Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-02-19
MisreHauy.
MEMOIRS OF JOSEPHINE.


In a lew lines let it be said that jose
phine Beauharnais Marie Josephe Rose
Tascher de la Pagerie) was born in Mar
Unique in 1853; married In l779 the Vi
comte de Beauhanais, two years her
senior, 10 whom she bore two children,
Eugene and Hortense; separated from
him in 1885, but was reconciled to HIM in
1890, and narrowly escaped sharing his
death on the scafold in 1893, for endeav-
oung to aid him to escape; married Ma
dolcon Bonaparte, March Q, 1896, a reli-
gious ceremony being performed just be-
fore her coronation as empress, Dec. 2,
1904; was divorced from him Dec, Is,
1909 and died at Malmaison May 80,
1914.
Constant has described her as Il woman
of middle size, exquisitely-shaped, and
with an elasticity OF motion that gave her
an aerial appearance, with magnificent
hair and eyebrows, and dark-blue eyes,
and an expression full of sentiment and
kindness. without being precisely
pretty" says Nine. de Remusat, "all her
person had particular charm Her tea.
lures were full of brightness and harmony;
her look was gentle; wee mouth was
cleverly made to hide bad teeth; her
complexion, somewhat brown, was con-
cealed by the aid Of rouge and white,
which she used consumately; her figure
was perfect, and every member supple
and delicate; the slightest of her move
ments was marked by ease and elegance. "
One detail which Mme. de Renlusat does
not supply should not be torgotten-it
was because Of Josephine 5 bad teeth that
the handkerchief came into vogue as an
essential part Of Il lady's outfit in society,
as her fan or smelling.salts. She used
the handkerchief at the play when anus
ed to hide her indifferent teeth that other
wise 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, "Gmbclishing
what she wore, and with these advant-
ages, she always found means not to be
outshone by the youth and beauty of the
many women with whom she surrounds
herself. She was extremely kind, and
had remarkable evenness of temper,
much good will and facility in forgetting
the wrong it had been desired to do to
her. She was not person Of transcend
ing cleverness. A creole and coquntte,
her education had been conSidc, 'h!y neg.
lected, but she was aware 0t rr reiicien-
cies, and did not comptpMa, lGrselt in
her conversation. She had very good nat
ural tact, and could say pleasant things
readily enough; her memory was good-a
useful quality for those placed in lofty
rank, Unhappily she lacked gravity and
elevation of mind. She preferred to ex,
ert upon her husband the charm of her
fascination, rather than the empire Of her
virtues. For him she pushed complais-
ance to its extreme, and only established
his credit by facilities which doubtless
contributed to strengthen him in the sort
of contempt he had for women. She
might sometimes have given hm useful
advice, but she feared him, ard took most
of her impressions from him. Light, mo-
bile, easily moved and easily Gained, in
capable Of prolonged emotion, continuous
attention or serious reflection, il greatness
dld not turn her head it did not fill it.
Bonaparte had upon her somC
fatal influences, inspiring her with disre
gard Of morality, suspicion, and the habl
of lying, which both employed cleverly.
Of the empress life after her releast
from prison through the influence of hel
fellow prisoner, Nine Tallien (then Nine
l 1n Eantnnnul Mpna Jn Rn,,,pgnt tnllp -,
little and that little Is not new. "Linket
with the fair Nine. Tallen," she says
"she was introduced into society unde
the directory and especially protect
ed by Barras. Nine. de Beauhar
nais had little fortune and her taste 70
dress and luxury rendered her dependen
upon those who aid her to satisfy it." q.
1897 That is about the truth OF it, thougl
Hayward, never friendly critic when
Bonaparte is concerned, says that her rela
tions with Barras were of the most init
mate and confidential kind, although W
are quite ready to believe that the popu
lar reflections on her reputation were un
lust"
Did Napoleon love JosephineP Thier
says that he felt for her "a taste that tim
had disipated, an esteem that many in
stances of lightness had diminished.
Lanfrey, on the contrary, insists tha
"he had conceived an ardent and exalte
passion for her, famed by the knowledg
that this marriage would at the sam
time give him the role he most longed foi
and open to him the ranks of society tina
had hitherto met his advances with excess
> i've distrust. He threw into this affectio
the only one, it is said, which eve
made is heart heat-all the eagerness an
FIRE of his impetuous nature. As to Nine
de Beauharnais, she felt more uneasines
and ustonishment than love-" Nine. d
remusat thinks with Lanfrey. He ha
some affection for his first wife, she says
and il some times he gave way to emotio
no doubt it was for her and because {
{ her. HE was young when he knew hel
and she had by the name she bore and th
extreme elegance Of her manners grea
| superiority over the throng in which h
singled her out. She became attache
to him, fattered his pride, obtained fc
him q high command-he came to assoc
9 ate the idea Of her influence with his ow
9 good fortune. This superstition, in whic
I she very cleverly encouraged him, exerte
a great influence upon him for a Ion
e time-it even retarded more than ONT
+ the carrying out Of his plans for divorc,
In marrying Nine do Baauharnais, Boni
Q parte thought be was allying himself to
very great lady, making another col