Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-10-12
The Exiled Empress.

an aTGlCle WIltteH ny lduy WIN fiolIeu
and conversed with the ex-empress Eu-
genie at Chiselhurst The writer says:
=. She looked what Tennyson calls "di-
yinely .fairn but as one who has suffered
much. There was worn, weary look
inexpressibly pathetic in her eyes, Just
touched over the lower lids with black; her
cheeks were thin and very pale, her fair
hair simply arranged low on the neck be-
hind, drawn back at the sides; and with
curls on the forehead, and it was her own
Enthusiastically and palpably her own.
Her dress was of black parametta, self
trimmed, with small tunic, and gen.
eral look of scantiness about it. She wore
q little white shirt-collar and cuffs, and
not a single jewel, save one diamond star
that held the little collar. Her manner
suit her imperial presence, simply: courte-
GUS, earnest. 1t is as of ready-witted
woman, sweeet-temperod, full of human
interests and feelings, impressionable,
mobile, fascinating; emphasizing all she
says with her grandly cut Spanish eyes,
that might almost indeed stand her in lieu
ofspeech, so eloquently do they converse.
There is wonderful and varied charm
about her, Cleopatra-like, that neither age
nor costom can wither or stale. To see
how the woman struggled with the EN-
press, and how it brought her down to
sympathy ari pity from solitary stran-
ger, was very touching. Deco-um alone
kept tears from my eyes.
She began in English (which she speaks
readily, and with a good accent, only now
and then wanting word which she asks
you with her eyes to supply by regretting
that the Emperor was too ill to see me.
mot ill, far from it, she said, "thank
God, but suffering greatly from rheumatic
pains, in consequence of a chill when he
first arrived at Chiselhurst. The wealth
er had been warm and fine, and he had
been tempted out, too much wrapped up
flor it was so cold at Wilhelmshohe,) and
he had incautiouslY taken off his paletot,
and so cought cold, which had produced
an attack of rheumatism.'
Then she expressed much interest about
the place I came from. 1t was associated
with her early life. All! how happy I was
then-it seems like dream-so happy"
and her glorious eyes glistened. GLOW
| r h. 1uh 7
at school, the broad terrace and the dis
ta1t bills, and my companioas-my dear
friends-they have not forgotten me-"
eyes," said I, 'young Miss B"
"Young! ah, no!'' and she laughed.
"She is not young; she is my age, and
that is not young"
It is not allowed to contradict sover-
eigns, but as she said this she was liv-
ing contradiction of her own statement
She looked wonderfully youthful, and her
present thinness is very becoming in this
respect.
"When first came to England" she
continued, II desire to 60 there"
"Ah' madame, why did you not Gomez
We would have received you with cnthu-
siasm.,
She bowed. eyes, l wished it; it was
my first thought; but it could not be-"
''But, madame, wi II you not come
among US, and see your old haunts?"
"Sometimes, perhaps, but not now. l
cannot; the Emperor is i'll. I cannot
leave him, and go nowhere. 1 think of
nothing, day and night, but of poor
France. All, what horrors will be passed
through ere France can be at peace!
Those dreadful scenes are always before
me; the end is not yet"
Her eyes filled with tears and rested on
her shabby black dress-and this was the
late queen of fashion-and her look seemed
to say, "See how I mourn!" And it was
true. There is often q whole world of
pathos in little trihes that involuntarily
bear witness to the individual mind.
"Madame," said l, ''there is but one
consolation--the worse thin: 8 20 in France,
the more the Emperor is sure to be recalled.
1t is the Emperor alone who can govern
France. They are like bad children, and
require the master-hand Of wholesome re-
straints and discipline"
81 do not wish to rcturn-l suffered LOO
| much; but trust that events will justify