The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-02-12
rmR kuNc OF FRANCE.
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obscure valley in Switzerland, his en-.
emies were making vigorous searcl,
for him throughout Europe. At
length he, alarmed by the eagerness
Of his foes, resolved to embark for
America, the asylum alike FOL kings
and beggars. With that design lie
went to Hamburg, but being disap.
pointed in some funds he expected
to receive there from his friends, he
/ was unable to pay the expense Of
his passage. There was no safety
for him in any portion of the South
Of Europe. As the only retreat for
him, he set out on foot, in friend
lessness and poverty, to travel the
drcary regions of Denmark, Sweden,
] Norway end Lapland, eating ;he
black crusts ard sleeping in the huts
Of seni-barbarians, with all the pow
crs of revolutionary France, like
blood hounds, baying on his track.
And thus he actually pushed on
through the ice and storms Of those
dismal solitudcs, until he arrived a,
a point FIVE degrees nearer the pole
than any other French traveller had
|. ever reached.
At length his mother succeeded
in getting letter to him with some
funds, and he immediately embark
ed for this country. Forty-nine
years ago, in October, 1876, the
youthful Duke of Orleans landed
upon one Of our wharves of Phila-
delphia friendless and almost pen
niless exile. He remained in this
country and the West Indies about
four years. While here, he travelled
extensively throughout the States of
the Union, occasionally receiving
remittances from Europe, and at
times in utter restitution. While in
this country, he spent some time in
Boston, boarding at the old Province
House, opposite the old South
Church. His finances were so low,
while in America, that he often sup
ported himself by teaching classes
in French. 1t is said that to the
present day lie often speaks with
gratitude of the sympathy and kind
ness received from gentlemen in
Boston and New York in those days
of adversely: and upon the walls OF
his palace may be seen suspended a
painting Of the Swiss school house,
where he swayed the sceptre of au-
thority over his miniature realm.
From this country he went to
England, and there joined the exled
members Of the royal family their
sense of political differences being
lost in their common misfortunes.
For though Louis Philippe was by
birth Bourbon, and foe of the
usurpation of Napoleon, he always
advocated republican institutions.
One day the King of Sicily came
into the apartment where his wife
and daughter were sitting, with a
letter in his hand informing them OF
the wanderings of this unfortunate
prince. Becoming deeply interest
ed in his perilous and strange adj
ventures, he proposed inviting him
to his court. The ladies, of course,
acceded to proposal in which the
claims of real bcnevolence were in
vested with the resistless zest of the
most chivalrous romance. In short
time, consequently, Louis was repo-
sing in the palace Of the Sicilian
King.
In the romance Of real life, as well
as in that Of the Imagination, there
must always be wedding. 1t was
50 in this case. 1t SO happened that
the Princess Amelia, young, bcauti-
fal, and amiable, soon found the
sympathy with which she regarded
her fathers illustrious guest, deep
ened into stronger and more ten
der emotion, and with the cordial
approval of her parcuts, she yielded
to the solicitations of Louis Philippe
to accept the Duchessy of Orleans,
with the necessary contingencies.
Although Louis Philippe was
friendless exile, driven from his pat
rimonial estates, the Princess Ame-
liza had the good sense to appreciate
his intellectual endowments and the
moral purity with which.his charac-
ter was elevated and adorned.
The lapse of months witnessed the
Slcilian court Illuminated and re-
Joicing over their espousals rare
espousals in tho court Of a Prince
where the mercenary gatherings Of
ambition were unthought of, and
youthful and congenial hearts were
welded in instructive sympathy and
love. Thus the storms Of past ad-
versity were unthought Of, as the
tempestuous waters of his life were
lulled into short and happy calm.
Soon after this event, Napoleon
was defeated by the allied powers,
and virtually imprisoned in the island
OF Elba. The Bourbons rc-ascendcd
the throne Of France. The confis-
Gated estates of Louis Philippe were