Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-12
THE PRINCESS MATHILDE
Louis Napoleon's First Love-How She
Was Married and Was Divorced
from DemfdOH

Prince Louis Napoleon when young, down
in the world, in debt, disowned by his father,
and regarded by those who knew him as the
lmpracticable dreamer that he really wss,
fell in love with his cousin, the Princess Ma
thilde, daughter of Jerome by his European
Catherine, after Betsy Patterson had been
cast aside. When Louis Napoleon FIRST saw
Mathilde she was in the bloom of radiant
sirlhood, and being cousins they were al
lowed free intercourse. The result was a
mutual attachment that was quite other lh an
cousinly. The prince was rudely sent away
by the King of Westphalia. The cousins
met and parted in an orchard at day break
sad and silent parting. The prince had
some dull ambitions even then, but he did not
say, Don't marry till / can make you an
empress" and the cousins went their way,
hearts all sore enough, without mutual ex-
PLANTATION. There lie no mutual explanation
for such hours.
Princess Mathilde was born at Trieste in
1920, has some mixture of German blood,
sunlit by the light of southern skies; hsr
heart is said 10 sull retain its youth, as a
heart that has never been broken. Soon af-
ter her parting with Louis Napoleon she
married Prince Anatole Demidoff 1t ia
said that the atch was one of NJ. Theirs
bunders. The prince was as rich as Gro. us,
but vain as ignorance itself; . heavy eater
aud drinker aud noisy sleeper. He used
| to snore at the opera and make his wife
ashamed OF him. He was count in Germ any,
prince in Tuscany, but nothing but a million
aire in his own country, and simply married
Mathilde to improve his position in Russi a.
| As son-in-law of the ex-Queen of Westphalia
| he would be cousin of the Queen of the
Netherlands (who was niece of the Czar)
| and q nephew of the King of Wurtembarg.
| The princess was twenty-five when she mar
ried him, and her debut in Partisan society
| took place when she was bride. Her fine
head, girt with diamond coronet, produced
stir at the Italian opera. She was a prin-
cess OF unusual beauty, of rare culture, and
| possessing above all that dominant quality
| of genuineness without which men and women
| are puppets, instead of living souls. NJ
| Theirs and his ladies ranged themselves
on her side, and Theirs advised her to pay
her respects TO the consort of The citizen
| king.
There was some squabbling with Jerome
as to precedence, and after three and q hail
years of msrried life the princess quilted
her husband, the heavy drinking and noisy
| sleeping being altogether too much for her
could not live with him and maintain her
self-respect. ID midof thought 10 bring her
to terms by cutting off supplies, but fnally
| the Gar ordered him to grant his wife an
| annuity OF 200, 900 roubles, aud not 10 ap-
| proach nearer than 800 leagues to any city
Paris, and Mile. Duverger, OF the Opers
Comique, was asked 10 install herself as
mistress OF the mansion. Prince Demidof
died three years ago and Mathilde put or
mourning, but refused to don weeds.
| Like all low natures Of contemplate abili
| ties and enormous ambitions, Louis Napo
| leon was an adept in the vice of deception
When hs was elected president of the Sec
| ond Republic he asked his cousin Maihilds
to do the honors Of the Elysee, and for tire,
| years she enjoyed a social primacy; but i
| all had a humiliating, disagreeable ending
| "Princess Mathilde had early seen through
the ambitious designs of the Countess d.
| Montijo and her daughter, and frowned then
out OF the Elysee. As society concurred il
her view OF the two ladies, they both though
| it desirable to return for short time Il
Spain. Unknown to his cousin, the prime
president corresponded with them both
When he proposed for the Countess de Tebs
she insisted upon his asking the Princes
Mathiide 10 be, while the engagement lasted
her chaperone, and as such to stay with her a
the Eysee. The pill was bitter one. Blu
it was swallowed on the conditions that tn
status given as heir presumptive to Primo
Napoleon was 10 be maintained, and thNt,
Mrs. Patterson Bonaparte gave trouble, ia
judges were To be in1tructed to decide again:
herr
In the palmy days the emperor bought fo
her the coaniry residence at St. Gratiar
where she now lives from Easter to Michae
mas. Her house there is large, roomy, ur
pretentious seventeenth century edi6c
standing in park on the summit OF a 10
hill. 1t commands q view of the Lake
Enghien, to which grassy avenue, fanke
by ancient trees, descends. The Princess
fond of horticulture. She is often seen wit
whip in hand, chasing and threatening he
lap-dog, Barbetle, for having run in anon
the flowers.