The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-09
The MA1DEN's DowRY.

TOr ~ BILL llFIUS anu cueTiSheu among L0O6o
brave and industrious islanders; they remeu.
Der the great benefits conferred by him on their
country, and are proud to have been subjects
OF one who had conquered nearly the whole Of
Europe. There, in that island, are still living
many who were attached to his staff, and to
the Imperial palace. 1t proved very Interest,"
ing to me 10 hear from them original facts
facts which have never been recorded in his
tory, and which do honor to the great viesini
of English oligarchy-his great deeds, and
strong and most noble character. g -a4
During the two months of my residence aE
Elba, { made two Interesting friends,--an old
lady called Donra Marinecia, great favoIite Of
his Majesty, and certain Sig nor Rieci, an an
cicnt guard of tie Empire, who had been com.
mander Of man-of-war when Napoleon left
that island for his extraordinary and hazardous
descent at Cannes. Signo Marinecia was my
hostess, and narrated to me one day how she
became an acquaintance and great protege
of Napoleon Bonaparte. ag5saa - 35
"My father" said she, "was poor old fish,
erman of Porto, Ferrajo the chief town of our
island. Too poor to possess boat, he used to
fish around the shores of the Gulf, having no
other means of support for his small family
I was the only child left to him my two broth
ers had been taken away from home by the
French Government to join the great army on
its march to Russia.
Napoleon after his disasters at Moscow, ,af.
ter having been the terror of kings and despots,
came to our country, and from the Emperor of
the French, became chief of this small island.
Bonaparte often used to disguise himself, eli.
ther to know the feelings of the inhabitants to.
wards him, or to go everywhere in freedom
without being troubled or followed by crowds
of people. 1t was almost impossible to recog.'
nize him, and this what relate happened to-
my poor father his soul may be in heaven,
or, at least, in purgatory.
."I was one day looking at my father fishing
around the gulf, WHEN a gentleman rather
plainly dressed, asked the poor cid man if ho'
obtained fish enough to gain his livelihood
My father, who had neither received an educa-
ton nor knew what politeness was, turned to
the stranger, and, in rough manner, said, oh.
my poor father was to be excused, as he did
not know that he was speaking to the Empers
or, he answered, as I said, that he could catch
fish enough not to die by starvation with his fam
lily; thanks he continued, 'to the, assassin and
rascal, Napoleon. At seventy years old must
still work, and very hard too Here he be-
gan TRADE of curses against Napoleon, and
vainly did strive to quiet my irritated parent
During all these exclamations against the EN-
peror and his Generals, the gentleman was ST.
lent and stood c lmly listening and looking al
the old man. At last my father without pay
down on rock, and continued his fishing as if
nothing had happened him.
"'Well, said the stranger You are wrong to
use such language against the Emperor. ! can
assure you that he is neither an assassin nor n
rascal. / understand very well your trying
situation, and if you should apply to the EN-
peror himself for help, am sure that he would
be very happy to change your situation. What
did Napoleon do to you, may ask, good manP"
"'Sir,' replied my father, 'he took away my
two only sons to perish in the SHOWS of Russia.
When they were at home, I was not obliged
to work so hard, nor to fish and this po5r
girl, looking at me, she would have been mar
ried before this time"
"'Has the Emperor interfered, also,' said the
gentleman, with her marriage?'
mo sir, but as she la no dowry, it is inn
possible to find husband, although she is
handsome Indeed I was handsome was
called the beauty of ElDa But it is difficult
in our days for girl to marry without money
"After a few moments, the stranger bade rs
good evening, and went witl another gentle!
man, who just then came up, towards the city.
/ reproachcd my father for. having used such
language against our sovereign; but all was
useless with him, he was that kind of a man.
1'TEe next day-oh what a memorable day
early in the morning, an officer called on my
! father, and required that he should go with me
to the Imperial palace. In vain my father made
excuses to the officer that he waa not man to
enter into such mansion, nor to go before the
| Emperor. The officer was merciless We had to
| go, and my poor mother was in despair. wept
like child, and my father trembled from head
to foot. He remembered too well the thought
less conversation with the stranger the day
| by other officers to large room, in which We
| were told to remain until we should be called
| to private audience. My father was thought
full and dull, and feared to ray dear for his
abuse against his Majesty. After long and
painful agony of half an hour we were taken
| into small saloon Many Generals dressed
in rich uniforms were sitting round a table, and
| several fashionable ladies seemed engaged in u
| private and interesting conversation with one
Of the chiefs. AS we approached him, he
| turned towards us, covered as he was with de-
| corations and gold ornaments and speaking to
my father, asked him if he recognized him
| Poor old man, at that moment he felt all his
guilt, and suecumbed to the peril of his dam
gerous- situation; he could neither speak nor
look at his examiner, but tainted and remnin-
ed senseless for long time. / threw myself
at the feet of the Emperor and asked mercy
for my father The Emperor raised me up,
presented me with purse of gold coins, and
said to my father in a sorrOwfal tone, that he
had never given orders to take away two sonF
from family. but always to leave one for the
support of his parents, and if they ordered
both of bis sons to enlist in the army, he had
been deceived by some of the ministers of war
"Courage, old man." continued Napoleon,
,,you have lost two sons, and IL have lost my
wife my only child, re ations. throne, and pow
er. / have ordered four thousand francs for
the dowry of your daughter, and to you give
farm at Port Longone, which your daughter
will inherit after your death" h
: :.
ng- Old Giddings declares that he had no