The Shasta courier., 1863-01-31

to him, and relating, in detail, all that had
passed, concluding by begging him, out Of
friendship to me, to give up the navy and
devote himself to the artillery, that we might
be in the same regiment and pursue ocr ca
reer side by side
sNopoleon Immediately acceded to my
proposal, abandoned, from that moment, all
his naval projects, and replied that his mind
was made up to dedicate himself with me to
the artillery-with what success the world
has since learned. -
In the year 1884 Joseph Bonaparte, then
sixteen y-cs~v returned 20 r;1S.--
Du1ihg n1s as~-a.5 he had entirely forgotten
the Italian, his native language, and could
neither speak it. nor Understand it when spo-
ken. After spending few years at home,
during which time he very diligently prose
cuted his studies, mis- father, whose health
was declining. found it necessary to set out
for Paris, to seek advice from eminent physi
clans there. He took his son Joseph with
him. When they arrived at Montpelier, after
very tempestuous voyage, he became so i'll
as to be unable to proceed any farther.
After painful sickness of three months,
Charles Bonaparte died of cancer in the
stomach, on the 24th of February. 1885. The
father had, with pride, perceived indications
Of the exalted powers and lofty character of
his son Napoleon, and in the delirium of his
last hours repeatedly cried out:
Napoleon. NAPOLEON, come and rescue me
from this dragon Of death by whom am de
voured."
The dying father expressed great solicitude
for his wife, who, at the early age of thirty.
hye, was to be left widow with eight chill
dren, six of whom were under thirteen wears
of age. Joseph yielded to his fathers earnest
entreaties and relinquished the profession of
arms, that be might solace his bereaved mo-
ther and aid her in her arduous cares. Letitia
Bonaparte proved herself equal to the respon
sibility thus thrown upon her. Napoleon
says of this noble mother:
She had the head of man on the shoul.
ders of woman. Left without a guide or
protector, she was obliged to assume the man
agement of affairs, but the burden did not
overcome her. She administered everything
with degree of sagacity not to be expected
from her age or sex. Tenderness was Joined
with severity. She punished end rewarded
impartially: the good, the bad, pothing es-
capped her. She watched over us with solci-
tude unexampled. Every low sentiment,
every ungenerous affection was discouraged
and discarded She suffered nothing but
what was grand and elevated to take root
in our youthful understandings. She ab-
'horred falsehood, and would not tolerate the
slightest act of disobediepcc. None of -s6Y
faults we're overlooked. Losses, priyations,
fatigue had no effect on her; she endured
all, braved all. She hal the energy of a
man, combined with the gentleness and deli
cacy Of a woman"
Madame Perman, Corsican lady of for.
tune, who resided at Montpelier, had been,
in her girlhood, the companion and intimate
friend Of Let'tia Raniolini. She soothed the
last hours of the dying father, and received
the orphan boy into her house. Madame
Parman was the mother of the distinguished
Duchess of Abrantes
g She was to me-" says Joseph, "an an
gel of consolation; and she lavished upon
me all the attention | could have received
from the most tender and affectionate of
mothers
Joseph soon returned to Corsica. Napo-
leon had just been promoted to the military
school in Paris, in which city Eliza still con-
tinued. Lucien, the next younger brother,
had also now been taken to the continent.
where he was pursuing his education. The
four remaining children were very young.
My MOTHER" says Joseph, " moderated
the cAprcssiot Vi ner SrleI, tnat she might
not excite mine. Heroic and admirable
woman the model of mothers how much
thy. children are indebted to thee for the ex.
ample which thou hast given them"
Joseph remained at home about year,
devoting' himself to the care of the family.
when Napoleon obtained leave of absence.
and to the great joy of his mother, returned
to Corsica. Hebrought with him two trunks
"a small one Containing his clothing, and
large one filled with his books Seven wears
had now passed since the two afectionate
brothers had met. Napoleon. like Joseph.
had entirely forgotten the Italian language;
but chagrined at the loss, he devoted himself
energetically to its recovery. g 'Napoleon's
habits" Joseph writes, "were those of a
young man retiring and studious."
For nearly year the two brothers prose
cuted their studies vigorously together. while
with their presence and their flial
love, their revered mother. At length Napo-
leon again left home, to rejoin his regiment
at Valence. During his brief residence of
less than year on his native island, Napo-
leon wrote history of the revolution in Cor
sica. At Marseiiles he showed the manu-
script to the Abe Raynal. The able was
so much pleased with it that he sent it to
Mirabeau. The distinguished man remarked
that the essay indicated genius of the first