The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-02-06

s'And what has she prophesied to
vou?' asked Bonaparte. eagerly.
s'She has told me: You will enc day
be Queen of France! you viii be still
mere Than Queen. ,"
The General was silent. He had re
manned standing; but now slowly paced
the room a few times, his hands folded
OH his back and his head inclined on his
breast. Then again he stood before the
yiScounteSs, and his eyes rested upon her
with wonderous bright and genial ex-
preston.
Il bid defiance to fate, he said, some
what solennly. This prophecy does
not fligh5en me away, and, in defiance
TO your phophetie negro woman, /, the
Republican General, address my prayer
to the future Queen of France :; be my
wife give me your hand. y
Josephine felt almosl afIrighted at the
pertinancy Of the General, and a senti
meat Of apprehension overcome her as
she looked into the pale decided counte-
nance OF this man, q stranger to her, and
who claimed her for his wife.
et'0n, sir, she exclaimed, with some
anguish, 'you offer me your hand with
as much carelessness as il the whole mat
ter were merely for a contradance. But
[ can assure you that marriage is a very
grave matter, which has no resemblance
whatever to a gay dance. [ know it IS
so. | have had my sad experience, and
I cannot SO easily decide upon marrying
a second time.
you refuse my hand, then?" said
Bonaparte, with a threatening tone.
Josephine smiled. On the contrary,
General, said she, give ME your hand
and accom- pany Inc to my carriage which
has been waiting for me this long time.
THAT means to DISMISS me You
close upon me the doorNsf your drawing
room 2" exclaimed Bonaparte with
warmth.
She shook her head and bow;ng before
him with her own irresistible grace, she
said, in a friendly manner, 4 am too
good patriot not to be proud OF seeing
the conQueror of Toulon in my drawing
room. Tomorrow [ have an evening
reception, and ] invite you to be present,
General.
From this day Bonaparte visited Jose
phine daily she was certain to meet him
everywhere. At first she sought to
avoid him, but he always knew with cum
ming foresight how TO battle her efforts,
and to overcome all difficulties which she
threw in his way Was she at her friend
Thcrese's, she could safely reckon that
General Bonaparte would soon make his
appearance and come near her with his
eyes beaming with joy, and in his own
energetic language speak to her Of his
love and hopes. Was she TO be present
at the eception of the five monarchs OF
Paris, it was General Bonaparte who
waited for her at the door OF the hall to
offer his arm, and lead her amid the re-
spectful, retreating, and gently applaud
ing crowd to her seat, where he stood by
her, drawing upon her the attention of
all. Did she take Il drive, at the accus-
toned hour, in the Champs Elysees, she
was confident soon to see Gen. Bona
narte on his gay horse, gallop at her side,
followed by his brilliant staff, himself the
object OF public admiration and universal
respect, and, finally, if she went to tne
theatre, Gen. E0naparte never failed to
appear in her toge, to remain near her
during the performance, and when she
left, to offer his arm to accompany her to
her carriage.
It could not fail that this persevering
homage OF the renowned and universally
admired young general should make
deep and fiattering impression on jose
phine's heart, and Eli her with pride and
JOY. But Josephine made resistance to
this feeling she cndeavored to shield
herself from it by maternal love.
She sent for her children from their
respective schools, and Uio.l her nearly
grown-up son on one side, AMI her daugh-
fer budding into maidenhood on the 9th
err, she thus presents herself to the Gen
eral, and with an enchanting smile, said
See, General how old | aln, with u
grown up son and daughter who soon can
make ne Grandmother.
But B0naparte, with heartfelt emo
ton, reached his hand to Eugene and
said: "A man who can call 50 worthy a
youth as his son, Is to be envicd."
A cunning, smiling expression OF the
eye revealed to Josephine that he had
understood herwar stratag cm-that Meth
er the grown-up son nor the marriageable
daughter could deter him from his OBJ
iect.
josephine at last was won by so much
love and tenderness, but she could not
yet acknowledge that the wounds Of her
heart were closed that she could trust
in happiness, and devote her life to a new
love, to a new future She shrank timid-
| " away from such shaping of her desti-
ny; and even the persuaslons OF her
friends and relative, even the father OF
her deceased husband, could not bring
| her to a decision.
The state of her mind is depicted in a
letter which Josephine wrote to her friend
Madame de Chateau Renaud, and which
| describes III Il great measure, the strange
uncertainty Of her heart:
''You have seen General Bonaparte at
my house. Wen, then, he is the one who
wishes to be father of the orphans of Al,
exandre de Beauharnais and the husband
Of his widow. DO you love him?' you
will ask. Well, no. Do you feel any
repugnance towards him. No, but /
feel in state Of yacillation and doubt, a
state very disagreeable to me, and which
| the devout in religious matters consider
to be the most scandalizing. As love Is
a kind of worship, one ought in its pres
ence to feel animated by other feelings
than those | now experience, and there
fore | long for your advice, which might
! bring the constant indecision OF my mind
to a fixed conclusion. To adopt firsn
course has always appeared to my creole
aonchdtGace something beyond reach, and
| find it infinitely more convenient to be
led by the Will of another.
Il admire the courage Of the general ;
| am surprised at his ample knowledge,
which enab es him TO speak fiuently on
every subject; at the vivacitv of his gen.
ius, which enables him to guess at the
thoughts of others before they are ex-
pressed; but | avow | am frightened at
| the power he seems to exercise over every
one who comes near him. His searching
| look has something strange which | can
not explain, but which has controlling
influence even even upon our directors
Judge, therefore, of his influence over a
| won,an FinaIlv. the very thing which