The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-06-14
THE DEATH OF Josephine.

Darkness and clouds surrounded the path |
way of Napoleon. In vain he struggled to re-
treve his fortune. The last engagement al
Lepsic decided his fortunes for the time and
consigned him to Elba.
Napoleon was an exile, but in his retiremen,
he did not forget the only being he really
loved, his Josephine He Immediately address
sed letter TO her, breathing the same spirit to
wards her that he had always manifested rather
congratulating himself tina, his head and spirit
were free from the enormous weight of care.
and intimaling that hereafter his pen should be
a substitute 10 his sword
90 This world, he said, has as yet seen me on.
ly in profile. | shall now show myself in full
How many are the upon whom false
estimate has been placed have heaped bene.
fits upon the millions II wre,ches What have
they done in the end Tor me? WHY have all
betrayed me Yes all except from this
number the good Eugene and yourself, Adeu
my dear Josephine. Be resigned, as am and
never forget him who never forgot, and will
never forget you Farewell, Josephine Ma
poleon Upon reading the tidings terrible,
Josephine was overwhelmed with grief, and
immediately answered his letter, breathing the
same spirit of devotion to him who was once
her husband, that had always characterized her
noble heart. and entreated him to say The
word, and she would fly to him. The remain.
ing circumstances connected with her illness
and death we give in the language of Mr.. Alb.
bot
A few days after this letter was written, the
Emperor Alexander, with number of iustri.
Gus guests, dned with Josephine at Ma!maison
In the evening twilight the party went out up.
on the beautiful lawn in front of the house for
recreation. Josephine, whose hea tin had be
come precarious through care and sorrow being
ra. los. nf hnr a. L.
took violent colo. The next day she was
worse. Without any definite form of disease.
she day after day became more feeble, until it
was evident that her final change was near at
hand. Eugene and Hortense, her most aff;.c.
ticnate children were with her by day and BY
night They &C mmunicated to her the iudy.
ment OF her physician, that death was near.
She heard the tdngs with perfect cnmposure,
| and called for a clergyman to administer to her
the last rites of religion Just after this solem
nifty the Emperor Alexander entered the room
Eugene and Hortense, bathed in tears, were
kneellng at their mothers side, JOSEF hine beck
oned the Emperor TO approach her, and said
to him and her children: 81 have always de.
sired the happiness of France. have done all
in my power to contribute to it; and can saw
with truth to all of you now present, at nv
last m"men' that the irst wife of Napoleon
| never caused tear to flow"
She called for the portrait of the Emperor
she gazed upon it long and tenderly; and the,
ferventiy pressing 1t in her clasped hands TO her
bosom, family articulated the following pyayer
- God watch over Napoleon while h. re
mains IN the deser, of this world Alas though
he has committed great faults ha'h ne no, tx
plated them by great suffering? Just God, how
mast thou looked into his heart, and 81, en- now
ardent a desire for useful aud durable inrroye
- he nnfttt tad
husband, bear me witness that nv last praye,
was tor him and my children"
1t was tie Goth May, 1914. A TRANQUIL sum
mers's day was fading away into serenely
beautiful evening. The rays of the setting sur
struggling through the foliage of The open win
| dow, shone cheertully upon the bed where the
Empress was dying. The vesper songs of the
birds which filled the groves Of Malmaiso,
| hoated swee'y upon the ear, and the gentle
| spirit OF Josephine lulled to repase by these
sweet anthems, sunk into her sleep Gazno
upon the portrait of the Emperor she exclaimed
l. isle Elbe-NapoIeon - aud died.
Alexander, as he gazed upon her Gfeless re-
mains, burst INTO tears, and uttered the folIownu
aHec.ing yetJust tribute of respect to hel
| memory: g She is more; that woman Franc.
named the benefcent, that angel of uoodn .ss
is no more. Those who have known Josenh,n.
can never forget her. She dies regretted by he,
| OFFSPRING, her trends and contemporaries"
For days her body remaln-d shroudsd in
state Tor its burial. During this time more thar
2o,0oo OF the people sf France visited he,
beloved remains. On the Cd of June, midday
| The funera. proce ssion moved from Malmaisor
TO kuel, where the body was deposited in tomt
OF the village church The funeral service,
were conducted with the greatest magnifics nee
as the sovereign of the allied armies uni,ed with
the French IN doing honor TO her memory -
When all had left the church but Eugene and
Hortense, they knel, beside their mo hers rave
and for long time mingled their tears and
prayers. beautiful monument of white mar
bic representing the Empress knerlng IN her
coronatlonal robes, is erected over her burial
place, with this simple but atfectionale inscrip.
ton.
EUGENE AND HoRTENsE