The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-27
THE EMPRESS EUGENE.
Interesting "reminiscences by a Ci-
deVant Lady in Waiting.


quilted France, says the book about
the Empress Eugene recently pub
lished by one of her ladies. She wore
a plain gold ring on her finger and a
pin mounted with brilliants and emer-
alds.S She had won it in a lottery
organized by the Emperor at Com
piegne, and ever afterward, 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 that a few years after the
Emperor's death the Empress put off
some of her mourning lest she should
sadden her sons youth. However,
she wore no colored jewelry, but hav-
ing looked upon this first present of
n Emperor as a 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 ''trefoil of
emeraldsn until June 10. But after
the death of her son she lost all faith
II lNAAL4cbA 4iORC, l. OA IA OS0oolOAs
when the Duchess de Mouchy was
paying the Empress a visit, the latter
gave her this jewel.
Il have regarded it for a long time
as a fortunate talisman,n said she.
1T is my dearest relic. l do not wish
it to be cast aside. Look upon it every
evening as a 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 so vast and so magnificent, to
give it the appearance of a home.
When Louis XVI. and Marie Antoin-
cite had occupied it in 1880 a few
hasty provisions of this kind had been
made, but they had always remained
imperfect.
With the exception of the large
rooms allsthe interior communication
were in darkness, and it was neces-
sary, summer and winter alike. to
have lighted lamps on the small stair
cases in the corridors. AS soon as
spring came the heat and want of
ventilation became very painful, and,
Notwithstanding the beautiful display
of the chestnut trees in the garden, we
all hailed with joy the time for our
departure to st. Cloud or Fontaine-
bleau,
On one occasion the Empress re-
ceived from a young girl two turtle
doves in a cage. and she was the more
willing to accept this singular present
because of the touching simplicity
with which it was offered. Six months
after a letter was sent to the Empress
asking that the writer might be placed
in her service. 1t was to the follow
ing effect:-"It is /, madame, who
made you a present of the turtle doves
and which you have accepted. As
you love the birds you may require a
guardian for them. / 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 enter
ing her cabinet she would remove her
crown and jewels, the weight of which
fatigued her, and put them pell-mell
into my dress, which | held out in
front of me for the purpose. l was
always afraid less | should lose some
of the precious stones by conveying
them inthis manner, for many of them
represented a fortune.
The Empress ordered some of the
crown diamonds to be mounted for
her ordinary wear Many of the had
a history attached to them. Among
others a yellow diamond, big as a
small nut, mounted in a comb with
other whittier stones, was swallowed by
an insurgent in 1S4S, during the pill
lage of the Tuileries. The cut facets
of the diamond produced internal dis
orders, aud 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 crown diamonds, and
when the Empress became acquainted
with this fact later it caused her to
remove it.