The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-02-11
miscellaneous.
The Destiny of Josephine.

| Josephine interests everybody, and we
gladly give our readers the following from
correspondent Of the Knickcrbocker Mag
| 0Sine: .a!ai 81 s.i3 d -s.1s7s sdi au
The history Of Napoleon is yet TO be
written, and by an American. The world
| has been amused with fables of this man OF
destiny fables which have been translated
| as an heirloom, until they have reached
him who now sits upon the throne ofFrance,
and is pleased with the title, "tbe man of
destiny"
This title, though favorite one with ev-
cry class of Frsnchmen, undoubtedly arose
from the story of Josephine, and through
fear, attached to Napoleon. Though her
simple story is smoothed in the more bril-
liant one OF her husband, yet it is we'll
known that long before Nspoleon's admi-
rers claimed for him the great destiny he
finally accomplished, it was common sto-
ry in Paris, what we arc about TO tell.
It was while almost a child that jose
phine, in some of her wanderings with her
schoolmates, came across vagrant gipsey
or fortune teller. The woman, attracted
in some way toward the beautiful child, in
sisted upon telling her fortune, even against
| that she would very soon be wife, q wild
ow, and afterwards Queen of France. The
prediction in itself was common enough,
but as simple as it was, it had its effects
upon Josephine, who immediately embra-
ced it,as fact, and could for long time
think OF nothing else. eira
| When the fulilment came TO the first
part Of the prediction, it of course strength
1 nd hor iv,% %bo hol;of nf hor nd
when in prison under sentence of death,
and her bed was taken from her at night
| because she was to die in the morning, she
| bade her friends have courage, that it would
not be so, and that she would sit upon that
throne then in ruins beneath the bloody
| feet of Robespierre, and when the jailors
| in dersion, called upon her to name the
maids Of honor, that they might be ready
! when she was queen, she did SO, and her
nomination was finally fulfilled to the letter
On that very night Robespierre fell.-
Had his downfall occurred one week earlier
| Josephine's husband would not have been
one Of his victims; had he lived one day
longer she would have been another ol
| them. g.a.sg. .fr ta5 - sssl si fs.lts
! There was but little lapse Of time be.
| tween her liberation from prison and hel
marriage to Napoleon, and it was by the
| influence that she exerted that he was ap'
pointed to the command Of the army of It.
ally, after which the path that led them up
ward was clear and open, until the destiny
she had insisted upon was accomplished
and the crown o! France was upon hel
| head.
| But there was one thing more that Jo'
sephino had fortold for herself, which was
! the utter loss Of that power Of rank to
which she had been so wonderfully elevated
and still, while she brooded over this, be
| who was her lord, gathered new power and
yielded TO new ambition. She tried to
crush it, and to point cut what should be
| his true aims but he was emperor, and dc.
sired TO be the founder of a new empire.
| How well her instincts told her that the
time was rapidly approaching when tha;
ambition would make him put her away
! Then came the close of the campaign oi
| 1909, and she saw that the hour was ap-
preaching still nearer that was to seal both
their fates. There was no longer the con-
| fidence Of the past between them, no long.
| er the seeking of sympathy and advice.
1t was on the 10th of November, 1909
and the court was especially gay in honor
of the visit Of the king of Saxony. Jose
phine sat at the window of her boudoir,
| looking ont upon the river, when she heard
| a step at the door, and rose to receive Ma
poleon, who caught her in his arms, with
more OF the olden time embrace than she
had known for months She led him to
the sofa on which she had been sitting, and
seated herself by his side. For a few mo-
ments there was silence and he spoke =:
Josephine, you have been weeping. Are
| you unhappy 2"
"No, sire !! not with you." sJa
! Nonsense Josephine, why do you call
me sire OF late you are making these
forms overshadow all our happiness"
| '.Then why should they not be forgotten
| by both You have now reached that point
| Of ambition that should content you. Will
you turn the unquiet god from your bosom,
and own your own happiness ~
"You misunderstood me, lady" he said,
| quickly raising from his seat and leaning
against the window, II am seeking TO moth
ing for myself but everything for France.
"Is it for France, Napoleon" she said,
drawing close to his side, and taking his
| hands in hers, "that you will put away
| from you not only true wife, but true
| friend ?-Think not that have been blind,
sire, to this. My alarmed heart has told
me all, and believe me that am Offering
no protest to your will, but, o sire ex-
anime 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 bis
hands. She went on: sig
"And, o sire believe me, that though
| I am to leave your throne and your side,
shall never cease to love you too deeply for
my own peace. Therefore 1t is that plead
that you will look we'll into your heart De. e.
fore you yield Your future to bad counsei Z
He drew quickly from the window and
walked forward to the centre Of the room.
nYou cannot sympathize with me, madam
4 / act only with reason. The good OF the
! individual must yield to the good Of France.
| Farewell" i"el 4A3~s4 AF.t ~
"Stop |" said she, and Josephine stepped
quickly aeyoss the room and eAughthis arm,