The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-04-19

Of the Rue Chantereine, where his hap
piness has been vivid and transient as
the ligbtning's flash. The first letter
written five DAYS after his marriage,
ends thus: "May my good genius,
which has always protected me in my
greatest danger, guard and shield you
nowl l care not for myself. Be not
gay, but a little sad. Re-
what our good Ossian said. 1
send thousand and one kisses from
your truest and most loving friend"
Nine. de Remusat says in her me- |
moirs:
~ should speak of the heart of Bon
aparte. But if it were possible to be-
lieve that any human being could be
deprived of that part of our organism
that makes no need to love and be
loved, should say that at the moment
of his creation his heart must have
been forgotten, or perhaps he succeeded
in completely suppressine it,"
Yet in another letter we find: ooh,
my adorable wifel l Know not what
fate awaits ne; but if must be away
from you l cannot bear it. l am not
strong enough for that. There was
time when was proud of my courage,
and sometimes, anticipating what fate
might have in store for me, or what l
might suffer at the hands of men, l
contemplated the most unheard-of mis-
fortunes without dismay or astonish-
ment. But now the idea that my Jose.
phine may suffer; the idea that she
may be ill, or worse than all, the cruel,
deadly thought that she may love me
less, blights my soul, curdles my blood,
makes me detected and miserable, with
no heart for anger or despair. used
to say to myself, Men have no power
over him who dies without regret.
Now, to die without the assurance of
your love is hell itself-is nothing less
than annlhilation. / feel as if should
suffocate. Ny only one, my companion
In life's tollseme journey, the day that
you love me no longer, Nature loses
every charm. stop, sweet friend; my
soul is sad, my body weary; men are
insufferable. l can but hate them; they
come between me and YOU"
Later, he writes: 'When 1 exact
from you a love like mine l am wrong.
Why ask that lace should outweigh
gold? When 1 sacrifice to you all my
wishes, all my thoughts, every instant
of my life, l yield to the ascendency
that your charms, your character and
your whole person have acquired over
my unfortunate heart. 1t is my fault
if nature has not given me the power
to captiYate you, but what do deserve
from Josephine is esteem and regard,
for L love her passlonately, devotedly.
Adieu, adorable wlfel Adieu, my Jo-
sephineI May fate concentrate in my
heart all the grief there is to bear, and
grant to my Josephine all the prosperity
and happiness. Who deserves it more
than she does? When it is evident that
she Can love me no more will hide my
bitter grief and will try and be satisfied
with being kind and useful to her in
some way l open my letter again to
send you kiss. Ahl Josephine, Jose.
phiuel"
At this time Napoleon seems more in
love than she does. Indeed, she reads
part of his letters aloud to others and
finds his jealous transports amusing.
The question arises whether he found
the responsive tenderness he claimed,
and whether Nine. de Remusat is right,
when, in another mood, she says, "Per'
haps he would have been better if he
had been more truly loved" After all
it is not impossible that Josephine's
coldness may have been stimulated.
She had to de with conquerer, and
love is like war; more tender and more
responsive, she might have had less
power over Bonaparte.
Her share in the dangers and glories
of that wonderful Italian campaign was
then described-her social victories al
home and abroad. Then came tht
Egyptian expedition, when she was lef
behind with her children and her hus
bands family.
On the 10th of October, 1899 Napo
leon, just landed from Egypt, allighteC
at his hotel rue Chantereine, only Il
find it deserted. Josephine had gont
to meet him, but, taking different road
they had missed each other. He haC
been tortured during his absence by
reports about his wife, conveyed BY
Junot and others, and now his brothers
jealous of JosephiDe's influence, availeC
themselves of this unlooked-fo
occasion to make the most of his impa
thence and suspicious. They succeeded
so well that, two days after, when Jose
phine at last arrived and eagerly ran VI
stairs to her husbands room, she foun,
the door locked and could obtain n,
admission. From behind the bolts II,
answer to her entreatles but this: "Th
door will never be reopened to you."
She pleaded in vain. Her sobs weT
heard all over the house, and she passet
the whole night in agonizing and fruit
- | 1n0o apr,1iaotinp A la or ont II
fatigue and distress, she was goini
away, when one of her ladies suggeste,
sending for the children. Eugene an,
Hortense eaD'e- They joined thei
, voices to Josephine notabando
, our mother; it will kill her,"
At last the door opened. Bonaparte'
face was stern, his reproaches bitter
Josephine trembled at his words. The
. he turned to Eugene.
''As for you, you shall not suffer fo
your mothers fault. You shall alWay
: be my son. 1 shall keep you nea
j me-"
mo, General" answered Eugene
1 must share my mothers sad fate an
bid you farewell"
Bonaparte began to relent. II
pressed Eugene to his heart and granite
forgiveness to Josephine, who ha
3 fallen on her knees with Hortense b
:. herself, and the reconciliation was CON
s plete.
q Among other anecdotes, the folIowin
= is related by Arnault: Josephine ha
a little lap-dog named Fortune" A
5 the time of her Imprisonment, durin
+ the ''Terror," she was separated froI
o her husband, the Viscount Beauharnais
{ also prisoner. The children were al
lowed to visit their parents, accompa
!, med by their governess, who took tn
9 lap-dog with her, and by means of note
T slipped under the collar of the littl
n animal, the husband and wife commu
n nicated with each other. After her II
q lease on the 9th Therrnidore, Fortun
and his mistress became inseparablt
' One day at Montebello, during til