The Osceola times., 1880-07-31
PARVENU EMPRESS.
Her wardrobe-IIer Extravagance-Her
Personal Habits.


The Empress Josephine was allowed
by Napoleon $4,000 year for her per
sonal expenses, S2l 600 for aims giving.
Her successor, the archduchess, received
ONLY $4,000 for these purposes. The
pretext of this difference was that jose
phine had great many calls upon her
purse from her poor relations. There Is
no doubt, We are told, that she gave a
great deal away, but as her presents were
never taken from her own effects, but al
wavs freshly purchased, the practical
outcome of her hneficencc was vast
accumulation of debts These Napoleon
would pay once a year. never IN full,
however, as he desired TO keep his wife
in continual dependence. Josephine, 1t
seems, would never tolerate anything
like order or etiquette in her private
apartments. After she became empress,
Napoleon insisted that she should have
no personal dealings with shopkeepers,
but he was forced to yield on this point.
Her private rooms were always full OF
shawl merchants, silk MERGERS, mantua
makers. haberdashers, jewelers. and por-
trait painters. She had mania for hav-
ing her portrait taken, and gave the PIC
lures to anybody who wanted them,
relatives, friends, chambermaids, even
shopkeepers. The latter were always
bringing her diamonds, trinkets, shawls;
stufls and gewgaws of every kind; she
bought everything, never asking the
price, and half the time forgetting what
| she had purchased. From the outset
she gave her ladies in waiting TO under
stand that they need not NEEDLE with
her wardrobe; everything connected
with that department was transacted in
private by her and her maids, of whom
| there were six or eight. She rose at 3
| O'Clock; her toilet was very prolonged
performance one part of IT being some
what mysterious, and involving divers
preparations for the preservation and
improvement of her complexion. When
this work of art was finished, she had
| her hair dressed and herperson wrapped
in long wrapper layishly trimmed with
lace. We are informed that her chems-
es and petiicoats were also elaborately
trimmed. Nine. de Rcmusat deems it
u, rtincnt to add the further details that
| Josephine changed her chemses and all
her linen thrice day, and wore none
| but new stockings. After her hair was
done, they brought her hugh baskets
containing quantities of gowns, bonnets
and shawls of India, she had as many
as 800 or 400--she made gowns OF them,
or bed coverings, or cushions Tor her
dog. She always wore one IN the morn
ing, draping it about her shoulders with
a grace peculiar to herself. Bonapart,
who thought shawls hid her figure too
much, would now and then tear them
off and fling them into the fire. She
bought, we are told, every cashmere
shawl the tradesmen brought her at any
price they chose to ask-sl 800 or s.
900, or ~, 400. Cashmere shawls were
the fashion at the court, and the oldest
lady connected with the imperial house
hold would not condcsccnd 10 wear one
which cost less than $500.
Josephine's mode of life seems to have
been sufficiently monotonous, yet, al
though she never opened n book nor
took up a pen, showed no signs Of ennui
She had no taste for theater, and the
emperor did not like her to go with him.
lest her appearance should provoke APP
plauSe aud give her sort of personal
popularity. She never walked for ex-
erCise except when at Malmalson, an
abode she was forever embelishiDg, and
on which shesquandered immense sums
Her principal employment was looking
over the huge accumulations of gowns
frippcry and ornaments in her ward
robes, for which really colossal maga-
zines had to be as igned in each of their
palaces. She could never prevail on
herself to part with single article oi
clothing, aud up to her last hour de-
rived unquenchable delight from exam
ming, asserting and trying on iinery
On the day OF her death she had hei
maids array her in dressing-gown ol
extreme elegance, because she fancicd
the Emperor of Russia would, perhaps
call to see her. She expired in rose
Colored satin.