herself done the chief portions of the embroidery.
The chasuble was entirely of cloth of gold
with the exception of the white cross. The
tomb of the ex-Emperor on the north side of the
altar is always conspicuous by reason of the
floral offerings heaped before it, but yesterday the
flowers were of unusual number and beauty. The
Imperial violet was there in great abundance, with
the choicest roses, and a profusion of pure white
lilac. A conspicuously lovely bouquet had been
deposited by Prince Louis Murat, who, with his
nephew Prince Joachim and Madame de Seucy, was
in the church. Nearly the whole of the flowers were
sent direct from France, the proposed deputations
having been abandoned; the lilac, jasmine, and other
rare flowers had been culled at N ice, Mentone, and
other southern districts, and they filled the church
with a pleasant odour, that seemed in strange contrast
to the depressing gloom of the outer atmosphere.
In addition to being the fete day of the ex-Empreas,
yesterday was the feast of St. Gertrude, for which
reason the altar was vested in white, and made
exceptionally beautiful with flowers. Mr. Goddard
from the altar steps preached as he always does except
on special occasions, in English, a brief practical
sermon from the words, "The Kingdom of Heaven is
like unto a grain of mustard seed." He took a hope.
ful view id the present prospects of the Church he
represented, describing its branches as ever, spreading
and vigorous in spite of hostile surroundings. Insigni-
ficant as the tiny mustard seed in its origin, the Church
of God which it symbolised had struck deep its roots
in the hearts and history of men. By the Church
of God the preacher of course meant the Church
of Rome, and he contrasted the Catholic religion
with Mahommedanism and Lutheranism, arguing that
just as Mahommedanism is inferior to Christianity,
so Lutheranism is inferior to Catholicism. 'rhe sermon
was a very earnest piece of extempore eloquence, but
no mention was made of the associations of the day,
and no reference whatever to the Imperial party.
While the ex-Empress and Prince Louis Napoleon, at
the close of the service, drove through the drizzle
across the Common to Camden House, the congregation
lingered round the ex-Emperor's tomb examining and
admiring the freshly-heaped bouquets and wreaths.