The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-10-04

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1871.

PORTLAND.

The Late Qneea Of Fashion.
A LADY's VIsIT TO THE Ex-EMPREss Eu.
ehNIE-H HER SHABBY ALPACA DRESS
IHE WOMAN OR EMPREss-SHE RELATES
| me STORY OF HER FLIGHT.
CoSSeus Magazine for October contains an
"i'ic'e written by lady who visited and eou-
versed With the ex. Empress Eusenie at
oniseihurss The writer says:
| o1e looked what Tenuyson calls "digipeIy
m5Sn, out as one who has suffered much.
Anere was a worn, weary look iuexpressIbiy
| pathetlc In her eyes Just touched nver ths
| lower lids with black; her cbeeks wsrs ,hin
| anc very pale, her iar hair simply arranged
| low on the neck behind drawn back N ths
| sides, ald with curls on the forehead. and it
was her own heir-distinctly and pa pably her
| own. Her dress was Of black paI ametis.
self trimmed, with small tunic, and a cen.
eral look OF scantiness about rf. Sue wore a
little white shrt-collar aud cuffs, aud not
single Jewel, save one single diamond stae
that held tn little collar. Her manner suits
im serial presence-sInple, com mteotls, earnesi.
1t is as OF a ready Sitted woman, sweet tenn
pered, full OF human interests and feelings,
iupressionabe, mobile, fascinating; empha-
SIZING all she says with her grand, cut Span
lsh eyes, that might almost indeed stauu her
| IN lieu ol speech, SO eOqueLt'y do they cor
verse. There Is a wonderful and yarlei
| charm about her, Cleopatra like, that neither
age nor custom can wither or stale TO see
how the woman struggled with the Empress
and how it brought her down to Claim sym
| pathy and pity from solitary stranger, was
| very touching. Decorum alone kept tears
| from my eyes.
She began in English (which she speaks
readily, only now and then wanting word
which she asks you with her eyes to supply
by regretting that the Emperor was too i'll to
see me. Not seriously i'll, lar from It," she
said, "thank God, but suffering greatly from
rheumatic paIus, in consequence OF a chill
when he first arrived at ChIsehurst. The
weather 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 incautous'y taken off his paletot, aud so
| caughs.cOld which had produced an attack Of
/ rheumatism"
| Then she expressed much interest about
| place 1 came from. 1t was associated with
her early life. "Ah! how happy was them
i it seems like dreain-sc happy" aud her
! glorious eyes gistened, "How well | remem-
| ber the house where | was at school, he
broad terrace and the distant hills, and my
| companious-my dear friends they have not
forgotten me-"
"Yes," said |, "young Miss B.
young! ah, mop and she laughed, Hshs
Is not Young; she is my age, and that ia not
young"
1t is not allowed to contradict soyereigns,
but as she said this she was living contra.
dicti IN of her own statement. she looks
wonderfully youthful and her present thrn-
ness is very becoming in this respect.
"When first came to England" she con-
thu d, 81 desired to go there"
'Ah, madame, why did you not come? We
would rave received you with enlhusiasm"
She bowel. YES L wished II; it Was my
first thought; but it could not be-"
aa"But, madame, will you not come among
us, and see your old hauuts ?"
Sometime, perhaps. but now now. ! can.
not; the emperor is i'll. | cannot leave hin,
and go nowhere. think OF nothing, day
and night, but OF poor France. Alb, what
horrors will be passed through ere France can
be at peace! Those dreadful scenes are al
ways before me; the end is not yet"
Her eyes filled wi b tears and rested on her
shabby black dIess- and this was the late
queen of iashion-and her look seemed TO
say, "See how l mourn!' And it was true.
There is often a whole world of pathos In liz.
tie triles that nvoluntarily bear witness to
the Individual mind.
"Mac ame," said 1, "there is but one conso-
| lation-Ihe worse things go IL France, the
| more the Emperor is sure to be recalled. 1t ia
| the Emperor alone who can govern France.
| They are like bad children, and require the
| master-hand OF wholesome restraint and dis-
| clip ine."
II do not wish 10 return-I suffered too
much; but trust that events will justify the
Emperor. Surrey the world must come 10
see what kind oil people he had TO govern. -
The Emperor knew that these people were IN
Paris-for twenty years he knew it, aud he
did not shoot Them He was too merciiul."
"Madsme," said |, sit is as though the Fe-
mans ruled in London. The Reds are the
| same all over the world.'
''The Emperor is blamed for every thing"
said she; yet how ch and prosperous France
has been tor so many years. The wages Of
the ldborers and the ouvriers were high and
work was plentiful. To Paris came all the
world, and money was spent. Now The t 'xes
have not been paid tor tlree whole months.
The taxes not paid and no money .at the
| Bourse. The Emperor is blamed, too, TOR the
war. He was AGAINST it. Such blame is most
unjust. BuL"-and she dew herseii up-"we
do not desire justification. Time will do that.
Let events speak. By and by Europe sha
judge / be Emperor faiIly."
l expressed hope that the trials she had
undergone in Paris had not injured her health
"No," she replied. Then she continued /:
| was torsaken by all the mIpisters. Tiochu,
whom the Emperor had appointed. LET: me.
They all left me and betrayed me. What
could L do2 l was alone. Ah,' she aided
with an inspired look, ''It was IN, passionp
She turned her teaiful eyes TO heaven.
| Her passion! Could anything be more ton n .
ing? Momsn as was, l Could have died tor
ber.
81 was alone" she repeated, as though IN
justification; utterly abandoned. What could
do but fly? l was not AFRAID. could Iook
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," tolerably So. For Thirty
days l was guarded by those men of Belize
vile. Oh, it was horrible They took posses
sion of the Tuieries. My only happiness
was, that | suffered alone. The Emperor
away and my boy safe. Mol could not have
borne it had my boy been ip dancer"
Again the inspired look came into the beau
tifui Spanish eyes.
"By what door did these wretches enter the
| Tuileries, madame"
"Everywhere-by all the doors, and the
windows too. They came down from the
= | Place de la Concorde. | saw them coming
through the trees. Then tbey broke over the
fences into the rese wed garden. aud at last
smashed the lower windows and broke open
the doors. They came, too, OH the other side,
from the Place du Carruusel; black masses Of
men, pressing closer aid closer; they, too,
broke in everywhere. No one opposed them
the guards we're gore. Theie were hoiIible
cries, and screams, and oaihs. From these
: thief-dogs expected death; saw 1t 10 their
i | faces, these BellevIlle men; they wanted my
bood. was so weary did not care; to i've
! | or TO die was the same to me. For the last
three days there was change; more savage
men came about me. never left ny ruom
l lay down little on my bed for lest, but
did not undress; 1 would not be mul ldeted In
my bed in my night dress
, She made little motion With her hand as
she said this that cannot describe, 1t told
OF the delicacy OF the woman, and the lofty
decorum OF the sovereign, that carefully gath
ers her robes around her eIe she dies.
madame" said had you falltn by the
hands of those wretc les, You would have
! lived forever in history and in poetry. Ever
! art would have b. en- evoked TO celebrate youi
memory. You would have united tue beauty
and Iascmation OF Mary QueeL OF Scots to I1s
| virtuous forIitude of Maize Anto:nette. Ii
3 | would have been glorious immortalifyP
YES" she said, melting into the sweetest,
merriest smile; yes, that Is all very well; but
l would like TO enjoy yet little in my lita. ,
"God grant you may, madainep' replied I.
The hmprtss then glanced at a clock.
You have come tar TO see NE: YOU
must return. Your tram Will ne soon due
you must not lose it," How l wished tha
time had ceased to be-how longed to &C
: on listening TO that musical voice and looking
= into those pOrteau eyesl She rose. She wal
e again the Empress and stood there erapdl!
Z calm, to receive my salutations. lt was rap
id change from the fascinating woman to tht
g lofty sovereign. She did not even ofler u,
her hand she only bowed her head, and | lie
= treated backwards into the hail, where thu
lady IN waiting received and conducted me Il
| ba