The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-04-06
THE CHILDHoOD OF LOUIS NAPO-
lHif4 tH LEON.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, the.
third son of Louis Donaparte, exKing
of Holland, by Hortense, the daugh-
ter of the Empress Josephine by her
first marriage with General Beauhar-
nois, was born at the Tuilcries, April
| 20, 1903. His birth. was announced
| through the whole empire. from the
| Rhenish provinces to the shores Of
Holland, from the Invalid to the Cas-
| tie of st. Angelo, by the eXulting roar
of cannon. The rejoicing was the
greater because the Emperor was not
yet divorced. and, having no children,
| had adopted by a plebiscite of the year
/ 1907, the children of his brother Louis.
| The late Emperor's name was the first
! to be inscribed on the family register,
and that proved an omen. The King
of Rome was the next name, but death
soon erased it. a. - ss-sli!e..
/, Louis Napoleon was ,baptised in
ISL, at the. palace at Fontainebleau,
| by his, great-uncle, Cardinal Fesch.
The Emperor was his godfather, and
Josephine his godmother. Many sto-
ries are told of the child's romantic
gene-ousity and warmth of heart.
One morning, when he was three or
! four years old, ne was awakened by
| tie muffied noise Of something tum-
| bling into his room, and as he looked
toward the chimney there appeared a
little black man envelloped in cloud
lfof smoke. 1t was small Savoyard
chimney sweeper. The child gave
way at first to some natural alarm,
then, remembering that his goyerness
| had often told him of the hardships
suffered by these poor little slaves, he
scrambled out of bed, got his purse,
and gave the whole of his money to
the astonished and delighted urchin.
Some years later, when Louis was liv-
| ing with his mother OH the shores OF
the Lake of Constance, he used to
play with the children of the neigh
borhood, and especially with the son
of a miller on the Rhine One day,
when Louis wandered beyond the
! garden he returned with only his,shirt
on, and walking with bare feet
! through the mud and snow. 1t ap-
| peared that while playing near the
gate, he had seen poor family pass
| by so wretched and destitute that it
panied him TO see them, and, having
no money, he had given one child his
shoes and another his coat. He was
passionately fond of the brother he
afterward lost i'll Italy, and the idol of
the childless Empress. The Emperor
was also very fond of the gentle, live
ly boy, and used to have him about
his studies, and to hear him recite the
fables which he had marked for him.
The birth of the King of Rome being
prisoner at Vienna, Napoleon's af-
fection for the promising nephew had
room to expand. The child Chen on
| 1y seven) was at the Emperor's side at
/ the great festival of the Champ de
Mars, and he was there presented to
the Deputies of the people and the
army, a ceremony that must have
lighted up the, boys ambition. The
night before his departure for Water
loo, Napoleon was engaged in CONVEX
4 sation with one of his marshals, when
the child entered the cabinet sobbing,
and threw himself on his knee before
the Emperor. .ii,-.,.- =.
"W hats the matter ?". sa id Bonaparte
who was absorbed in thought, and
impatient of any interruption. y
"Ah! " said the child, through his
tears. "you are going to the war.
Don't go-oh, don't go, mon oncle.Y
"And why not ?" replied the Empe-
ror, softening at the child's tenderness.
"This is not thr first time leave you
to go to war. Don't be afraid, mon
enfant, shall soon return"
"Oh, my dear uncle, said the child,
Hthese wicked allies wish TO kill you.
At least, then, let me go with YOU"
Napoleon embraced him tenderly,
and, seeing tears in the eyes of the
old Marshal, said, '.EmbLace 1.-The
child also; he will have good heart
and fine nature: He is, perhaps, the
hope of my race" ,.,.,..ff ,.... ..,l d.
A week after, when the defeated
Emperor came for the last time to
Malmaison to embrace his nephew,
Louis clung to his knees, crying that
he wanted to go and help drag his
| lcannon.-AW The Yen. Roand.