The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-10
TWO YEARS AN EMPRESS.
The Brief, Bright Days OF Marie Louise, the
Austrian Empress of France.

Austrian Empress of France.
Memoirs of Baron Imbert de st. Amant.
At this period of her life Marie Louise pos
sessed no inconsiderable portion of feminine
charms. She was tall and admirably formed,
her shoulders and arms being especially beauti-
full. Her complexion was dazzling her teeth
white and even, and her eyes large, blue
and expressionless. She had profusion
OF fair hair which looked well in the
numerous stiff curls that were then fashionable.
Her foot was remarkably small. and Napoleon
showed with pride to his valet de chambre the
slipper that had been sent from Vienna as a
model for the shoes Of the Empress. remarking
as he did so, Look, Constant; here is slipper of
lucky omen. Have yod ever seen many feet that
were as small as thatp But the face of the EN-
press was disfgured by the long, heavy chin of
the Austrian imperial race. Moreover,
her countenance was stolid and ex-
pressionless. She was in all respects
the opposite of the brilliant, fascinating Joseph
inc, possessing neither charm of intellect nor
powers of conversation. She was simply fresh,
fair German girl, radiant with health and youth,
too stupid to appreciate her husband, and too
dull and phlegmatic to care much even for her
splendors and her throne As to her virtue
which Napoleon used to extol while he was at
st. Helena, it is on record that no sooner had
she got rid of her husband than she took unto
herself lover.
1t is certain that during the brief period of her
prosperity Marie Louise found herself at she
very pinnacle of human greatness. She had the
world at her feet tbs doubtful whether she re-
allied the dazzling height of the elevation at
which she was placed. Moreover, she was the
wife Of the man who was not only the greatest,
but the most fascinating person of modern his
tory Even at this day it is impossible to read
the records of his private life and intimate con-
versaton without experiencing to some degree
the enchantment that he exercised on those
around him. Napoleon was then only forty
years of age with a head whose beauty was the
stern, severe, yet artistic beauty of an antique
bust. For his young wife's sake he had diseon-
tinued his careless style Of dress and had become
elegant IN his attire and suave in his manners
But he who won so many he's could never
win that of Marie Louise. probably because
there was none to win. There 2 streak of
vulgar sensuality. about this daughter Of the
Caesars, which was brought to light by her
liaison with Count Neipperg. This worthy
but one eye, the other being continually
covered by large black bandage As chamber
lain. minister and morganatic spouse he pos
sessed over Marie Louise ascendanev which
Napoleon had never acquired The Empress of
Austria once very justly remarked in one of her
letters to Napoleon, II may be reproaehed with
the fact that my daughter has but few ideas and
very little education" History has not failed to
record the correctness of that statement
Marie Louise never enjoyed the social sue
cesses that were the share Of Josephine She
lacked the grace, the tact the charm of her fasei
mating predecessor, Of whom, by the way she
was mortally jealous Napoleon could not ex-
asperate her more readily than by telling her
that he was about to pay visit to his repudiat-
ed wife. On his side he kept his young Empress
in severe ana almost oriental secluslon. One
might have thought that he OWNED the future
frailitles of her career. and considered that
she required the strictest possible surveillance.
Six ladies. called bis danes d'annonces, were ap-
pointed to watch over Marie Louise in turn
every moment of the day. One of them entered
her bedroom before she rose. and another only
left her when she retired for the night They
were present at her lessons or music drawing or
embroidery; they wrote notes and letters from
her dictation; and one of them always slept in
room communicating with that of the Empress,
and through which it was necessary to pass in
order to reach her bedchamber
The bright days of the career of Marie Louise
lasted for two years only. She was but little
over twenty when the sun of her prosperity went
westering to its decline. She had been the
greatest lady in the world. and the wife of the
worlds greatest man. She sunk without
struggle to be the mistress OF her own chamber
lain. A more pitable spectacle has seldom
been presented than was that afforded by Marie
Louise when she appeared at the Congress of
Verona leaning on the arm Of the Duke Of We'll
lington. Fortunately. her illustrious husband
died in ignorance of her infamy and her weak
ness and gave her in his memory shrine side
by-side with that dedicated to the image of Jo-
sephino.