The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-23

| parent neglect, OF didi th'' ~ i'P'''' W
his intimacy with Nine dc Bcauharnais,
had for n time ceased writing TO him.
He asked Joseph in one letter whether
ono passed the river Lethe in going TO
Genoa. and advised him not to give the
portrait which he had sent ito one who
seemed to have forgotten him, unless she
asked for it again" Desiree, however,
was not so inconstant as Napoleon imag-
ined She told afterwards how much
sho had suffered from his abandonment
Of her. When Napoleon married jose
phinc. Dcsirec, who was only fourteen,
wrote him touching letter, such as an
older person would probably not have
written:
"Aftcr a year Of absence | thought |
was nearly happy. and was hoping to
see yon again soon and become the hap
piest of women in marrying you. But
no! your marriage has made all my fell
CITY vanish. IL is true that was IN the
wrong toward you but you would have
found me again so tender, so constant,
that I was daring to fatter myself that
YOU would pardon me everything The
day Of your leaving Marseiles was very
painful for me: but at least had the
/ hope Of being ono day married 10 you.
/ Now the only consolation that remains
10 mo is to know that you believe in
my constancy, after which desire only
death. Iifo is frightful torment TO
mo since can no longer consecrate 1t
70 YOU. wish You all sorts Of happi-
ness and prosperity in your marriage,
and hcpo that tho wife you have chosen
will render you as happy as purposed
to DO, and as you deserve. But in the
midst Of your happiness do not alto
gether forget Eugene and pity her lot.
Wounds Of tho hcart-cspecially ~ that
carly age-arc soon healed; but although
Desirco forgave Napoleon, she always
kept little grudge against Josephine,
who had taken him from her. Sixty
years aftcrward she says:
"For a man Of genius like Napoleon
to let himself be subducd by an elderly
coquettc of notably doubtful repute,
proves him without any experience OF
women. Even after his second marriage,
josephine made herself talked about, and
it was not without good reason that her
husband required her 10 join him during
tho Italian campaign, and that on his re-
turn from Egypt nc determined to sepa-
rate from her
Nine. Clary and her daughter contin-
uod to live in Rome while Joseph Bona
parte remained there as ambassador.
Hero Gen. Duphot paid court TO her.
Whatever might have happened-and
there were serious obstacles in the shape
Of an Legitimate child Of Duphot-his
death put an end to everything. The
arrival Of an embassy from the French |
republic caused a crowd 10 assemble in |
the neighborhood Of the palace and make /
manifestations against the papal govern |
ment. On the evening Of Dec. q, 1877, |
tho papal troops interlered and fired on
the mob Joseph Bonaparte, Duphot |
and Adjt Gen. Sherlock went out TO
stop tho conflict. DuphOt was simply |
massacred by the soldiers; the others had !
barely time to rc-cnter the house. His /
body was afterward recovered and |
brought in. Dcsirec left Rome with /
Joseph Bonaparte immediately after |
ward. Her stay there had been SO short /
that she had not even had time to go TO /
St. Peters and her sole recollection Of /
Rome was the terrible scene she had /
witnessed from the top Of the staircase .
Of the French embassy, when the man |
glcd body of Duphot was brought in.
On her return 10 France, her beauty, /
her wealth, and her connection with the /
Bonapartes brought her numbers Of ad- /
mircrs. One Of the proposals for her
hand is charmingly told. After his re-
turn from Iceland. in 1856, Prince Ma /
poleon came TO Stockholm accompanied /
by the Due dAbrantes (son of JunoD, /
who asked for private audience OF the /
Queen Dowagcr Desiree. When 1t was /
over, Hochschid found her thoughtful /
and dreamy. "Tothink," she said, THAT /
could have married his father! There /
was a time when Junot proposed TO me,
but he was awkward about it, and asked /
Marmont to do it for him. All! if Mar
mont had spoken in his own name-who /
knows? should perhaps have said
Yes he was 50 handsome
In 1898, Bernadotte, who was then a
general of division, had been ambassador /
at Vienna, and was soon 10 be minister
Of war-no longer the Sergeant Berna
dottc who had knocked in vain for lodg.
ings at the door of the Clary house at
Marseillcs, but who was now intimate
with Joseph Bonaparte-proposcd to De
stree. She did not know him well, but,
as she said. The was something different
from the others had refused, and con-
scented 70 marry him when they told me
that he was a strong enough man TO hold
his own against Napoleon. The mar
riago took place ON Aug II, 170S. Ma
polcon was in Egypt, and used no inilu'
ence in the matter. When he heard OF
il he wrote to Joseph: Il wish happiness
to Dcsirce If She marrios Bomddouc, io
she deserves it,
The Bcrnadcttcs settled in Paris. and
the next year after their only son was
born, who was aftcrward known as King
Oscar |. Happy both as wife and
mother. Dcsircc saw Napoleon after his
return from Egypt without embarass-
mcnt. and their relations always remain
ed cordial Bernadotte being good
general had frequently to be absent, and
Dcslrce would have passed lonely time
had she not, in addition To her child, had
the society of her sister Julie. The letters
of Bcrnadottc to his wife, written when
he commanded in la Nendce. are inter
esting. because they show him rather as
a paternal friend and counselor-he was
twenty years older-than as a husband,
although there is occasionally noticeable
a little marital Jealousy. Bcrnadotte
himself gave no cause 10 his wife TO be
Jealous. which seems "a have piqued
Mime. Recamier. TO whom he was appar-H
emily devoted. Explain to me-" she
said one day to Nine. Bernadotte, "how
it happens that whenever your husband
chances to be alone with me in the woods
he always talks about politics"
The proclamation of the empire, and
- I