The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-05-02
EUGENE AS AN EMPRESS.
A LIFE OF LUXURY THAT WAS
MoNoToNoUS AND WEARISoME.
The whimsical and Unsatisfactory
Efforts to While Away the Dreary
s-Extravagant Dressing.

Hours-ENtraVagan OreSslng'
The life of the Empress Eugenie, of
France, soon became utterly monotonous
and wearisome. She rose at about $3.50,
and took the late breakfast replacing the
lunch in France, with the Emperor
alone, at 1880. At her ladies came.
In Paris they slept at their own homes,
but in the country residences they had
their stated turns of waiting, and dur
ing that time lived at the palaces.
Among her ladies, of course, some were
more agreeable to her than others; but
she must accept the memorable turn OF
precedence, and could not choose her
companions.
Lay after day she drove out with the
lady whose privilege entitled her to a
seat in the imperial carriage; day after
day she went to the Bois de Boulogue,
and bowed necessarily to the crowd; day
after day she returned Just in time to
dress for dinner; and then came the
wearA Aevening, where nobody had any
thing to say, if they had dared to say it.
No one could sit down till she gave the
gracious permission; but this she did in
varibly in the case of ladies. Her ready
good nature would have willingly ex
tended the privilege to the gen
tlemen in waiting, but this was contrary
to rules and must not be. So the ladies
sat in circle and the gentlemen ''stood
at ease, " tired out before the close of the
evening. When her Majesty retired
scarcely had the last fold of her skirt
passed the door before all the weary at
tendants threw themselves on the sofas.
The presence of majesty necessarily pre-
vented conversation; every one awaited
the pleasure of the sovereigns. The EN-
peror spoke very little, and in q soft,
| langu!d voice; the Empress feeling that
the general chill would be uubearable if
she did not take the lead. chatted inces-
sd Atly with n sort of feverish vivacity.
IL voice did not seem to belong to that
sw face; it was the Spanish voice,
gu1Aral aud harsh. She spoke French
with perfect huency, but with a decided
foreign accent.
The weariness of those evenings be-
came so unendurable that all kinds of eS-
periments were tried to vary their mon
otony. One night the Empress suddenly
! took fancy to make artificial flowers,
and a chamberlain was Immediately dis
| patched, at nine o'clock in the evening, to
procure the necessary material. Another
time one who possessed the most beauti-
full specimens of ceramic art that France
could afford, was seized With a violent
aaesire for ''potichoman c, " ahd this again
mnstsAesatislied Immediately. Reading
aloud wSe MRpsed, But what book
could be chosw for such an assembly!
Some proposed "Jane Eyre" the we'll
known novel. The Empress IVES amused,
but the Emperor utterly weaned. Then
they tried 'Josephus" and the WARS of
the Jews" HeIe the Emperor was in
tensely interested, but the Empress
yawned, and theattempt was given up.
The Emperor was in general more popu-
lar in lhe Imperial household than the
Empress; his languid gentleness was in
nobody's way, bit the Empress was often
irritable and capa ious. She was Ger
tainly intelligent, but her education had
been neglected, and she cared for no in
tcllectual employment or artistic occupa-
ton. She hated music; she had no ia te
for the fine arts. Even a well-writien
play at the Thlatre. Frapcais did not
amuse her. She would have liked the
sma theatres anything, in short, that
could make her laugh; but this undigni-
/
ioyed. Her life had been one of constant
amusement-the empty existence of
watering places and now she was, in
fact, prisoner. She gave state balls,
but they wee filled with such motley
crowd that she could only dance the open
iing aoadrille and walk through the
roomsiqrf -
Then she gave select private ba Is, but
the absence of the French aristocracy
obliged her to invite large proportion
of wealthy foreigners Russians, Wal
lachians, and a so Americans. These were
unknown in French society, and splen-
dor of dress seemed the only means Of
heing remarked. TO attain this end no
extravaganza seemed too excessive, and
the Empress was blamed as having OrigI-
mated the lo,e of dress, which spread in
all classes and became a complete mania.
So far as she heS was concerned,
the accusation Ns sly exaggerated
She certainly lils kcss, aud preferred
fragi' clouds of tTYe and gauze to the
heavy but durable mlgnillcence Of yalua-
Bile Ia and brocaded stulIs worn 10y
the Bourbon princesses. But the light
clouds in which the fair Empress ap-
peared like an Undine or sylph were
very expensive, and could only be worn
/ once. Every one wished 10 be like the
Empress, and at every ball lilmy dresses
costing fabulous prices were torn to
pieces, but had to be replaced. Hus-
bands grumblcd, and the Empress was
accused of running families by setting
the example of extra agance.-Haype' 8
/ Magazine.