The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-09-15
NAPOLEON III. S Mother.

Napoleon IH.s Mother.
Queen Hortense has left seven Of
eight compact volumes of ncmoirs
whic!. in their entirety, arc never tc
be published. They were designed
for ,the reading of her own family
ana we've intended TO explain tht
complicated, unhappy and not blame
less life Of the writer. They arc ful
of exagerations and indiscrctions, Oh
high -fown sentiments and haety Yer
h:cts on men and women. Through
out there is evidence Of q generou:
spirit, i warm heart and penetrat
ing mind. The intimate description
of Napoleon are, in many passages
admirable and would be valuable
t. history Us showing the warmer
a:IG Of his character. When tho
.G%>cn touches on her welded life
S''.c presents her husband as a domes
&c tyraut, with whom it was impossi
ssss.ble 70 live; but then it is easy to sec
!EHzg tAe context That ~ hat She calico
4ys.ssn gSMas the endeavor OF a scrl
! y GUS aad solitary man tos2eurb the
Mid exaberance Of a worldl society
aVilg, even frivolous woman, who
tcund most of her pleasurse away
from the freside, and who had been
spoiled by the alteration Of brilliant
court. Jtis to be remarked that, al
tkough she resented King Louis tyran,
I: NY aud gloom, she never ceased TO re
( .snert him. She knew that she had
sids begasl good wife, TO him, and in
Isoy. Will acknowledged 1t. Aei
ffsilties were beyond ,qucstioa. noa
docs she deny them in thefnal record
Of hsfs life. She explains idea'izes
aad moralizos, seeking TO bewiteh
rather than satisfy the judgement OF
the reader. And, to some extent.
she succeeds. For thsrc was in the
daughter "labonne Josephine heroic
virtue, scorn Of danger, intensity OF
maternal love, and charity which,
>eorering.the calamity of the migrate
and the treachoiy cf tho friend, was
active to the last in kind offices
among the humbcst OF hor neigh.
,bors. The good ovcrbears and al
most hides the bad. Yet it can not
be denied that the effect exercised toy
Queen .Hortense on the character OF
her son Louis was cnorvating. She
was lover and seeker Of pleasure 10
tho last. All .her friends were de.
lighted and cultivated companions
She loved letters and the arts. The
learned man was ever welcome al
her board. But she.was not a strict
mistress of morals. There was mnch
of what we understand Us tho Bo
hcmian to her nature. Cottrau, The
artist was allowed about the chateau
in y customc that weulG have charm
cd the rrisettcs Of the Quarticr Lat
IN. She liked expeditions = Ia bonne
franouctte, to use Paris vulgarism
In Rome her pa.ties were of the
:live,iest, and in those days strict NOR
:uls made 40 part of the estimate
when the valua or desira5iIity OF 4
'lady's society was under consIdcra'
itior. Prince Louis could not but be-
come kindly and charitable under
the guidance and with the example
of his mother; bnt he could hardly
fail also to feel the influence OF the
very thin neral atmosphere of her
little court. The basis Of the Aren-
burg society was democratic, and as
we have observed the Bcrncse arlsto.
crat was not more welcome than the
rough radi,al of Thurgau. In this
bracing political company the gay
queens son contracted that democrat
ic tone which his mind kept unim-
raircd TO tho last hour OF his life.
But The pleasures, the conversation
the southern brio, that threw rosy
tint about slips in morals, were ener-
vating surroundings to the young
man whose single hand was to hold
sway aud mastery over an empire
In after life Prince Louis showed
deep traces Of both the good and the
evil of his mothers teaching and the
society in which she brought him NJ,
Tho good blossomed in thousand
acts Of kindness, and tho OWL appear,
cd in many weaknesses-all those of a
tender hcart-for which bitter pen
atty was paid in the end.