Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-08-07
AFRENCH DUCHESS.
Her ReccolIectiOns of the Once Famous
BOnaParte Family.

Her RecoOIlections of the Once Famous
BOnaParte Family.
London Truth.
The Duchess of Albufera, who was
buried last week, dated from 1889. She
was the daughter of a soap boiler of Mar
settles, named Clary, and second of
Julie, wife of Os. BOnaparte.. Her young
est sister married BernadOtte, and died
Queen of Sweden, imbued with the idea
that she and her spouse were necessary
to the happiness of the Scandinavian
people, over whom, by a freak Of fortune,
they came to reign. Because of her royal
connections, the Swedish Minister and
his Secretaries attended the funeral of
the nOnagenarian Duchess. 1 should not
wish to live to the age Of 50, even though
1 were certain of ending my days in a
great chateau of Normandy and in a still
grander mansion in the FaubOurg st.
HOnore, Ofbeing visited by royal nepheWs
and their chiidren's children, and in
tered with ducal hOnOrs. The Duchess
d'Albufera Outlived all save Gen. Schram,
who remembered the events with which
she was associated in early life and mid
die age, and as he spoke with military
! frankness about her exalted relatives,
his conversation often failed to please
her. He used to call Bernadotte's wife
1Ile becGSse e1lgrGlSSe, and cOrrObOrated the
portrait drawn of her by the caustic pen
| of the Duchesse d'Abrantes.
The old MareChale, until her memory
| failed her, was an interesting TacOnte1tss.
She would often wind up long and chatty
mOnolOgues about her IlustriOus and
| lOng-deceased contemporaries by exclaim-
! ing: "And Is it possible that they are all
! dead and pretty nearly forgotten except
! by me?" 1t was her interest to stand by
| Imperialism; but she had poor opinion
! Of the BOnapartes. Napoleon was genius,
and excellent for those who stuck by him,
! hattered him, and took good care not
only to tread on his heel but not on his
/ shadow. He was a despOt; and, as he got
old and felt his strength Wane he became
very Jealous of possible rivals. Louis
was a prig. He would have been invalu-
able as a major-dOmo in a great house
in which everything ought to go like
cloclIwOrk. Joseph was self-willed and
Drained, but a good husband and
father. His best qualities were those of
a commonplace bourgeois. Lucien was
cOnceited, dry, disagreeable and very
fond of money. His want Of ambition
might be explained by the gift of 6,0O0,-
600 francs worth Of diamonds made him
by the Queen of Spain when he went,
young and handsome, to Madrid as the
ambassador of the First Consul. He sold
the Jewels for more than their value on
his return to Paris, chung to the money
which they brought, and kept it through
all the vicissitudes of his house. As to
the women of the house they were all
carbOtjnes. Josephine was a good crea-
ture, but tickle and coWardly. Hardly
anybody defended her when Napoleon
wanted to repudiate her, because she
had not character enough to stand by
any one who might fall into disgrace for
having taken her part.
The Duchess d'Albufera saw the Duke
of Wellington and Butcher review allied
troops in the Champs de Mars, and dined
in their company when they were in
Paris. She witnessed the marriage Of
the Duke and Duchesse de Berri, and the
funeral of Louis XVIII, who said when
he was dying that he was the last King
of France whose remains would be taken
to ST. Denis.