The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-29
EUCENIE'S TRIALS.
Incidents in Her Life as Related by
"a Lady in Waiting"

EON ME i nj AA9s
Incidents in Her Life as Related by
"a Lady in Waiting"
After her betrothal to the Prince
Regent, the Countess de Montijo quit
ted France. She wore a plain gold
ring on her finger, and pin mounted
with brilliants and emeralds. She had
won it it lottery organized by the
emperor at Compiegne, and ever after
wards, until the death of the emperor,
she used to wear it every evening along
with her other jewels whatever her
attire might be. 1t will be interesting
just to say here, says the Pail Mall Ga
zette, that a few years after the en-
peror's death the empress put off some
of her mourning lest she should sadden
her sons youth. However. she wore
no colored jewelry, but having looked
upon this first present OF the emperor
as pledge of their future happiness.
a superstitious illusion in regard to it
became firmly fixed in her mind. On
the departure OF the Prince Imperial
for Zululand the empress wore the
''trefojl OF emeralds' until June 10.
But after the death of her son she lost
all faith in human hope. and on one
occasion, when the Duchess de Mouchy
was paying the empress visit, the
latter gave her this jewel.
Il have regarded it for long time
as fortunate talisman," said she. cit
is my dearest relic. do not wish it
to be cast aside! Look upon it every
evening as souvenir of us, and may
it be to you a token of happiness and
Of loving friendship"
No provision had been made in this
splendid palace of the Tuileries, which
was 80 vast and so magnificent, to
give it the appearance of a home:
When Louis XIV. and Marie Antoinette
had occupied it in 1889 few hasty
provisions of this kind had been made,
but they had always remained imper-
feet.
With the exception of the large
rooms, all the interior communication
were in darkness, and it was neces-
sary, summer and winter alike, to
have lighted lamps on the small stair
cases and in the corridors. AS soon
as spring came the heat and want of
ventilation became very painful now,
Notwithstanding the beautiful display
OF the chestnut trees in the garden, we
all hailed with joy the time for our de-
parture. to Saint-Clou of Fontaine-
bleau.
On one occasion the Empress re-
ceived from a young girl two turtle
doves ina cage, and she was the more
willing to accept this singular present
because of the touching simplicity with
which it was offered. Six monthsafter
letter was sent to the Empress asking
what the writer might be placed in her
service. 1t was to the following effect:
''It is l.. Madame, who made you a
present of the turtle-doves aud which
you have accepted! AS you love the
birds, you may require guardian for
them. I would take great care of
them"
The Empress always quilted the
grand balls at the Tuileries rather tired
and very often did not even take time
to call her maids Before entering her
cabinet she would remove her crown
and jewels, the weight of which IA
tigued her, and put them pele-naele into
my dress, which held out in front of
me for the purpose. was, always
afraid lest l should lose some of these
precious stones by conveying them in
this manner, for many of them repre-
sented a fortune.
The Empress ordered some of the
Crown diamonds to be mounted for her
ordinary wear. Many of them, had
history attached to them. Among 9TH
ers a yellow diamond. big as, a. small
nut, mounted i'm a comb, with, other
whittier stones, was swallowed by an in
surgent in 1874, during the: pillage of
the Tuileries. The cut facets of the
diamond produced internal disorders,
and the unfortunate man died in. great
pain. confessing his larceny. At the
pOst-mortem examination the diamond
was found. 1t was the largest of the
Grown diamonds and when the Empress
became acquainted with this fact later,
it caused her to remove it.
The Seada of Anoor