Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-29
The Ex-Empress Eugene.

1t is stated that the ex.Empress E1-
genie. who is now living in her child.
less widoghood at Cbiselhurst, in Eng.
land, is preparing life Of her gallant
young son, who was killed, nearly two
years ago, by the savage Zulus in South
Africa.
Few lives have been more romantic
or more full of strange vicissitude, than
that of Eugenie; and her pres ent situs.
ton lends pathetic aspect to her ca
reer, bich makes her, throneless and
dosolate as she is, sadly interesting
figure to the world.
The daughter of Spanish ncbletnan,
and the granddaughter of an Irish gem
tlemsn who was at one time English
Consul at CAdiz, nothing could, per-
hsps, have been further from her
thoughts, in the days of her girlhood,
than that she should ever occupy a
throne.
She grew into beautiful and bloom
ing worhaphood. With her mother, the
ID 1chess of Alba, she happened to visit
Paris, in the year 1852, when she was
about twenty-eight years old. There
her extraordinary loveliness OF person,
and diguii3d and winning grace Of
bearing, Mt once attracted the attention
Of the gay capital.
S le appeared at the Tuileries. when
Napoleon III. had recently taken up
his abode in his new imperial dignity /;
III the Emperor quickly became enam-
ored of the fair Spanish beauty.
1t hal been supposed that Napoleon,
/ al.
bachelor, would seek to strengthen his
new throne by u marriage with dsugh-
ter Of some powerful royal house. But
he was so captivated by Eugenie's
charms, that he threw policy to the
winds, cast himself at her feet, and
begged her to share and adora his
throne.
The Spanish beauty could not resist
SO brilliant prospect. The imperial
lover was accepted. In less than two
years after, she presented her husband
with that only son, who was for many
years the center of his hopes, and who,
still later, was his mothers chief pride
aud comfort in the days Of her misfor-
tunes and widowhood.
The Empress Engenie became the
most brilliant and conspicuous princess
in Europe. She set the fashions of the
world. Her receptions at the Tuileries
were the envy of other princesses.
Never we're the Inequalities of q palace
more gracefully and splendidiy dis
pensed.
At the same time, she presented an
example Of deep and sincere piety.
She was devoted daughter OF the
Catholic Church; and this fact had no
small influence in reconciling she Oath
Ole priesthood in France to the rule of
her husband.
The French were proud of their
beautiful Empress; and when they
heard of her many charities, and how
she freely exposed her life to contagion
by visiting the hospitals and tenderly
caring for the sick, their admiration
increased into warm love. Her charac.
ter was as pure asd noble as her face
and form were lovely; and by these
qualities she probably proved of more
use in strengthening Napoleon's throne
than if he had, following the dictates
of worldly prudence, welded royal
princess of Germany or Russia.
When the fatal war with Prussia re-
suited In her husbands downfall, Eu-
genie was in Paris. The population of
the city were frantic with rage at the
utter defeat Of the army, but no hand
/ was raised against the fair Eugenie, and
she was allowed to depart peacefully
from the city, and to take refuge in
England.
There, in exile, she sweetly consoled
the fallen Emperor as long SIS he lived !,
faithful to him and his cause to the
| last.
When he died, she had one great Joy
and consolation left. It was her only
sou, the manly and handsome young
Prince, now cadet at the military
school at Woolwich. He became her
solitary hope. She looked forward to
seeing him return to France some day
as its Emperor.
But he went to Africa to serve in the
English army against the savage Zulus,
and one day was killed in skirmish
with them after defending himself with
desperate gallantry and courage.
The poor widow had now only the
consolation OF memory left. With q
bleeding heart, she last year undertook
the long, weary voyage from England
to South Africa. to weep and pray on
the lonely spot where her brave young
son fell. All the world followed her
journey with keen sympathy for her
sorrows and bereavements.
And now she proposes to devote her
locely hours to writing, from her full
heart, the brief memoir of that young
career, SO suddenly cut short; which,
when finished, will certainly be read by
plying and sympathetic world.
Says the Colorado, Summit county,
Times: No more sublime object of ma
L.