Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-10-02
MIS- G L. LII A n Y.
CATHARIYE OF wURTEMBERG.

CATHARINE OF wURTEMBERG.
IN act Of graceful homage has recently
been paid to the memory Of Ca,harins oil
wurtcmb5rs, tho second wife Of Prince Jc
romc Bonarar,c, anl the mother Of Prime,
Napoleon, who has of late attracted 80 mucl
attention in the European world. The heart
Of the c1.Quccn Of Wc,tphala, enclosed IL
an urn. has been deposited in the tomb o'
the Emperor Napoleon at the Inyalilcs. II
j., as has boon well observed IN the Times
" the heart Of a noble woman, Of ono whom
no cuirca,iss Of her father, the kinsof Wur,
tsmburs. could induce % abandon her hus,
band ia his days Of adycr'ity, and who clune
To hun in evil report and good report to the
hour og her death" The circumstances OF
her lie are so full Of deep and touching in.
forest. tha, We trust our readers will not
uuwillinsly follow US in somc pasascs OF
ber chnuscul aud cycntul career
At tic commencement of the present cen.
,ury, the ancient palace at Stuttgart wa.
the peaceful AMI happy abode Of the ducaI
family Of wurtrmbors, whose position, al
though high enough to secure Tor them the
homage aul respect which is duo TO the
rrinccly houses Of Europe, yet seemed not
lofty enough to cypo,' ;nrm to the political
dangers s, often cuailcl On tie more clcrl.
tel and ambition, potcuutcs of Chri'ten-
dom. Tho great ,1calra,Olut0n, however,
which had shaken continental Europe % H.
very foundations, came 90 disturb the tran
quill happiness OF the Wurtcmbsrs family.
Napoleon the Great, now seated drmly upon
slauN,r,,rlsfr-a,sJ' Gruers ','cl j,''n'
bro,hrrs' brlws. The throne Of Holland
had bc,n bestowed upon LucIcn BonararIc 4,
Joseph was the king ol Splin, and a new
kinsdom-that oi Wc-iphalia-was about
TO be- formed ior jerome.
There vas, however, one serious obstacle
ia the way OF thi, latter arrangement. j.
romo had, in defiance Of his brother wishes,
welded himself t. an American lady, who
hal recently presented him with son. Ma
rolron W., seriously dt.plca,cd at thI'
union, and refused u acknowledge It's Va
UIuy. jerome, warmly attached 20 his
wilc. cam, over u Europe, aud throwing
himselfat the cmp,rur's feet hc'3usht hi'
PARDON, aud earnestly cntrcatcd him To r.
c,iyc IN, spouse as q member Of the imperial
family. Thi, request was made at an an.
toward moment. for Jeromo's interview
with tic emperor took place at Milan IN
lsO5. Just after he had graspei the iron
crown Of the ancient king Of Lombardy
bearing this proud yet beautiful device
DO nc Ia diede;
Quai che IA t,o,a.
/, was at this proud moment Of his life
that Jerome asked him u receive q plcbian
sister from republican America. The re.
quest was Indignantly refused. jerome
,hcI tears Of passionate affection as he em'
bnccl his wilc's portrait, and sworc never
to give her up for any raltry consideration
of earthly grandeur. lie, however, lacked
the Grmnc,, and resolution by which the
Bouapartc family were 80 cmincntly char.
acter1cd, and when the temptation Of a
kingdom with is power and It's pomp', wa
held out 10 his iazlled vision, hc gradually
became less vehement in bis dcuials, aud
finally yielded to the will Of his imrcriou'
brother. His vii, was abandoned, his ol,
.prin. disowncd and jerome stood alone, a
weak and guilty man, ready to acrifc,
honor, affection, and duty upon the bas,
altar Of earthly ambition.
It was on the Goth Of August, 1907, that
Catharinc Of Wurtcmbcrs found herself al
most in sight Of Paris; bat it being NaPo
Icons pleasure that she should not enter
his capital until evening, she was conducted
by his order to Raincy--a charming coun
try residence, once the abode Of royalty
but now the possession Of Juuot, Due IA
brantc,, whose wilc was commanded to re
cciye the princess with all the honor due t,
her elevated rank. The duchess receive,
her IN dsni ioihii, Ge o0ur on the grand pc
nsiv's Of the chateau, and conducted her t,
her own apartments, whcrc rcpast Of th
most costly description was prepared for be
relrcshment. She courtcously insisted OF
Madame d'Abrau,cs and her friends plrtak
ing with her of breakfast and the anima
tion with which she talked might have be
spoken a mind contcntcd with its lot, bu
:hat the rapid changes in her counlcnanc
revealed only too clearly the inward conli'c
of her heart. At one moment her feature
were suiIuscd with the deepest crimson, AM
at another they became liSid with dead!
pallor.
The afternoon was filed up with driv
through the forest Of Bondy, during whicl
the princess still eSerted herself to appea
pleased with the efforts made for her amusc
ment. Next came the grand affair Of he