The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-11-12
The Destiny of Josephine.

The Destiny of Josephine.
I Josephine interests everybody, and We glad
ly give our readers the following from a ccr
respondent of the knickerbocker Magazine :
4 The history of Napoleon is vet to be writ
ten and 10y an American. The world has
been amused with fables Of this man of des
tiny; which have been transmitted as heir
/ looms until they have reached him who now
sits upon the throne of France, and is pleas.
! ed with the title the man of destiny
/ This though i,.vorite idea with every class
Of Freuchmen. II doubed,ly arose from the
/ story Of Josephine, and through her attach
: mcnt to NaHoeon. Though her siuple story
is SmOthered in the more brilliant one of her
husbad. yet It was well known that long
before Napocon's admirers claimed for i'm
the great destiny he finally accomplished. il
was common story in Paris what we are
about 10 tell.
Ii was while almost a child that Josephine
in some Of her wandcrings with her school
fellows, came across 4 warrant Gvpsey or for
tune teller. The woman. attracted IN some
way towards The beautiful child, insisted up
on telling Lcr fortune, even against her viii
and wilhJu; reward. She ;O!d her that she
would Yer. soon lie "a wife. a widow and after
wards Queen ot France The prediction in
itself Wa, common enough, but simple as
il was It had is effect upon Josephine. vino
Immediately Embraced il Il. u fact. aud could
for {. long ii.ny think Of mott. az else
When tie iu!ilment came 10 the first pa rt
o: the prediction, It OF course strengthened
he: IL the belief Of the rest. and even when
IL prison under sentence Of death. and her
bed va, taken from her al night because she
Was TO die IN the morning.. she bale her
| friends have courage tha; it would not be SO.
| and that she would SIT upon tina, throne then
/ in rains beneath the bloody feet Of RUlcspier-
/ re; and when the jailors ia dcrisou called
! upon her t. name her maids Of honor thu,
/ they might be ready when she was queen. she
/ did so. and hrT nomination was G.al'v sI.E..
. cl t. . letter
! On hat very night Rojcspierrc fell. Had
4 his downfall occurred one week earlier. ! Jose
hines husband would not have been one
Of Lia victims had hc lived one day longer
she would have been another Of them.
/ There Wa hr- little lapse of time between
her liberation from prison and her marriage
to Napoleon, and !: Ua5 by the influence jLa,
/ she exertcd that he was appointed . the com
mand o: the army of it.l,. after which The
path tia. led them upward was clear and
| open. until the destiny she had insisted upon
was accomplished and the crown Of France
| was placed upon Lcr head.
I But there w2s one thing more tina: Joseph.
I iue had !urciJli to- herself which va tic
/ u;tcI loss Of power and rank 20 which shr ha,!
! been % wonderfully elevated, and still "Li!'
| she Iryplci owe. rh.s Napolcpg. rho w.
L,r lord. gathered new power and yielded /
! ncw ambitions, she tried 10 crush it. and T.
/ D,i.. ou- what shocl bc h:s ;rue aims bG,
lie was .. Emperor, and desired 70 be the
! founder of ! now empire.
| How well her instincts told her that the
I time was 7ap'diy approaching when that am
/ bitioa would mak' him put her away! IhcH
came the close Of the c"mpais" OF l')9, ant
/ she saw that the hour was approaching still
I Ucarc. that WAS 10 seal both their ialcs There
( wa no !or@cr the confidence Of the past be
tween them; no longer the seeking ct sym
( patAy and ADVICE.
); vas on the 2g;h @! Novem or, !oc' and
Tie court was especiaUy gay III honor oi Tie
hIag d SaXony. Josephine sat IT lie win
"uw "i her boIGolr. looking on; upon ne
r.yer whcl, she heard a step d, the door. and
rose to receive Napoleon who caught her in
lis arms, with more OF the oldsAk.i imc cmbra-
/ ccz than she lad known for To~s. She led
him t. the sofa on which she lad been sit
Ting. and seated herself by his side. Fox q
few moments there was silence, and he spoke.
- Josephine, You have been weeping. Are
you unhappy"
No. sire not with YOU
Nonsense, Josephine, who do YOU call
sire? OF late you making these forms
ovcrshadow all our haIpincss.'
Then, Why should they not be forgotten
/ by both? You have now reached that point
OF ambition that should content YOU. VIII
YOU turn the unquict god from your bosom
aud own our own barpincss?'
You misunderstood me, lady" he said,
quickly rising from his seat and leaning
against the window: I'm seeking nothing
for myself but everything for France"
at is for France, Napoleon" she said,
drawing close to his side and taking his hand
in hers, .,hat YOU would put away from YOU,
not only a ;rue wife but a true friend ! Think
not that have been blint. sire, to this, Ny
alarmed heart has told me all. and believe
me that | am offering no protest to your will
but oh. sire examine well your heart before
You act
He stood silent while she was speaking,
and then. with face turned full upon the
streaming moonlight he drew away his hands
She went on:
"And, oh sire! h''iave me, that though |
am 10 leave your throne and your side, shall
never cease 10 love YOU too deeply for my
peace. Therefore II Is that ! plead that YOU
viii look well into Your h ART before YOU yieid
u.,Tl,J c,r,.rI e, ,Lo .o,,,ro nr,be room,