Natchitoches spectator., 1868-02-13
The Destiny Of Josephine. !.

| ING OSS.luy VI JUScputHCs taF5
Josephine's history interests every,
the following from a correspondent OF
tue Knickerbocker Magazine
The history of Napoleon is yet to be
| written, and by am American. The
world has been amused with fables OF
/ this Man of Destiny, Which have been
transmitted as heirloolns until they have
reached him who now sits on the throne
of France, and is please ed with the title,
s'the man of destiny" xia
This, though a f;tvorite idea with
every class of Frenchmen, undoubtedly
arose from the story of Josephine and
through her attachment to Napoleon.
Though her simple story is smoothed in
the more brilliant one of her husband,
yet it was well known long before Napo-
Icons admirers claimed for him the
great destiny he finally accomplished; it
was a common story in Paris, what we
we are about to tell.
! 1t was while almost a child that jose
phine, In some of her wanderings with
her school mates, came across u vagrant
gypsy fortune-teller. The woman, at
tracted in some way toward the beauti-
ful child insisted upon telling her for
tune, even against her viii and without
reward. She told her that she would
NCiN SOOii NC u W llts NlhON, anu
wards Queen of France. The predic-
tion in itself is common enough, but
simple as it was, it had its effect upon
Josephine, who Immediately embraced
it as a f:ict, and could for q long time
think of nothing else.
When the fulflment came to the first
part of the predictions, of course it
strengthened her in the belief of the
rest, and even 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 wonld sit upon that throne
then beneath the bloody feet of Robes
pierre. and when the jailors in derision
called upon her to name her maids of
honor, that they might be ready when
she was queen, she did SO, and her NOM
ination 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 of them.
There was but little lapse of time be-
tween her liberation from prison and
her marriage to Napoleon, ald it was
by the influence she eXerted that he was
y
in Italy, after which the path, that led
them upward was clear and open, until
the destiny she insisted upon was ac-
complished, and the crown was placed
upon her head. .sr ,-s
But there was one thing more that
Josephine had foretold for herself, which
was the utter loss of, and rank to, which
she had been so wonderfully elevated
and still while she brooded over this
Napoleon, who was her lor1l, gathered
new power and yielded to new ambi-
tions; she tried to crush it, and to point
OUT what should be his true aims; but
he was an Emperor, and desired to be
the founder of n new Empire.
How well her instincts tcld her that
the time was rapidly approaching when
that ambition would put her away
Then came the close of the campaign of
1909, and she saw that the hour was ap-
proaching still nearer that was to seal
both their fates. There was no longer
the confidence of the past between them
no longer the seeking of sympathy
and advice.
It was on the Goth of November 1900,
and the court was especially gay in hon
or of the King of SaXony. Josephine
sat at the window of her boudoir, look
ing out upon the river, when she heard
poleon. who caught her in his arms with
more of the olden time embraces than
she had known for months. She led him
to the sofa on which she had been sit
ting, and seated herself by his side.
For q few moments there was silence,
and he spoke:
"Josephine, you have been weeping.
Are You unhappyl''
"No, Sirel not with YOU"
"Nonsensel Josephine, who do you
call sirel" OF late you are making
these forms overshadow all our happf-
ness" rs.
"Then why should they not be forgot
ten by bothl You have now reached
that point of ambition that should con-
tent you. Will you turn the unquiet
god from your bosom or our own hap
pinessF' -s.
"YOu misunderstood me, lady," he
said, quickly rising from his seat. and
leaning against the window, said, "I'm
seeking nothing for myself, but every
thing for France"
sIt is Tor France, Napoleon" she said
drawing close to his side and taking his
hand in hers, "that you would put away
from YOU, not only true wife, but a