The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-09-17
A Fortunate Meeting.

The following anecdote of Napoleon is
translated from a French periodical, in
which it appears in print, apparently for
the first time: After the battle of Auerstadt,
Napoleon, with the remainder of his army,
marched toward Berlin by the Potsdam
road, in order to dispute with the enemy
! the passage of the Spree. Tho entire army
was in advance of him one or two marches
when he set out on horseback from Wit
tenburg. 1t was about one o'clock in the
afternoon when we started, with sky that
had all the indications of storm, and be-
fore we were out of sight of the town the
rain began to fall in torrents.
The emperor alighted, and sought shelter
in the house of the chief superintendent of
the forests of the elector. He supposed he
was not rcongnized, and attributed the ex-
IRENE Difference of two young women, who
were in the room into which we were shown,
to the usages Of the country. They, as
well as the two children, remained stand
ing. Their embarrassment was very mark
ed, when one of them, the older, but the
prettier of the two, said in low tone, and
in German, to the other, assure you, it is
the Emperor Napoleon"
The emperor did not understand her. but
the Due de Rovigo, who was tolerably fam
liar with the German language, told Ma
poleon what she said Not a little sur
prised, he turned to the lady and asked:
care you married, madame"
'No SIRE" she replied in very pure
French IL am widow"
"Has your husband been dead long?"
''He died in the army, sire; in the SER
vice of YOUR majesty"
''How-do you know me?'
eyes, sire; your majesty has changed
but little since l last had the pleasure of
seeing you. recognized you Immediate
ly, as l did also General Bertrand and
General Savary."
"But where did you see me2'
SIN Egypt, SIRE"
At this the emperor was more surprised
still, and cried:
"Eh, you were with us in Egypt? Tell
me how that was, pray YOU"
81 was born in Switzerland, and, in
1897, married M. de Wenzel, an army sur
geon, who died of the plague in Alexan-
der. Having no children, soon married
again-this time chef de battalion of the
second light infantry, who was killed at
Aboukir. BY him 1 had one child-this
little boy you see here" and she designa-
ted one Of the two little light-haired boys
before us. ~ returned to France with the
army after the capitulation; but all my en-
beavers to obtain pension proved fruit
less. Finally l became discouraged by
being so often refused, and went back to
my native town in Switzerland, where re-
NAMED until this lady here requested me
to come and take charge of the early cdu-
cation of her little son."
"Were you really married to this chefde
battalion 7" asked the emperor; cor was it
only one of those arrangements that your
position compelled you to accept T.
81 have my marriage contract, sire"
"Be so good as to let me see it."
She went to her chamber for the docu-
ment, and placed it in the emperor's hand
saying:
"You will see, sire, that my son was
born of a legitimate union"
After having glanced over the paper,
Napoleon returned it to the interesting
young widow, exclaiming, with unfeigned
satisfaction:
"Pardieu! this is happy rencontre."
He ordered Bertrand to note down the
name of the mother and her son. 1t had
ceased raining for some time when Ma
poleon said to the lady:
"Eh bien, madame, in order that the
recollection of this day may be agreeable
to us both, give you a pension of twelve
hundred francs, revertable to your son."
We then mounted our horses and con-
tinued our march. That night before Ma
poleon retired, he signed the decree for the
pension of the widow of Aboukir.
|
sW- II go through my work." as the
needle said to the idle boy. "But moi