The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-07-26
Eugenie at Chtselhurss
now THE xx-EzPREss REczIyHD THE NEWS
OF 4HE DEATH or HER SON.

now THE rx-EslPREss RECEIVED THE NEWS
EE FTHE DEATH or HEB SON.
$
Camden House, Chiselhurst, always
somewhat gloomy and dolefnl in appear
ance, had early yesterday afternoon re-
assumed the more mournful appearance
which it had worn nearly seven years
ago, when the Emperor died. Now, as
then, the blinds were closely drawn; po-
lice slowly pacing backward and forward
in front of the entrance repelled the GU
riosity of ftstrangers. Carriages filed
with friends arrived at the gates, and
ladies and gentlemen attired IN black,
first of all signing their names In book
at the lodge, passed up the dark avenue
of trees to offer their sympathy to the in
mates of the house beyond. It was not
difficult to see, even long before Chisel-
hurst was sighted, that many of the pas
sengers in the train from London were
members of the great Bonapartist party
which had just lost its head. Little
groups of Frenchmen clad in black,
Spaniards who remembered the nation
ality of the Empress Eugenie, attaches
of embassies, representatives OF royalty,
were all to be seen ere the train drew up
at the well-known station. Passing by
twos and threes into the house they had
been received by the Due de Bassano,
expressed to him their sense OF sorrow,
and so departed. At length it came to
my turn to enter, and passing through
the curious panel door which opens into
the reception room of Camden Place, III
found the Dnc de Bassano waiting TO re-
ceiye me.
AS he read the telegraphic dispatch
which told of the Princes death and the
finding of the body, he nearly gave way
to the intensity of his feelings, protest
ing the while that he had no part in the
voyage which had terminated so fatally,
and that, indeed, it had been undertaken
against the advice and wish of all the
Princes friends. But he was SO ar
dent, so courageous, and such capital
apparent pride in this last accomplish
anxious to be with his comrades of Wool
wich, and to share their dangers, that
nothing would persuade him to give up
the enterprise. The Empress, the Due
remarked, learned the news in fact by
an accident last night. Some friend Of
NJ. Pietri, hearing the disaster which had
which he sent by rail, warning him to
prepare for sad, and, indeed, painful in
telligence. Somehow or other, the En-
press opened this letter, and although
unable exactly to comprehend its i'm
port, feared unhappy tidings. She knew
her son had been i'll, and she naturally
dreaded that he had been worse. How
ever, no more intelligence came until
this morning, when Lord Sydney, who
had received message from Lady Frere,
and also a command Of the Queen, came
round to communicate the terrible news
to the Empress, together with the ex-
pressions of Her Majesty's sympathy. I
received him, and upsn me the duty de-
volved of breaking the news. 1 asked
permission to see the Empress, who no.
ticing probably the expression of my
countenance that I was greatly troubled,
begged at once to know all had to tell
her. 1 said, Madame, the Prince is very
ill, more dangerously than he was
when we last heard Immediately Her
Majesty exclaimed, L will go to him;
must CO. to which replied nothing and
retired. A quarter OF an hour elapsed,
and then I returned to her L told her
that further news had come, which made
the aspect of affairs still grayer. She
cried out, j will go at once, where is he?'
To which replied. TT is too late, mad
ame,' ON hearing which Her Majesty
burst into food of tears, exclaiming,
Non ills, mon pducre ills, and left
her.
Passing through the outer hall as I en-
tered was General Sir Dighton Probyn,
who had brought o message of condo
lenee from the Prince and Princess of
Wales. In that same hall it had been
my lot, the last time but one that I saw
the now deceased Prince, to see him lead
his weeping mother into a somewhat has
tily improvised court of her faithful adj
herents, ON the death of Napoleon III. |
The apartment had been draped in black
even the pictures had been covered with |
somber-colored cloth; the Bonapartists, |
ladies and men, stood around in solemn |
silence, waiting till the Empress should
come Presently there was rustic as of |
silk, and then appeared the young Louis |
Napoleon with his mothers hand in his. |
A deep obeisance was being made by all |
there were ladies who reyerently courte
sled as they kissed the Imperial widows |
hand, and the rest were waiting to offer |
their expressions of fealty, when they, |
overcome by her feelings, rushed for
ward, and, embracing the youthful
Prince, kissed him on both cheeks and |
quickly retired.
quilted the hall and went across the
common forthwith to the place where the
remains of Napoleon Ill. lay There,
as in the old days, the Rev. Father God
dard still rules, the faithful and trusted |
counselor of the Imperial house. He
had been, as was to be expected of one
under whose religious care the Prince
had been brought up, terribly shocked
by the sad news, yet to him there came
also some comfort in the remembrance of
the fact that, no matter how busily occu-
pied, the Prince never forgot the obliga-
tions of the church. "I remember"
says the good Able, g that Just as
his Imperial Highness was going
away to Zululand, / wrote to
him reminding him of the duties which
the Church imposed at that season of the
year, and begging him to remember
these, even though he might be other
wise busily engaged. His letter to me
was one I shall never forget. He ex-
pressed some surprise at my having
thought that he could by any possibility
be unmindful of the calls of the Church,
and next morning-on the day of his de-
parture-he came round to me, con-
fessed, took the Holy Sacrament shortly
after 7 o'clock, and kissing his fathers
tomb departed. think that the chain
round his neck bore scapula and
piece of the wood of the True Cross.
There was locket attached to it, too,
but for the rest cannot speak with GER
tainty. All I know is that he left with
every expression of religious and happy
He did not once think of
the danger which might come to him.
His whole mind was set upon going.
Some endeavored to dissuade him from
the enterprise, but he insisted upon car
rying it out, and do not think that even
the command of his nearest friends to
stay at home would have weighed with
him. Several times after he went away
he wrote home the most charming let
ters, all full of hopefulness. And it is
strange that only this very morning
letter was received from an officer named
Bigg, friend of the Prince. saying how
splendidly he behaved, how glad they all
were to have him there, and how careful
they would be that no harm should come
to him. Speaking of the Empress,
Father Goddard remarked that, on learn
ing the news from the morning papers,
he went to Camden place, and there
found that the Empress had been already
of her terrible loss. "She had
almost lost her senses" said the rever-
end gentleman statement which was
otherwise unhappily borne out.
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