The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-11-23

enter, lie had not summoned courage to break the
subject to Josephine The evidence is indubita-
BILE that he experienced intense anguish in view
oi the separation; but this did not Influence his
iron Will to swerye from it's purpose. The grand
eur oi his fame and the magnitude of his power
was now such that there was not a royal family
IN Europe which would not have felt honored in
conierrng upon him bride. II was at first con
templated that he should marry some princess Of
the bourbon family, and thus add to the stability
of his throne,' by conciliating the royalists Of
France princess of Ssxouy was proposed
Some weighty considerations urged an alliance
with the majestic empire ofRussia, and some ad-
vances were made to the court of ST Petersburg,
having in view sister of the Emperor Alexander.
II was at length decided that proposals should be
| made to the court of Vienna, for Maria Louise,
daughter Of the Emperor of Austria
At last the fatal day arrived for the announce
nent TO Josephine. 1t was the last day Of No
yember 1909. The Emperor aud Empress dIned
Mt Fontainbleu alone. She seems 10 have had a
prescntiment that her doom was sealed for all
shat day SIZE had been in her retired apartment
weeping bitterly. As the dinner hour approach.
ed she ba,hed Ler swollen ewes, and ,ned to re.
gain composure. They sat down at the table in
silence. Napoleon did not speak Josephine
could not trust her voice to utter a word Nei-
,her OF them even feigned to eat Course after
course was brought in, and removed untouched
! a mortal paleness revealed the anguish of each
| heart. Napoleon, in his embarrassment mechani-
| caly and apparently unconsciously, kept striking
the edge Of bis glass with lis knife while lost in
thought. more melancholy meal was probably
never witnessed. The attendants round the Ia
bic caught the infection, and gazed in motionlcss
silence. Atlast the ceremony Of dinner waso over
the attendants were dismissed and Napoleon and
Josephine were alone Another moment of most
painful silence ensued, when the Emperor, pale
~ death, and trembling in every nerve arose, and
approached Josephine. lie took her hand, and
placing it upon his heart, said.
Josephine My own good Josephine! you
know low have loved you. 1t is TO you alone
that owe the few moments Of happiness | have
known IN this world. Josephine my destiny i.
stronger than my will Ny dearest affection,
must yield to the Interests Of FtahceW
Josephines brain reelcd her blood ceased tc
circulate she tainted and fell lifcless upon tn,
floor. Napoleon, alarmed, threw open the dool
OF the saoon and called for help. Attendant,
from the ante room Immediately entered Ma
peleon took taper from the MANTLE and, utter
ING not word, but pale and trembling rnotonec
to the Count de Beaumont to take the Empires,
IN his arms. She was still unconscious of every
thing, but began to murnur in tones If anguish
"Oh, no you cannot surely do il. You woul,
not kill me"
The Emperor led the way through dark pas
sage to the private staircase which conducted tc
the apartment of the Empress The agitation o.
| Napoleon seemed now ~ increase. lie uttered
some incoherent sentences about violent nerv
Gus attack; and finding the stairs too steep and
narrow for the Count de Beaumont to bear the
body of the helpless Josephine unassisted, he
gave the ligbe TO an attendant and spnnortiny
her limb, himself they reached tho donr of th9
bedroom. Napoleon then disn.,inr his mail. n.
tendants, and lavnl, Josephipe upon her bed
rung for the waiting women. He burg over be,
with an expression Of the most intense affection
and anxiety until she bepon to r.virc. Bpt IN.
moment consciousness seemed returning, he left
the room NAPOLEON did not even throw Limsel,
I upon his bel that nipbt IIp pasa6 ,hc floor nm
til the dawn of the morning The royal surgeon
Coryisart, passed the nirlt at the bedside Of the
Empress. Every hour the restless Vet unrelent
ing Emperor. called at her door In noure con
cernlng her situation.
"On recovering from nv swoon." saw, lose
phiue, II perceived that Coryisart was in attend
ance, and my poor daughter Hortensc wecpjpp
over me. No no! | cannot describe the horror
of my situation during that night Even the in
terest he affected to take in nv suferings SCENE,
to me additional cruelty. How much reason hac
to dread becoming an Empress. :"
A fortnight now passed away, during which
Napoleon and Josephine saw but little of each
other During this time. there occurred the ami
versary of the coronation and of tie victory Of
Austerlitz Paris was filed with rejoicing. The
bells rang their mcrriest pcals The metropolis
was refulgcnt with Illuminations. In these fcs
tivites Josephine was compelled to appear. She
knew that the sovereigns and princes then assem-
oled IN faris were informed OF her approaching
disgrace. In all these sounds of triumph she
near" ont ne kneIl oi her own doom. And
though careful observer IN her moisened eye
ani her pai.id check, would have observed indi.
cations oil the secret woe which was consuming
her heart her hl6tual a'tablity and grace never
Tor once iorsook her. Hortcnse, lansuid and hor-
ror stricken, was with her mother Eugene was
also summoned from Italy by the melancholy du-
Y attending the divorce HIS first interview
was with hls mother From the saloon he went
directly to the cabinet OF Napoleon, and inquired
ol the Emperor It he had decided the question Of
n divorce from his mother Napoleon, who was
T strongly attached to Eugene, made no reply, but
pressed his hand ms an expression that 1t was So
Eugene withdrew his Hand end said:
'Srs i'm tl,ai cagp ,prnlt ,np IN l,ntt, frp,