The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-05

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de Beauharnais, and the couple journeyed
to France and to Paris. Here they Gre
ated quite sensation in society, for he
was equally beautiful with herfeIf
They attended at court, of course, and
the poor fated Marie Antoinette took
notice of the colonial lady.
! How little did the queen think that
in some years the young lady which sha
. was pleased to admire would bear q title
even higher than that of queen, and
would bear II In the very palace within
which the Queen Of France was speak
ing, aud as the mistress In that palace.
OF this marriage resulted soii
Eugenc) and daughter (Horteusel,
who ultimately became the mother OF
the present Emperor Of the French.
Everything promised happiness to tire
young couple, but clouds will rise In
the brightest day, and a beautiful morn
ing may lead to night OF raging and
terrible storm.
Suddenly the viscount became intoier-
ant, some say mad and, as the unhappy
result. the wife and husband separated
He remained in France, while Josephine
returned to Martinique, accompanied by
her children.
In that island she remained till tile
news Of the Revolution, when perhaps,
fear for the life Of her husband Induced
her to return 10 France, and IL was during
the journey home that an accident 10
moralize over. occurred. The little Hor.
tense, the future mother Of an emperor.
wore away the only pair OF shoes she
had by dancing about, and her little feet
i 1,st lar
made her pair out OF an old boot OF bis
own, and In these botches the mother Of
Napoleon the Third was once more
happy and dancing about.
! The pair of boots are historical, for
Josephine KEEP. them, and when, In after
! days, she was Empress Of the French,
she showed them stored up with her
grand jewels-they were the jewels Of
her memory, and she kept them by her.
| till the day came when she hoated to.
wards God, ms we all must-alone, each
with his dread account.
%Her husband soon fell q victim to tie
Revolution, and she was widow Then
she was prisoner, a poor .aristocrat,"
condemned to die for the crime OF her
| birth.
II was now that the prophecy OF al old
woman began to take possession OF her
mind, and when several ladies were be-
wailing their own fate and hers too, che
actually smiled. aud told them the guilo.
tine would never drink their blood nor
her own; that she would become Queen
of France, and that the ladies near her
should form part of her royal household.
As she spoke, they heard tbs gaoler
| give his dog kick, aud say, "Out OF tue
| way, Robespierre.' And SO she OWNED
that RobesplerTc had fallen, since bis
namesake, the poor dog, bad becu called
and kicked in one aud the same moment.
But the dad days. had no, yet passed
from Josephine. She was saved from
death. but not from poverty, and she had
to beg almost In order to 1.-Two.
It was In 1895 tina. Napoleon, then
Commandapt OF Paris, first saw jose
phine. He met her at a minstrel s0iree.
but he first teoaule Interested In her iife
when she called To thank him for re-
storing TO her son Eugene the sword bis
dead father had worn, and which had
been yielded up to the government Oh
the disarming of the citizens.
The fire OF love once alight In Napo.
| Icons heart, II soon burned brightly,
aud within very few months from the
time when they first saw each other,
Josephine and Napoleon we're married.
That Napoleon absolutely adored his
wife Is proved by many Instances Of ex :
treme forethought and consideration.
On went the conquering Napoleon, daily
gaining more and more power, while
Josephine gained new NapoleonIsts By
her tact and policy, not the least Of
which was great assumption Of mod
esty. She lived at a quiet little estate
called Malmaison, and all her thoughts
seemed centered in her garden.
H. n II. T~x..~ -
and Josephine was the wife of the man
Mt whose disposal rested thirty millions
of men.
From Malmaison TO the Palace of the
Luxembourg was an ascent; but that
Palace was soon found inconvenient, and
the consul and his wife, Madame Bona
parte, then removed To the "Tuileries,"
the p ,lace of the old kings.
\ BY this time Josephine was thirty-six,
and men admired her 80 heartily, and
she appeared so beautiful, that she might
have been called sixteen, aud no one
would have denied the assertion. A
few years, and the prediction of the old
woman away in Martinique was fulfill
ed. Josephine was an empress-and an
empress of France.
And now she had touched the highest
pitch of all her earthly glory, aud 1t Is
1
upon the throne she was gentle, charits.
ble, courteous, and never vulgar.
Her misfortune was the misfortune Of
many women who have had but one
nisfortune-she bore no imperial chill
dren. The Emperor wished TO continue
the line, and he divorced her.
There Is no more touching page In
history than that recounting Josepliae's
uuhesitating obedience to Napoleon's
4 wish. She laid down her crown with.
out murmur, and retired into private
life back TO the little estate mt Malmai-
sou, which she had quilted for so much
4 grandeur, aud where she returned to the
aid gardening pursuits of her compare.
lively early and humble days
Perhaps the most touching portion OF
this pathetic historical chapter is the re.
4 spect and love Josephine rendered TO
\ her rival and successor, Maria Louisa.
4 She bumbly asked to see the new EN-.
press, but this the naughty Austrian re.
i fused to allow, Id SO Josephine bowed.
/ When Napoleon's son was born, 10 one
/ Esjoiced more than Josephine, yet hard
/ irsdeed TO bear must she have fslt her
II Trsubles-especiaily when the emperor
setst her word, day or 50 after the birth
ID ID is son, that he had no. had time tn
write to her, because he could not cease