The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-05
THE EXILED EMPRESS.
4 GLIMPSE OF EUGENE At CHISEL.
HURST.

| HURST.
A Lady's Visit to the Ex-Empress Eu-
genie-Her Shabby Alpaca Dress-The
Woman or tho Empress-She Relates
the Story of Her Flight-She Would
Not be Murdered in Her Bed-Wants tn
Enjoy Life a Little Longer.
Cassell's Magazine for October contains an
article written by lady who visited and con-
versed with the ex-Empress Eugene at CHS
elhurst. The writer says:
She looked what Tennyson calls ''divinely
fair" but as one who has suffered much. Inere
was q worn, weary look inexpressibly pathetic
In her eyes, just touched over the lower LIDS
with black; her cheeks were thin and very
male. her fair hair simply arranged low on the
neck behind, drawn back at the sides, and with
curls on the forehead, and it was her own hair
distinctly and palpably her own. Her dress
was Of black parametta, elf.trmmed, WIN a
small tunic and general look OF scantness
about it. She wore little white shrt-collar
and cuffs, and not single jewel, saTe one
diamond star that held the little collar. Her
manner suits her imperial presence, smp!e
courteous, earnest 1t Is as OF ready-wllled
| woman, sweet-tempered, full OF human inter-
| ests and feelings, impressicnable, mobile, las
cinating; emphasizing all she says with her
grandly cut Spanish eyes, that might almost
| indeed stand her In lieu Of speech, so eo-
| ouenty do they converse. There Is WONDER
lul and varied charm about her, Cleopatra-lke,
that neither age nor custom can wlther or
stale To see how the woman struggled with
the Empress, and how it brought her down to
| claim sympathy and pity from solitary slran-
ger, was very touching. Decorum alone Kept
| tears from my eyes.
! She began in English (which she speaks
| readily, and with good accent, only now ana
| then wanting word which she asks you with
her eyes to supply by regretting that the En-
peror was too III to see me. "Not seriously
| i'll. far from It" she said, "thank God, but SUI
fering greatly from rheumatic pains, In con-
sequence of o chill when he first arrived at
Chiselhurst. The weather had been warm ana
| fine, and he had been tempted out, too mucn
wrapped up (for 1t was 80 cold at Wiihelms-
\ hohe.) and he had incautiousy taken of his
paletot, and so caught cold, which had produc-
| ed an attack of rheumatism"
Then she expressed much interest about the
place l came from. IL was associated with
her early life. "Ah ! how happy was then
GUS eyes gliatened. "How well remember
1 the house wha.e / was at school, the broad
terrace ano the distant hills, and my compan
ions-my dear triends-they have not forgot
\ ten me-"
Eyes" said /. ''young Miss B"
/
is not young; she is my age, and that Is not
young"
It is not allowed to contradict sovereigns,
but as she said this she was living contra
dIctIon of her own statement. She looks won
derfully youthful, and her present thinness Is
very becoming In this respect.
when first came to England" she con-
tlnued, II desired to 60 there"
"Ah, madame, why did you not come We
would have received you with enthusiasm"
She bowed. "Yes, l wished 1t; 1t was my
first thought; but 1t could not be-"
"But, madame, will you not come among u.s.,
| and see your old haunts ?"
"snmetime, perhaps, but not now. I can
not; the Emperor is Ill. cannot leave him,
and / 20 nowhere. think of nothing, day
and night, but of poor France. Ah, what hor-
rors will be passed through ere France can be
at peace Those dreadful scenes are always
before me; the end is not yet"
Her eyes filed with tears and rested on her
shabby black dress-and this was the late
queen of tashion-and her look seemed TO say
| "See how mourn !" And 1t was true. There
| Is often whole world of pathos In little trihes
that involuntarily bear witness to the individ'
ual mlnd.
madame" said I, "there is but one conso.
lation-the worse things 60 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 restraint and dis
cpllne."
| much; but trust that events will Justify the
EMPEROR. Surely the world must come to see
what kind of people he had to govern. The
Emperor knew that these people were 10 Par
is-ioc twenty years he knew II, and he did not
shoot them. He was too merciful."
MADAME" said /, 'lt is as though the Fenl-
ans ruled in London. The Reds are the same
| all over the world"
"The Emperor is blamed for everything"
said she, "yet how rich and prosperous France
has been for 80 many years. The wages OF the
laborers and the ouvriers were high and work
was plentiful. To Paris came all the world,
and money was spent Now the taxes have
| not been paid for three whole months. The
taxes not paid and no money at the Bourse.
The Emperor Is blamed, too, for the war. He
was against 1t. Such blame Is most unjust.
But"eand she drew herself up-"we do not
desire justification. Time will do that. Let
events speak. BY and by Europe shall judge
the Emperor fairly"
expressed hope that the trials she had
undergone in Paris had not Injured her
health
mo" she replied. Then she continued: ~
was forsaken by all the ministers. Trochu,
whom the Emperor had appointed, left me.
They all lett me and betrayed me. What
could do / was alone. All" she added,
with On isplred look, 't was my passion !"
She turned her fearful eyes TO heaven.
"Her passion !" Could anything be more
touching? Woman as was, could have died
tor her.
II was alone" she repeated, as though in
just.acation; "utterly abandoned. What could
do but fly? was not afraid. could look
death in the face; but all had left me-"
"Were the details of your Majesty's flight
which appeared in the newspapers accurate ?"
"Yes," said she, "lolerably SO. For thirty
days was guarded by those men Of Belleville.
on, 1t was horrible They took possession Of
the Tuieries. My only happiness was, that
suffered alone. The Emperor away and my
boy safe. No! could mol have borne it had
my boy been In danger.
Again the inspired look came into the beau
tiful Spanish eyes.
"By what door did these wretches enter the
Tuileres, madame ?"
"Everywhere-by all the doors and the win
dows, too. They came down from the Place
de la Concorde. saw them coming through
the trees. Then they broke over the fences
into the reserved garden, and at last smashed
the lower windows and broke open the DOORS
They came, TOO, on the other side, from the
Place du Carrousel; black masses Of men,
pressing closer and closer; they, too, broke in
everywhere. No one opposed them; the guards
were gone. There were horrible cries, and
screams and oaths. From these thief.dogs
oynertpd death. I saw il in their faces. these