The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-03-28


a ha ughty glance at her who thus pre-
sumed TO address the empress, said col
dly, 81 have some reason to believe that
my patronage will be little more advan-
tageous." Here the cham berain quickly
interposed, sit is quite certain that you,
madame, have the power of e!evating the
boy to any position you may choose for
him, however high" With a momen-
tary bitterness of feeling, excited py the
involuntary retrospect Of what she once
! had been, Josephine's disdainful eye
seemed to measure the speaker from head
to foot, as she said, ''And pray, sir, what
leads you to conclude that am not able to
raise whom | will still higher"
"The lady doubtless Intends" said
! Maria Lou lsa in tone Of irony, ''to
| place her Protege on the steps of the
throne
"Higher still, madame, if such were
my pleasure" warmly retorted Josehine,
I now rising to withdraw; .'for aught you
can tell, may have given kings to the
word. s -.- ~ 81.
beware, madame" hastily WHISPERED
Redoute; your majesty will betray your
self, and the Emperor viii be displeased."
/
4 was upon thorns, hastily added, 81 do not
see why either of these ladies need give
up her share in the happiness of doing
good. | shall feel honored in accepting
for my happy proteges whatever kindness
| il may please eitherto bestow upon them"
/ JOSEF phine made no answer, but with head
/ erect left the room; and Redoute, respect
! fully bowing to Maria Louisa, was fol-
! lowing, glad TO have prevented an out
break which might have had serious con-
sequences, when hand laid upon his
arm. made him turn round; it was the
chamberlain. -- .. ......-.-
"Sir,'' said he, in low whisper, "Go
you know that the lady whom | have had
the honor Of attending here is her maies-
ty, the Empress Maria Louisa!"
-.Sir," answered Redoute in an equally
low voice, ..the lady that have had the
honor of attending here is the Empress
Josephine.''
In less than two years after this meet.
ing Josephine had sunk under the never
healed wound that Napoleon's desertion
had inflicted, and died at Malmaison; and
Maria Louisa had, it may be joyfuIIy, quit
ted Co untry--w which she had never loved,
making herself beloved. During these
| two years the widow had lived upon the
daily bounty Of her royal Patronesses,
and was consequently now as destitute as
when they first entered her abode of pov.
| ertv. In vain had Redoute often placed
before Josephine his views of what pat
homage, to be really useful, ought to be
the helping others to help themselves
| In vain had he urged her to establish the
| widow in some way of earning her indie
! pendence. "Time enough for this when
the boy is grown up" But death came
and reverse of fortune, and no friend now
remained TO the widow and the orphan
| but the artist, and nough. remained to
! him from the vast wreck but his talent
| his reputation. Circumstances might in
| deed render the productions of his pencil
/ less source of emolument, but these cir
stances were but temporary; the ar
| tist would again rise to fame and fortune,
while Napoleon and Maria Louisa had
fallen irretrievaby. -gast.at
Redoute acted on the principle he would
have had the widows royal patronesses
to act; he procured employment for the
widow; and, thanks to his influence, she
was enabled to earn sufficient TO place
her above want, while he took upon him
self the education of her child. But the
mothers health was failing; aad when
.Redoute, previous to short absence from
Paris, went 10 take leave Of her, she ex-
pressed her belief that he would not find
her alive at his return, and with tears she
solemnly commended her boy TO his care
| Though he had not attachd much weight
TO her presenliments, yet it was with
somewhat uneasy feeling that, immedl-
ately on his return, he went to the house.
| The door was open, and, as he ran up
stairs, sound reached him which struck
upon his heart; they were fastening down
| the coffin of the widow, and in corner
ofroom was the little Charles weeping
bitterly. Some distant relations stood by
| the coffin in cold and audible de bate as to
what was to be done with the child.
81 see nothing for him but the orphan
asylum" said one. DE- asod1d
'Oh, no, no! pray do not send me
there," cried the child. My own dear
mamma worked for her bread, and so can
| |. You do not know how much | can do
| If you will but try me- At this instant
he caught a glimpse of Redoute, and
throwing himself into his arms, he ex-
claimed, "You are come back, dear, good
! friend, and you will not send me to the