Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-07-30
THE NAPOLEONS.
GuSsip About Eugenle and the Dead
Prince.


The empress has two more great
trials before her-the funeral of her
son and the interview with Prince
Napoleon--and then her active CON
cern in life will be over and she will
probably retire from the world. There
is some talk Of sending her for rest
and change of scene to Hungary, bat
all | hear convinces me that her final
stage is convent. She talks of this
persistently, and there is no turning
her thoughts from it. 1t would be
the best thing for her; the spring of
her mind seems utterly gone, and her
conduct is marked by the strangest
inconsistencies. Her normal state is
one OF prostration, varied by occa-
slonal outbursts of wrathful energy
that some about her mistake for signs
of recovered strength. The outside
public on the contrary believe erro-
neously that her state is all prostra-
ton. When some Of her sons old
comrades called on her the other day
to express their condolences she broke
down in the delivery of little set
speech which had been prepared for
her, with sob that went straight to
their hearts,
1t is only in speaking of Prince Ma
poleon, the new heir as some call him.
that she shows the energy of other
feelings. She has hated and despised
this man ever since she knew him.
and now she sees him ready to step
into her sons shoes. The surest way
to her favor when she reigned at the
Tuileries was to say some good thing
at his expense. If it turned on his
cowardice all the better, because that
is the reproach most fatal in France.
She was not particular; she would
stand things in his dispraise that
might have brought the blush to-
the cheek of an old person in any,
other capital and expulsion to the au-
thor in any other court. | have half
mind to give you one of the best of
them, but | suppose it would not do.
He reciprocated this feeling and all
most in her own coin. He spoke
freely Of her failings of temper and
judgment to every one. He was in
terviewed some years ago by friend
of mine in London, and he made no
scruple about representing her as the
tyrant of the emperor in his old age.
At Chiselhurst, it appeared, the en-
perors fayorite amusement was to
look at his insignia of orders of for
eign knighthood, which reminded him
of his past greatness. When he Of
Tended her she locked the orders up
in fact, deprived the baby of his toy.
1t seems incredible, and the oniy
thing about it | know to be true is
that Prince Napoleon said it. He
succeeds to barren heritage, but all
the same he succeeds, and it must bo
gall and wormwood to her to have to
welcome him in his new character.
This will be the next sharpest trial to
the death of her son.
Minor trials are not wanting Al
mysterious lady in mourning has been
haunting the gates Of Chiselhurst, and
it is said-cannot you imagine what
would be said, or at least what might
be, about such an incident I? The
empress has refused to see her, even
Mr. Goddard, the Catholic priest IN
the confidence Of the family, has de
clined a second interview after having
heard her at some length in a first
She is always asking to see the EN-
press, and there she stays all day
among the crowd at the lodge gate
waiting for her chance. She is well
dressed, lady.like in manner, and. as
well as can be seen through a thick
veil, fair eomplexioned and not I'LL
favored. 1t is quite possible that she
may be but one of those harmless
zealots Of the feeling of the hour
whom every great public event pro-
duces, but the ohroniquers will natu-
rally have more. Oneof them under
takes TO tell us all about it--she is the
late prince imperial's widow There
was an adventure in his life for all its
outward correctness. He made arun-
away match with blonde Anglaise or
German-I am quoting, not inventing
on my own aocount--and on going to
the cape solemnly confded her to the
care Of a. clergyman of Bath. The
clergyman had no idea of the rank Of
the husband he had simply made
the acquaintance Of the couple during
a short visit he had paid to Bath,
with their baby and when the
youthful husband came to tell him
that he was an officer and ordered on
foreign service he promised to watch
over the ladylS welfare. Months passed
and at length the news of the mourn
ful eyentreached England. The cler-