Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-05-20

Fsosp ,l,- Weser, No" hlv Wa .as;"e.
THE EAPRESS OF FRANCE
BY JAMES II. PERKINS.
ssshe. i" the working IL whose destiny,
THE nf bI0od a"d as'~."-d
Ili- m"se tia" k..,y h-i."I"-zhe Congue o..
WIEN few centuries shalt have cast their shadows
,pon the strange fortunes Of Napole"n. aud given
% everything about him the t'ng- Of romance, the
story OF hi- r-t wife will seem 10 the stu lent rat-
e fable, shant fact he will Look upon her as we
COX upon Mary Of Scotland. but with deeper in
erest; for she, far more truly than her lord, was
from fir-t to last "the child &c de-tiry."
Told, while yet unmarried, that she would be
wife. n widow, and TIE queen Of France-the en-
lire fulIment Of the FIRST pr, Of the prophecy, gave
her courage to believe in the last part also when
under sentence Of death. When her bed was Ia
ken from her. because she was die in the
ing: she toll her weeping friend. that 81,
that she should yet sit upDn that throne The ru-
ins ofwhicb Nohespierre then STOOD triumphant;
and when asked in m'ckery, 20 choose her maids Of
honour. since she was To be queen. she did choose
them. and they we're maids Of honour, when half Of
Edr,pe lsp,ked up TO her. On that night which
was TO be her last earth, Robespierre fell Had
would have lived had his fall been but one day Ia
ter, Josephine herself, would have been Among the
ten tn ,usand victims, whose names we haver never
heard But he fell on that night, and her destiny
was accomplished.
She married Napoleon, and through her and as
her husbs md, he appointed to the army vi Italy
step by step, they rose ill., at a-t, the crown rested
upon her head THE second part Of tie prophecy
was proved true, and she began to look for ward
that loss Of power and rank, which had also been
s'retold. and which to close the strange drama
lof her life.
| And he that had welded the child of destiny
grew every day more strong, end more graspins
In vain did Josephine attempt to rule his ambition
and chasten his aims; he was an emperour, h
wished to found IN empire, and by slow degree.
he made himself familiar with the thoughts Of put
ting her away.
| When the campaign Of 1909 was at an end, bar
dened and narrowed, the general came back to hi
wife his former kindness was gone, his play funes
was checked, he consulted her but seldom, and sci
dom stole upon her private hours with that famiiis
love that had often made her heart leap. She saw
;. that her hour drew nigh.
( !: was the evening Of the twentieth Of November
the court were at Paris In hrnour Of the king q
|Saxony. Josephine sat at her window, lo,kin.
down upon the river, and nnsing the dark fat
before her, when she heard NapDleon's step ut he
ldoos. She sPrapg =" open it, using her usual ex
clama,,on, s.mon amir lie embraced her affec
tionately, that for an instant her fear and we
self his feet. and looking up into his face, smile
through her tear..
:. "You are unhappy, Josephine" said the cmpe
rour.
"Nos with you, sire.'
"B,h!" said he, q 'ickIy, "why call me sire ,hes
shows Of state steal all true joy from us.''
: ''1'hen why seek themf" answered Josephn,
The emperour made 10 reply. "You are no
the fret Of men," she continued, "why not on
wat, turn ambition out of our counsels, bend 20,
. thoughts on the good Of france, aud live at ho,r
among thOae that 1--we you -
"JOsrpiane," said he, turning bis face from he
. ''it is not ]. is Fsance, demands The sacrifice"
= ''Are you sure If that, nv lDrd2'' said his wifi
: shave you pr,bed your heart To the ho,t""? -
moi ambition that prompts you =" seek reas Us {
r~pudiaing the too think not. Napoleon, I IN,
:, understand you; are YOU sure u - the love
Franc, 2"
Every word she spoke touched him to the quic
and rising hastily, ne replied, ''madam, have "a
: ;. scasons; good evening"
. "S,ay. Sire" said she, Is king hold Of hs ar,
1--WE mus, not part in anger. submit. since y
wish it, submit cheerfulIy. II 10 not in my usiu
10 oppose your will: love you ton deeply.
:" shall cease to love you, Napoleon, because a
!" to leave your throne and your side. fyuu still
on victorious, I shall rejoice with you; It reve,
J" comes, wil, lay down my life to comfort you.
IS will pray for you, morning aud Eight; and. IN I
:" hope tha, sometimes you will think of me-"
Q Hardened a. he was, Napoleon had loved
- wife deeply and long; her submission TO his ste
- ire-o've-her calm but mour"ful dignisy-her
v ,shakea love, moved even him; and f:,r moment
lection struggled with ambition. He turned
Ne embrace her again. But that moment, her "a
. and foam had changed. Her eye and Der wb
OF person seemed inspired. He felt himself
ne the presence Of a superior being. She led him
the window. and threw il open. thin mist, re
% ed on the Seine, and over the gardens VI the
n ace: al around was siIent among the stars, II
ne before them, one Car brighter than the rest:
e-fpoiated TO il.
/ ''Sne ~ she said, ssthat star 10 mine; to that 1
not 70 you,ss was promised empire through me,