The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-04
Gables portfolto.
- PEN PHOTOGRAPH OF JOSE
PHINE. NAPOLEAN'S ONLY
LOVE-IS HISTORY AT
FAULT?
Josephine's Character in a New Light
Tho Charm of Her Fashion
N~apOleOn's jealousy.
(Review of Nine. de Rumusat's work.

brows, and dark-blue eyes, and an express
sion full Of sentiment and kindness. with
out being precisely pretty. says Nine. de
Remusat, ''all her person had a particular
charm. Her features were full OF bright
ness and harmony; her look was gentle; a
wee mouth was made to hide bad teeth, her
complexion, somewhat brown, was conceal
ed by the aid of rouge and white, which she
used consumm ately; her figure was perfect,
and every mem Der supple and delicate the
slightest of her movements was marked by
case and elegance" One detail which Nine.
de. Remusat does not supply should not be
forgotten-it was because OF J~osephlnes
bad teeth that the handkerchief came into
vogue as an essential part of a lady's outfit
used the handkerchief at the play when
amused to hide her Indifferent teeth that
otherwise must have been exposed by her
laugh, and though the innovation was
at first regarded with horror it soon became
fashionable.
''She dressed with an extreme taste"
says Nine. de. Remusat, 'embellishing what
she wore, and with these advantages, and
the constant costliness of her costumes, she
always found means not to be OutShOne by
the youth and beauty of the many women
she surrounds herself. She was extremely
kind and had a remarkable evenness of tenn
per, much good will and facility in forgetting
the wrong it had been desired to do her.
She was not a person Of transcending clover
ness. A creole and a coquette, her educa-
ton had been considerably neglected, but
she was aware of her deficiencies, and did
not compromise herself in her conversation.
She had very good natural tact, and could
say pleasant things readily enough her
memory was good--a very useful quality for
those placed in lofty rank. Unhappily she
lacked gravity and elevation of mind. She
preferred to exert upon her husband
THE CHARM OF HER FASCINATION.
rather than the empire of her virtues. For
him she pushed complaisance to it's extreme,
and only established his credit by facilities
which doubtless contributed to strengthen
him in the sort of contempt he had for wo
men. She might sometimes have given him
useful advice, but she feared him, and took
most of her impressions from him. Light,
mobile, easily moved and easily Gained, in
capable OF prOlonge emotion, continuous at
tention or serious reflection, if greatness did
not turn her head it did not fill it. \ \
ences, inspiring her with disregard of NOR
atty, suspicion, and the habit oflying, which
both employed cleyerty."
DID NAPOLEON LOVE ~osBPHINE
Theirs says that be felt for her "a taste
that time had dissipated, an esteem
that many instances of lightness had di-
minished." Lanfrey, on the contrary, in
sists that she had conceived an ardent and
exalted passions for her, famed by the
knowledge that this marriage would at the
same time give him the role he most longed
for. and open to him the ranks of society
that had hitherto met his advances with ex-
cessive distrust. He threw into this affect
ion-the only one, it is said, which ever
mazda hIC hAaI haaf oil tho cd
fire Of his impetuous nature. AS to Nine.
de Beauharnais, she felt more uneasiness
and astonishment than love- Nine. de
Remusat thinks with Lanfrey. He had
some affection for his first wife, she says,
and If sometimes he gave way to emotion
no doubt it was for her and because of her.
HE was young when he knew her. and
she had by the name she bore and the ex-
IRENE elegance of her manners a great su-
periorlty over the throng in which he
singled her out. She became attached to
him, fattered his pride, obtained for him a
higher command-he came to associate the
idea Of her influence with his own COED
fortune. This superstition in which she
very cieverly encouraged him, exerted a
great influence upon him for q long time
it even retarded more than once the carry
ing out of his plans for q divorce, In mar
rying Mime. de Beauharnais, Bonaparte
thought he was allying himself to a very
great lady, making another conquest"
NAPoLEoN's LETTERS,
Nine de. Remusat tells US, ~''reveal the ag-
itations of a Jealousy now b%rooding, amor
threatening." Mime. Bonaparte, in that
life of triumphs, victories, and license.
sometimes inspired her victories husband
with uneasiness.' while, when he went to
Europe be carried with him suspicious ed
for their own purposes by his brothers Luz
Gle, and Joseph, and when he retursed
liz mind was narrowed by the reports the
former had sent him in his letters. She
peasted to meet him, and missed him, and,
returning, found him already arrived and
Acked within his room. She called to him