The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-24
EUGENE AGAIN IN PARIS.
The Wan Face of the Ex-Elnpress Haunting
the Scenes of Her Youth.

The Wan Face of the Ex-Einpress Haunting
the Scenes of Her Youth.
San Francisco Chronicle Paris Letter.
The ex Empress Eugenie is another one Of
those crownless persons on whom we have
right to look VIII compassion. She passed
through Paris only the other day, and she spent
most of her time while here in the house of DR..
John Evans. The Doctor saved her life when
bowling mob of crazy communists were seeking
it; it was he who brought her safely to the
channel coast, and bargained with British tar
for her swift conveyance to the protecting shores
of England. and he has remained her friend ever
since. People before whom she once played so
prominent role have almost forgotten her
Titled danes and men of high degree, who owed
everything to her during the empire, now pass
her by on the other side of the way when she
reappears in Paris in her widows weeds. She is
not the pretty woman now she once was; her
hair is gray and her form begins to bend.
What an abyss lies between the past and the
present of this woman, who fifteen short years
ago, was the mistress of France. Two days ago
l saw her driving down the Champs Elysees in
modest coupe, unnoticed and ignored by the
passing crowd; fifteen years ago she never ap
peared in public except when surrounded by
imperial pomp, escorted by richly dressed cham
berlans, guarded by numerous police and
cheered by the admirlng throng Then when
her cortege entered the palace inclosure TIE
guards turned out to pay her imperial honors,
Now in that same place, or rather what is left of
it, the crown Jewels which then adorned her
brow are being exhibited to the public prior to
passing under the auctioneer's hammer
What strange memories must fill the mind of
this woman whenever she revisits Paris-mem-
ories of her first interview with Louis Napoleon
under the watchful eye of a long-headed mother
whom history has carefully consigned to obllv-
ion; of the splendors of the wedding ceremony at
Notre Dame, and the mocking smile with which
the Prince Napoleon, glass screwed into his
right eye, handed the wax taper to her and to
his cousin; of the reconstruction of the old i'm
perial court of the gorgeous festivals, of politi
cal journeys, among them the one to assist at
the opening of the Suez canal, which was for her
and for the empire vertable apotheosis and at
which all the crowned heads of Europe paid her
homage due to her beauty.
Her frvolity neutrazed her pride and she
showed to the world the strange spectacle Of an
empress who remained virtuous while indulging
in the midst of a corrupt court in the most com
promising follies She introduced into court
circles the mirth and manners of the merry
hearted Partisan grisette and astonished those
who were the least troubled with prudishness by
the freedom of her manners. Writing in 1863
about the court at Compiegne whore he was at
one and the same time theatrical manager, an
author and an actor, besides having to fill his
spare time in making researches for the use of
the Emperor in his famous history of Julius
Caesar" Merimee relates the following anecdotes
1--WE have here German lady who is great
admirer of NJ. De Bismarck, and we tease her
with threats of the bodness of that great man,
whose attentions she seems to encourage
Some days ago 1 painted and cut out a
very life-like head of Bismarck, and in the even
ing their majesties and slipped into the room of
the lady and placed this head on her pillow, ar
ranging the bolster in such a way as to resemble
human body. The Empress herself arranged
q handkerchief SO that the head seemed sur
mounted by a nightcap. In the candle light the
illusion was perfect After the Emperor and
Empress had said good night to their guests, we
managed to keep the lady in tho salon long
enough for their majesties to post themselves at
the end of the corridor, and then we all pre-
tended to go to our rooms. The German lady
entered hers, but presently she rushed out, and
knocking at the door OF Nine. De LoWrlnel said