Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-01-05
MONDAY MORNING., JANUARY 5. 1871.

tators on the occasion, was young omcer o.
the garrison of Limoges, who seemed 10 be
deeply interested in the heroine of the day
he asked what her full name was, and was told
she was the daughter of NJ. Antoine Gilbert dc
MORN, Saignaur de Valleau. This Information
made the inquirer somewhat thoughtful. Per.
haps the fact that NJ. de Norm was one Of the
wealthiest and proudest noblemen Of the sur.
rounding country had something to do with
this. Captain MacMahon Chat was the name
Of the Young oficer) however, was not much
disturbed by the information True, he was
nothing but captain in the French army, and
had nothing but his pay to depend on, but then
be had excellent prospects Of once becoming
rich bis family was as old as, If not older,
than that Of Heloises father, and French sol
dieralways has Mashal's baton In his knapsack
How he managed to get acquainted with NADIA
moiselle de Norm, we cannot tell, but certain
it is that when, sometime afterward, the young
lady was told by her father that he had selected
husband for her, she startled him by the an
pouncement that be might save himself that
trouble, and that she had already made her
own choice. The old. gentleman was at first as
tonished, and then became furious. But bis
daughter briefly told him that she wanted no
one but Captain MacMahon of the fourth regi-
ment of the line. And now began a curious
struggle between the exasperated father and the
determined daughter. Notwithstanding the ef-
respondenca with her lover, frequent letters.
We're exchanged between the two; and when
Captain MacMahon was sent TO Algeria, they
pledged themselves to remain true TO one an
other. This separation lasted three years, un-
I'll l34l, when MacMahon, who had greatly dis
tinguished himself In Africa, suddenly fell heir
to considerable property. This softened the
objurate heart of Nj. do Moriu, and in 1874
Heloise became the wife Of Lieutenant-C Colonel
ha iah IN
and wrote from thence to The Gslzette de France
series of anonymous sketches on Algerian
life, which were favorably noticed by the critics,
which, oddly enough were attributed 10 a dis
tinguished officer OF tho French army. In
ls49 Madame Mae5Iahon returned to France,
where the successive deaths Of her three chill
dren almost broke her heart. She took up her
abode at her husbands property, Suly,near Au-
tumn, and lived in the deepest retirement, from
which she emerged only after the Crimean war,
when her husbands gallantry had made him
the most popular General In France. She
moved into modest house with him in Paris,
avoiding as much as possible to come in con-
tact with the imperial court, for which she en-
tertained an invincibie repugnance, partly,
probably, on account of the Empress and her
surroundings, and partly, too, because having
been brought up amidst all the prejudices and
kaute,lr of the old aristocracy, she could not
bring herself to relish the pdrpenus that ruled
supreme at the Tuileries. Oman occasion, shortly
before New Years, she met the Emperor, Napo-
leon Ill, while walking with her two children
through largo Parisian toy store. The En-
peror was piqued by the coldness which the
duchess had displayed toward his court, and he
adroitly tried to conquer her aversion. Taking
her childrop by the hand, the sutoerat caused
them to select the most superb toys, until she
finally interfered, and said to the Emperor -
"Sire, your kindness 10 unfortunately useless
What will my little ones do with these beauti-
full things Ia Africa, whittier 1 shall take
them tomorrow, and rejoin my husband p"-
The emperor bit his lips. he had failed In his
purpose to conciliate her. 1t Is needless here
TO recaptulate the events of the next few days
Like every true daughter of France, Madame
MacMahon suffer ell intensely. The news of her
husbands defeat at Woerth prostrated her SC
lhat her life ,sas Isspajted of, apd when she
returned to the city Of Versailles. after the wal
she looked ten years older, and her hair hat
| assumed silyery tinye. Those who know hel
best ray she has an excellent heart, that she /;
nobly ambitious, generous foe, endowed will
| considerable literary talents, keen sighted IL
politics, and feryent christian.
SrArrnS- Hnr-aE tu,a n