Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-04-24

her child the young wite-then only 20
years old-was advised by Jerome to
return to the United States, Napoleon
directing him to write that on condition
that she did return, and would not as
sumo the name of Bonaparte, he would
allow her pension during her life Of
$4,000 francs a year. Still with the
hope that her husband would prove
faithful she sailed for America three
months after the birth of her son, and
reached Baltimore after voyage of
thirIy-two days. 1t does not appear
that she ever called herself anything
but Nine. Bona parte, but the pension
was regularly paid and received by her
until the fall of the emperor. She re-
ceived about 100000 in all, and this
was the beginning of her large fortune,
| for h.r father left her in his will only
a few small houses and the wines in his
cellar, the value of the property being
not over $4,000 in all. This remark
able passage was inserted by Mr.. Patter-
| son in his will: ''The conduct of my
daughter Betsey, has through life been
50 dlsObedient that in no instance has
! she ever consulted my opinion or feel
ings; indeed, she has caused me more
trouble and anxiety than all my ether
children put together. Her folly and
misconduct have occasioned me train
of experience that, first to last, has cost
me much money" Almost immedi-
ately u on her return to Baltimore,
Nine. Bonaparte began the economi-
Cal, almost niggardly habits Of life that
with increasing intensity-esp eciallY
after the second marriage of her hus-
| band abused her indOmitable spirit to
provide her son with the means to
prosecute his claims to recognition
were maintained to the day fiber death
| Her savings were regularly invested
not in risky stocks or wiid speculations,
which offered large dividends and nigh
rates of interest, but in United States
bonds and other securities, which were
| perfectly safe. She was satisfied with
six per cent, and as a consequence was
never carried away by alluring specu-
lations which promised splendid returns,
but generally ended, as she said, Gin
smoke" As examples of her extreme
penuriousness, it may be mentioned
that while abroad in 1920 she
discontinued corresponding with
one of her dearest friends
in fact, one of her very few friends
in Baltimore in order to save the ex-
pense of foreign postage. While living
in the society Of princes and mobiles, she
wrote notes on the backs of letters to
save the price of paper, suffered from
cold in order to economize in fuel, and
| lived on plain fare in order to avoid the
expense of luxurious food. But she al
ways declared that she thus stinted her
self in order to promote her ambitious
views for her son-his marriage into
some one of the influential European
families. For this purpose she lived in
a boarding house in Paris and IN lodg-
ings at Rome. For this purpose she
gave her son the best education that
this country could bestow. Economi-
cal in all else, she spared no money
where the advancement of his future
was IN question. She wished him to
make q figure in the world-to shine in
society-to marry into that high circle
which she believed belonged to the son
of king and the nephew of an emper-
or.
After Jerome had completed his edu-
cation at Harvard, she took him to Eu-
rope, where he was we'll received by all
the members of his fathers family, par
ticularly Nine. Letitla and Pauline Bon
aparte, who was at that time living in
great SplendOr at Rome at the Princess
! BOrghese's. Jerome was now a hand
some, tall young man, about % years
of age. But he loved America better
than Europe, and was very glad to re-
turn to his mothers home In Baltimore
after about two years absence; and soon
after his return he married Miss Susan
May Williams, the daughter of a mer-
chant who had moved to Baltimore
from Newburyport, Mass. Her fortune
was large for that period, and has made
Jerome's SONS independently rich, not
| counting what they will receive from
their grandmother.
Nine. Bonaparte returned to the
United States in 1884, after nearly ten
years absence. She had never had
many friends in the home of ner child
hood, and those few were either dead,
dispersed, or estranged Occasionally
she might be seen at the opera, where
her beauty and her diamonds always
made her the most notable present. At
| the age of 80 she was still one of the
most beautiful women in America, and
| even to the last years of her life her
eyes still retained the brilliant express
sion that was once their greatest charm
Until recently Nine. Bonaparte was
IN the habit of visiting the White Sui
phur Springs, Va, every summer. She
carried her jewel box and her
wardrobe in one modest trunk,
and although she did not take part
in the gayety of the ball room,
she kept a crowd around her by
| the sharpness of her wit and the clever
ness of her satire. She delighted to
talk of her early life, her romantic mar
rlage, her European experience-of her
distinguished friends, Gortchakoff, Demi-
dOff, the duke of Tuscany, Princess Gal
itzen, Lady Morgan, the Countess of
Donegal, the Earl of Normandy, and
other celebrities with whom she had
lived on terms of intimacy. Although
Napoleon had treated her with so much
harshness she always spoke of him as
the greatest man that ever lived, while
of her husband she had proper con-
tempt.
Several efforts were made by the Bal
timore Bonapartes to have their legiti-
macy recognized in France after Louis
Napoleon became emperor. This was
bitterly opposed by Jerome and his son,
Prince Napoleon. In 1860 Jerome
died, and in 1861 Nine. Bonaparte
made last attempt to be restored to
her rights and to have her son acknowl-
| edged as an imperial prince, but with
out success.
Nine. Bonaparte's last years have been