Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-02
FALLEN ROYALTY.
The Elk Empress EugeDie and Her Re-
cent Visit to Paris.


The Empress Eugene spent a sad week
with the Duchesse de Mouchy in her new
house near the Hotel des Invalides. She
was attracted to the scenes of her former
triumphs, went to look at the balcony of
the EcOle Militaire, where she witnessed
so many reviews in imperial state, was at
Longchamps, st. Cloud, in the Tuileries
Gardens, and everywhere passed almost
unnoticed- Her cousin, M. de Lesseps,
FASTENED from Berry to pay his respects
to her. She was paid many visits, but
was not in mood to receive any but old
and valued friends. 1t is not at all true
that she wants to make peace between
her cousin, Prince Napoleon, and his
eldest son, whom she calls her petit
neUea. She was very much agitated in
going over the theatre on which the i'm
perial drama was played by her and the
Emperor. But her general attitude was
that OF person who through much suf-
fering has come almost to be insensible.
Her complexion is bleached as her hair.
The eyes Of pale blue have lost the faculty
of lighting up. 1t would be hard to say
whether they express indifference to most
things or resignation. But they look as
if they had cried so much that no more
tears were lett in them. The Empress
drove about in plain coupe. She was
always in black Grape and merinO. Her
figure has lost all fleXibility, and though
the Carlsbad waters were of service to
her, she has the stiff walk that rheuma-
tism Or the weight of years gives.
The outlines of the shoulders, how
ever, retain some of th6ir3 for
mer elegance. AS the adherents
OF Prince Victor are anxious to organize
an electoral campaign by next year, and
TO obtain pecuniary assistance from the
Empress, the house of the Duchesse de
MOuchy was closely watched when she
was there. If the world has not gone
from her, she has lost all taste for it. The
secluslOn of Marlborough sometimes
weighs upon her. Nevertheless, she said
she would be glad to return to it after her
continental trip. At Carlsbad she refused
all exceptional honors and faYors, lived
quietly at an hotel, and took her place in
queue at the pump. Her old Vivacity
has died out If it had not, she would try
to subjugate it, tor she ascribes to her
impetuOus disposition the eliminating
error OF the EmperOr's reign, and another
event for which she will mourn as long as
life and consciousness remain to her. She
has the generosity to admit the errors
of judgment into which she was hur-
RED, and which were attended with dis
astrOus consequences both for her family
and the nation over which, by an as
founding freak of fortune, she became the
sovereign. The Empress still thinks
aloud, and talks often ana rapidly of what
is on her mind. She i'll bears any mental
tension, unless in religious exercises, and
has not the resources of music, en-
broidery, knitting, or sewing, which
enabled Marie Amelie to beguile the
tedium of a residence at ClaremOnt. Her
infrmity prevents her walking as much
as she wishes. She lives altogether at
Marlborough in the past and among OBJ.
jects reminding her of departed glories Of
the Emperor and of her ill.starred son, of
whom she can now speak without falling
into proXysms of grief The inner
woman is chastened by afflictiOn, and the
outer woman faded; but she is more in
teresting, perhaps, than when she had the
prestige OF beauty, a throne, and (eXter-
nally the most brilliant court in Europe,
| have heard her compared to Henrietta
Maria, who also had reason to deplore the
impetuosity of her disposition. That
Queen, however, had a trial in her old
age to which the Empress has not been
subject. she lived in France when she
was discrowned Queen and widow in dire
poverty. Her house at Bots Colombes
was in the marshy part of wInd-swept
plain, and being too poor to buy frewood,
she had to stay in bed in winter to keep
herself warm.