River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-09-11

her mother and sister TO the grave, had
quit her fathers house, where duty and
necessity called for her attentions as the
only female of the family left, and
thought proper TO abandon all to seek
for admiration IN foreign countries; sure
ly the most charitable construction that
can be given to such conduct is to sup
pose that it must proceed in some de-
grees from insanity
In 1920 she began schemlng to get
some of the Bonapartes' money for her
son. But while talking TO the members
of that family in the most honeyed words,
she talks about them thus:
II cannot say that have the best re-
lance on that family, although am dis
posed to reciprocate their kind words
an receive their offers of friendship
without being deceived by either. :.
The Bsnapartes are all alike, very affec-
tionate in words, but without the least
intentios Ct parting with farthing.
The letters from the boy are suggestive.
When he IS 10 and she is IS, he says:
Mamma gees out nearly every night TO
a party or ball She says she looks full
ten wears younger than she is, and if she
had not so large son she could pass for
25 years old. See has dancing master,
and takes three lessons week, and has
done so for the last six months: is every
day astonished at the progress she males,
and is fully determined TO dance next
winter. had never any idea OF
spending my life on the continent; on the
contrary, as soon as my education is fin
| ished; VIII CHI will not take me over tas
years longer, shall hasten over to Amer
lca, which have regretted ever since |
left it.
Madame Bonaparte set her heart on
marrying her son to his cousin, the daugh-
ter of Joseph Bonaparte, and boo ed upon
any one who opposed Ii as IAN idiot and
an enemy"
| / will never consent 10 his marrying
any one but person of great wealth. He
! knows | can but recognize marriage of
ambition and interest, and that his name
and his rank require it. i
As to marriages in America, they are
simple acts of youthful folly and mex
penence. =. People marry some
poor young woman from the caprice OF
the moment, and consign themselves to
her insipid society and the torment of
bringing up q family of children.
| The marriage, Eowever, tell through,
probably because the young lady was, as
we are told, I'm size a dwarf, and very
ugly" The son disappointed all his vain
mothers vain hopes, and married q Bal
timore girl She was Mis- Williams,
but her name is not given in the book.
1t is easy TO imagine the mothers rage
and the terrible expression OF it she visit
ed upon her poor father. The most viru
lent of these letters were suppressed
when the book was printed, but have
since been published in this paper, as
will be hereafter mentioned. Even In
the book we are favored with few choice
specimens. Here Is one, with only one
word held backbone cannot help won
derihg what the adjective could have
been which the editor does not dare to
print;
Had my means been more ample, not even |
the conduct adopted toward me during |
the whole process of this marriage could have |
made me stoop to the mean revenge OF sup |
pressing the peeuniary allowance To child; |
but believe every one who has not made |
hatreo and contempt of me systematic pro- |
ceedng must confess that the time has now
arrived for me to attend more loosely to my |
interest than my relations have done for me.
Therefore she draws the prIncely al
lowance OF 5000 year she had been Civ
ing him, a piece Of economy which can
only be properly appreciated in the
iig of gorgeous description we lind |
further on of the jewels, laces, silks, and |
satins she possessed and used as the nee
essary adiuncts of her "plaCe in society
The word that can be said of Madame
Bunaparte Is, that she was very handsome,
l,.fol frTI,, tho l1rnatb |
of scandal. She was, indeed, evidently |
too selfish woman ever to risk her rep /
utation or let any foolish sentiment or
fancy influence her.
The wit and bitterness of her letters is
wonderful. No extracts can do it JUS
tice. She is never tired Of gliding against
the slavery of collaborating, among other
things.
think it is quite rs rational to go to
balls and dinners as it is to get children,
winch people must do IN Baltimore TO
kill time. should prefer a child Of
mine going to court and dancing every
evening, in good company, to marrying
beggar and bringing children into the
world to deplore existence.
The letters contain all wit that can be
thought of, free from wisdom-all sense
but common ~ense-aIl humor but good
humor They would do for fine moral |
lesson against what is known as world
iness."
Early in the summer of 1S43 Madame
Bonaparte returned to America and took
up her residence in Baltimore. The last
eighteen wears of her hfG were spent in |
retirement She lived in quiet board
ing-house. Her time was employed Ill
recalling the brilliant events OF her Eu-
ropean career aud in obtaining safe in
veStments for the savings OF her large in
come. Her fortune amounted to 81 500, |
900, which yielded her an income OF
nearly 100000 per annum, out of which |
she spent something like 5000 year
In her old age she often said, !
Once I had everything but money; now /
[ have nothing but money" i
Parsimonious to all Others, she was lIber-
al to her graudsons She was
annoyed by the familiarity Of Mrs. -,
who remarked: Madame, am very |
glad to m ct you. hear yon were once
very beautiful How old are you now?' |
To which Madame Bonaparte curly re-
piled, Nine hundred and ninety years, |
ninety-nine days, and nine minutes"
When negroes were admitted 10 congress |
she caustically remarked that Balloons |
were in the senate and monkeys in the |
House, which was carrying republican |
principles out to their legitimate ends,f
Her perfectly Unconditional nature |
was one of the causes OF her prolonged |
existence, She was free from all those |
corroding passions which consume human
life Her beauty, in one form or another. |
never forsook her. The fullness of figure
hich generally disappears with advanc |
ing age she still retained, and the palms
OF her hands were as rosy as an infants.
ffer forehead was still fair. and her dark
eyes never lost their brightness until
quenched by death.
To these observations on the published
book may properly be added word con
corning the suppressed letters" copies
of which appeared in the Tribune of
August Is, 1879. They were left out Of
| the book at the request Of some Of the
surviving members of the family, but
will doubtless be included in subsequent
editions. as they have now seen the light
They are all ON the subject of the sons
| marriage, and are little more indecent
| y violent than those not suppressed, OF