The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-10-04
EUGEH1rs HOME IN MALAGA.

lily mansion OF castle is still pointed out TO
curious strangers, and has been visited by
Eugrnie herself in an effort TO famiIlarlZe
herself with the Scotch branch Of her family
history. On her fathers side Eagenie is de-
scended from an Cd Spanish line which at
one tine or another has eGjOved the right TO
use the names Of GUZman. Fernandez, Cor
dOva, La CeTda, Leyla, Ieba, Banos and
Mora. An alias Is an easy thing to me
members Of family gifted with so many
names and this accounts for the fact that
before Der marriage she chose to be called at
different times by one Of several titles, and
was variously known as the Countess de
Teba, the Countess de Monuio and other
names.
In early youth she gave little promise of
subsequent beauty. She was tall, pale, thin
and shy, not brilliant in conversation and
attracted no attention in the court circles Of
Madrid, where she was early taken by her
ambitious mother But for an accident, which
at the moment threatened to end fatally. she
might have remained the Countess Teba or
Montjo to the day OF her death She was
one day passing fish pond in the palace
grounds, when, recent rains having made the
bank iypary, she lost her footing and fell
in. Assistance was promptly summoned
and she was dragged out unconscious, but
the accident made her fortune. The season
was summer. her drapery was far from
abundant and the swarm of court
iprs and IookeTs-On who were at
tr7cted TO the spot By the unusual
accident, were not slow to perceive
through her wet, clinging garments thar she
had the form Of goddess. The Countess
became the town talk, and her involuntary
baIh made her at once prominent beauty
If the court. The new-made toast spent a
few years travelling with her mother, then
appeared in Paris during the famous fetes
Of 1851 ana 1852. Almost at once she at
tractrd the attention of Louis Napoleon.
the Prince President, who after scores of
adventures, serious and ridiculous, after es-
Gaping more than once from a prison to
which he had been condemned, after dodg-
ing his creditors in half the countries of
Europe had become the head Of the great
French Republic, and was even then
suspected to entertain more ambitious
designs. With Louis Napoleon it is
said to have been case of love at
flrst sight He first beheld the Countess
at a ball, and it is reported stood entranced
at the vision of loneliness which dawned
upon his eyes She was then a mature wo-
man of 26 Of pure face and figure, winning
ways and pleasant conversation. She
was known even then as the best dresser in
her set, ana the toilets Of the Countess we're
famous in Paris before it was suspected
that the Prince President cherished the hope
of making her his wife. He could not af-
ford to become engaged to her. but did so
anyhow, for once in his life forgetting the
cool calculating policy which seemed to
actuate all his other actions. The engage
ment made certain, be sent her back 10
Spain with promise of marriage, for As he
It'd her, stormy days were ahead, he, it
seems, having already determined upon the
coup d'ctat. IN ease of ill-fOrtune, she Of
fered him a retreat in Spain, where, she
averred, they might be happy even as pri-
vate individuals.