New-York tribune., 1889-11-06
IMPERIAL D0MESTICITH.
THE COURT OF THE SECOND EMPTRR


an. who oan describe the daily habits and dispositions
NJ an Emperor and Empress-no longer on the thr""e'
n is trne but not less interesting u"ri"s uo' po
v,er,,v forS<Ao misfortunes which overlook them SUD
scoueutly The Empess's lady OF honor Is eVdenty
laval and single minded admirer OF her former mis-
-. .ra v,r,tes OF her throughout with an en-
.,r.,,.m which shows that she Inspired strong love
.,a .steem in those who her most nearly and
,ons.an,ly The disclosures given In this volume
uroye that the life OF great court is not necessarily
even as comfortable as that OF moderately nch
private family One statement about the Imperial
household establishes this fact The Tuileres was
built almost with single eye to great state func-
lions and mo provision made by the architect
for domestic life in IT, After the 9th Of October,
1882 says Madame Carette whom Louis XVI ana
Marc Antoinete had taken possession OF IL, certain
alterations n respect had been mproviscd, but
these had necessarily remained exceedingly imperfect
and unsatisfactory Outside the state apartments all
the messages and stairways were dark that 1t was
necessary to burn lamps constantly In order to enable
peope TO find thoIr way about, and this circumstance
created heat and closenoss which were actuaiS
oupressiven No modern millionaire would live IN
honse with dark and stufiy passages and stsir"ays'
hut the Emperor of the French had to put up with
such arrangements. go,
Tho Incidents of state alterations weighed still
moro heavily upon the Empress however, for scconi-
ing TO Madame Csrctte her life WIS nearly sserinceo
AZ the time Of the birth Of the Imperial Prince oy inc
hesitation Of the physicians who did not feel sure aU
thew could save both mother and child, and but ioF
the peremptory order of the Emperor would nave gwen
the preference 10 the latter The fomahty and
discipline which characterize court life everywhere o
described with much detail by Madame Care'te "ho
also gives very full account of the apartments Oh inc
Empress her furniture pictures, decoratons 1e"eS'
etc One interesting and significant statement is 10
the effect that before the fall OF the Empire Eugeho
had managed convey away and place in saieS a
mass of most important papers, among which is the
evidence whereby to expose the dupiichy trescne'S
and hypocrisy Of many prominent people VINO poseo
after the 4th Of september, as anulmpersHtS.
Madame Carete with what authority does not appear
tutmacs that SO long the ex Empress lives these
pspers VIII not be used is clear that she believes
they will then find publisher, 10 the dsconposure OF
many people
The domestic nts of the Tsleries IS described as
being apparently happy. The disposition OF the I'M
peria Prince is represented as very good his capacueS
marked and his education eminently sensible. From
hs birth untn about his tenth he was mainly IN
the hands OF his mother and an English governess
Miss shaw 10 whom he was strongly attached HIS
favorite playmate was Louis Conneau, son OF that d.
Conncau who the Emperor's most intimate TREND
The two boys were of and associated on a.
perfect equality Madame Carette tells pretty
anecdote of this comradeshp. On certain occasion
young Connesu TO dine with the Prince and the
latter had asked that certain strawberry cream. OF
which they were both very fond, might DO served at
high quarrel about something and Louis Conneau iet
the place In dudgeon and refused 10 be present at the
profered enter ainmept So the Prince had to dine
alone but when the strawberry was served he
could longer control his feelings, but burst into
tears and said 10 Of his servants Take the cream
10 Conneau and tell him haven't the heart 10 eat 1t
without him."
He was, however, Madame Carette says. very |
mischievous and she gives the following amusing ex
ample: One day some Quo brought him nom a |
christening box of sugar plums. which, as he was
not usually allowed TO eat bon-bOns, appeared to |
him very magnificent present, and ne at once went
In search Of the Empress 10 show them TO her. But
as he passing the stationed his door,
ridiculous idea, such could only occur 10 chfid
crossed bis brain. and without more ado he empued
the whole box of sweets into the mans boot 1t must
have been a test of the soldiers discipline,
his duty requiring him 10 remain utterly notion |
less so be presented while receiving this |
avalanche of doucers" There Is something refresh
ngly boyke about this little practical joke, and in
fact the young Prince appears TO have had plenty OF
spont ancy, and to have been as little spoiled as Is
perhaps possible under such conditions he was /
brought up IN. Madame Carette declares that no ex
tant portrait Of Eugenio at all fully conveys her deli
cate beauty and mobility of expression during her
prime. She was very charitable, and of course was
often deceived She soon found that the practice of
giving presents TO her apt 10 some selfish
design the part of the donor and atr fiat she re
fused to accept anything more. when the Clty OF
Paris, her marriage desired TO present her with
splendid diamond necklace costing 100000 francs
She declined the magnificent gift but proposed that the
money should be employed in founding an orphanage,
and this done. the building being arranged in
the form Of necklace, to commemorate the occasion
This orphaDage the of one Of the most
horrible crimes Of the COmmuniSts afterward. the
orphans being the victims.
The former lady of honor gossips brightly about the
gande danes who frequented the Court Of tho Second
Empire, and gives series of outline portraits OF
them which VIII be found interesting, while she drops
into anecdOte regarding the more celebrated or no.
torous of them, for example the Countess Castigone
OF this famous beauty she says Nine. de Cas- |
tiglione's beauty wel-nigh faultess of chsrac
which did not to belong TO time yet, al
though IL may seem almost incredible, her perfect |
features and undeniably graceful person
weie utterly devoid of charm Her hand
some face was characterized by
expression of haughness and hardness that reminded
one Of the ola divnities whom devotees sought TO !
propitlate by offerings and sacrifices curious
stories told of this lady. Of which the following
is good example After her marriage she |
lutey persisted In her refusal TO pay ceremonous
visit TO her mother lnaw, the MarQuse de Castigone.
Her husband exhausted all his powers Of persuasion
in vain endeavor induce her TO perform this simple
act Of courtesy AT last one day when they chanced
TO be Driving together, she seemed TO be In bet |
ter hum0r than usual, the Count gave his mothers |
address TO the coachman, hoping that his wife would
allow herself to be prevailed upon. The lovely |
Countess said not word but waited until the
carriage crossing bridge when, quickly taking |
her shoes of, she threw them after the other
into the water ." think' she said, turning her
husband, that you viii not force me TO walk in my
bare feet"
Al the time when all Paris gOsslpping about
her beauty and extravaganza, the Duchesse Taescher
de la Pagerie, whose husband was high chamberlain
The Emperor. requested he Cnnn ,ol,o
In tabieau vivant" the occasion of an entertain
ment for the benefit Of the poor After long hesitation
she consented TO appear, condition that she might
choose her own role and costume. When the night
ha ain her cnntaA