The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-11-23
AN EX-EMPRESS.
A Lady's Interview with the En-
Empress Eugcnic.

Empress Eugenle, NJ Chlselhursl' LIE
writer says:
She began in English (Which she
speaks readily, and with \ good &C
lcent, only now and then wanting q
word, which she asks you with hel
eyes to supply by regretting that
the Emperor was too Ill to see me,
I" Not seriously i'll; far froms it," she
said. L" thank God, but suffering great
lly from rheumatic pains, in conse.
Guence of chill when he first ar
rived at G .iselhurst. The weather
had heen warm and fine, and he had
been tempted out too much wrapped
Iup for it was too cold AT Wilhelm
shoehe) and had incautiously taken
of his paletot, and so caught cold,
which had produced an attack OF
rheuu atsm."
Then she expressed much interest
about the place came from. 1t was
associated with her early lite. "Ah
how happy l was then it seems like
q dream-so happy and her glorious
eyes glisteped. How well do l re-
member the house where | was at
school, the broad terrace, the distant
hills, and my companions, my dear
friends have not forgotten me. !"
"Yes,n said |, "young Miss b.
"Young ah, no." and she laughed.
"She is not young; she is my age and
that is not young
1t is not allowed to contradict SOW
eregns, but az she said she was y liv-
ing contradiction Of her own state-
ment. She looks wonderfully youthful,
and her present thinness is very be-
coming in this respect.
"When | first came to Eugland," "
she continued, 81 desired to go there"
"Ah, Madame, why did you not
come? We would have received you
with enthusiasm"
She bowed. " Yes / wished it; it
was my first thought; but it could not
be.n
"But, Madame, will you not come
among us and see y0nr old haunts"'
Some time, perhaps, but not now.
| cannot; the Emperor is i'll. cannot
leave him, and 60 nowhere. ! think
of nothiug, day and night but 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. v
| Her eyes filled 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 p And il was true. There is
often whole world of pathos in little
tritles that involuntarily bear witness
to the individual mind.
/" Madame said |, there is but one
cOnsolation-the worse things go 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 discipline"
81 do not wish to return | suffered
too 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 We're in Paris.
For twenty years lie knew it, and he
did not shoot them. He was too mer'
ciCul.n
Madame" said /, "it is as though
the Fenians ruled in London. The
Reds are the same all over the
world.n
"Thc Emperor is blamed for every
thing" said she; "yet how rich aud
prosperous France has been for many
years. Tie wages of the labOrers aud
OUicrS were high, and work was plen-
tiful. 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 it. Such blame is most unjust.
Butn-and she drew herself up--"we
do not desire justification. Time will
do that. Let events speak. BY and
by Europe shall judge the En- peror
fairly"
expressed n hope that the trials she
had undergone in Paris had not in
jured her health.
"No,n she replied. Then she con-
tinued: | was forsaken by all the
Ministers. Trochu, whom the EN-
peror had appointed, left me. They
all left me and betrayed me. What
could I do? | was alone. Ah," she
added with an inspired look, "it was
my passionW
She turned her fearful eyes to hea-
ven. /" Her passion ~ CoIld any
thing be more touching? Woman as ]
was, / could have died for her.n
81 was alone" she repeated, as
though in Justification 'utterly aban-
doned. What could do but fly? |
was not afraid. | could look death in
the face all had left me-"
Were the details Of your Majesty's
flight which appeared in the newspa-
pers accurate?'
"Yes,n said she, tolerably so. For
thirty days was guarded by these
men of Belleville. Oh, it was hOrri-
bic! They took possession of the
Tuileries. My only happiness was
that suffered alone. The Empero
away and my boy safe. No! could
not have borne it had my boy been in
danger ~
Again the inspired look came into
the beautiful Spanish eyes.
"By what door did these wretches
enter the Tuileries, Madame 2"
Everywhere-by all the doors and
the windows too. They came down
from the Place de la Concorde. ! saw
them coming through the trees, They
then broke over the fence into the re-
served 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, 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 Iexpected death | saw in
their faces, these Belleville men they
wanted my blood. was so weary |
did not care to live or to die was the
same to me. For the last three days
there was a change; more savage
men came about me. never lelt my
room ! lay down little on my bed
for rest, but ] did not uudress; ! would