The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-09
WOMEN'S LOST CROWNS.
YOUNG NAPOLEON ONCE REJECT
EDDY A WEALTHY WIDOW.
Gen. Bernadotts's Love for Beautiful
Girl, Who Was a Decrepit Drudge
When He Had Become King of
SrAdav1
Fronl Chambers Journal.

GlTl, 10 w aS u OSCFSplL drudge
When He Had Become King of
sweden.
From Chambers Journal.
Early in his career the great Napoleon
fell in with an ardent revolutionist, NJ. Paul
Fla c us Barras. who took great Liking to
the young Corsician, and conceived the
highest opinion of his abilities and OF the
pc yers, events proved, he possessed in SO re-
mlrkable a degree. But in the opinion of
Barras, Napoleon's want of means was q
most serious obstacle to his chance of
achieving fame, and he proposes to remedy
this by selecting for him a rich wife.
Barra5 chose for this position woman
who, though still undeniably handsome,
was no longer Young. Though she was
called Mile. Montansier, she was in reality
a widow, who, because she had beel on the
stage, hal never adopted the name of her
husband She was 90 years of %, but it
was said that she made herself appear to be
not more than 40 by tae intimate knowledge
that she possessed of the secrets of the toilet
table.
To introduce Napoleon and Nile. Montan-
sier, Barras gave supper, to which they
Were both invited. He SO arranged matters
that they were placed together at the taule,
and hoped at this precauu n added to the
injunction which he had given to Napoleon
to behave for once in his life with some
show of civility to lady, would have the
happiest result.
Napoleon was quite the last man to rely
upon in such a respect. His manners to-
ward tue fair sex were those of coster-
monger, and though he could generally hold
var nj lff
with men, he was entirely
without the knack of making himself in
tereshug or agreeable to women. He felt
that his place was in the camp or the field,
and he was quite out of his element among
the conventioualities of a salon. Had he
been inclined to WOO, it would have been in
a straightforward, soldier-like fashion, not
with the dallyings aud compliments so dear
TO the French woman of his time.
So, presently, b lrras had the mortific Il
ton Of seeing Mile. MOntansler, her back
turned to Napoleon, engaging in a lively
cOnverSat on with the gentleman on her
other side, while the future conqueror was
making, with little pellets of bread, plan
of battle on the table before him. Hardly
word passed between the two during the
remainder of the meal.
Supper over, BarraS drew Napoleon aside,
aud spoke forcibly to him of the foolish way
in which he was throwing away his
chances.
you know" said he, ''that money is
everything TO you; here are 100000 fra cS,
and you will not stretch out your hand to
take them; most attractive woman, a al
you will not sho her the smallest gal a l.
try. Mile. Montansier has come here this
evening prepared to hear declaration from
you Strike while the iron is hot, and win
the wealth that you cannot do without at
one bold stroke"
NAPOLEONIC wOoING.
"The woman is old enough to be my
grandmother" said Napoleon, who was then
- years old; but that Is no matter, for to
me all women are alike. Money is what l
want; and, if l cannot get it without a
wife, l must take the two together. l am
NJ coiner of pretty speeches, but before tie
evening is over 1 will say to her,
'Aademoselle, are you willing to accept
me as your husbandF More than that l
cannot do.o
"The very kind of proposal that any
woman would expect from a blunt soldier u
replied Barras. Say that, and desire nc
more. You are to be envied; for, beside.
her wealth, mademoiselle is very handsome
still"
Napoleon turned away with a gesture of
imDaJience; but half an hour later Barras
noticed, to his j ~, that the two were alone
together in a recess. Presently Napoleon
got up went away, and the lady beck
| oned to Barras with her fan.
Take away that dreadful little man." she
| said, with shudder, The has bored me t.
DEATH and only prevented him prom pro
posing by sending MIN for glass of lem
onade
"But why prevent hm?" said Barras.
she will be a great man yet"
Give myself and my money to such a
little horror, such an ill-mannered boor as
that!" replied MAIDEN iselle "Never! I
would sooIer take the first bsggar in the
Streets What have l done that / should
be given such wretched evening! Don't
let YOUR"
But at this moment she was checked by
the arrival of Napoleon with the lemonade.
barraS hurried away, still hoping for the
best: but soon he saw at the other end of
the room Bonaparte standing in the atti-
tude in which he has 50 often zee depic ed,
with MS arms folded and his chin sunk upon
them.
"Well, are you to be marriedm he said,
hasteni & toward his protege.
THAT old actress said Napoleon, that
: female Croesu5 refused me before | had
OpeAed my mouth to ask her hand. | was
on tue point of speaking as | told you |
should speak, when she began to inform me
that her wealth was the cause of her con-
stantly receiving offers from Adventures
WAC cared nothing for herself; that she
} thanked Providence she had so far seen
thr ugh such fellows, and tn 1t she was re-
solved to keep her independence. [ was
glad I had not spoken, for it gave me the
opportunity of saying: 'Mldemoisel!e
pray persevere in that praiseworthy inten-
ton; it is one which | am sure no one will
ever try to persuade you to alter Let her
keep her millions to bait the hook for some
one else; have done with her."
In after days Nile Montansier was fond
of boa ting hat, had she chosen she might
have been empress of France and wife of
the most famous man of the age.
BGRNADOTTE's LOVE.
When the people of Grenoble, in 17SS
were preparing for the revolution, Jean
Baptis,e Bernadotte, afterward king ot
Sweden and Norway, was quartered in the
town. AT that time he was simple sergea t,
distinguished by the attention he paid 10 his
military duties, by MS skill at cards and by
his popularity with the fair sex. Ga the ia
nous Day of the Tiles" when the women
Of Gre mounted on to the roofs a d
assai ed the troops with storm of tiles,
Der adotte was with his regiment in the
Rue Pertuistsre.
There were cries from one housetop to
ano her to spare the popular sergeant; bat,
in pIte of tile good int itions of tae assail-
3 ants, he received blow on the head which
, stretched him apparently lfeless on the
; ground. But presently he showed some
, | Scrus of life and was CARR "a into n neigh