The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-12-17
the STRANGE sToRv OF prpA.

1H8 STRANGE STORY OF eEpA.
4 kaiA Servant who Ezsreassa . Fewer.
fsl 1aAssaee On the Destiaiss q
EsTope.
4 few days ago there died in France
woman who. although illfavored and
dissgreeable, exercised . most power
full influence on the destinies Of Europe.
Extraordinary though It may appear,
she was nothing but . servant girl.
with 90 little education that she barely
knew how to write her name. which
was Pepa. She was Spaniard by brit,
and was the maid and confidential facto-
tum Of the Empress Eugene b tn be.
4ore and after her marriage to Ea-
poleon.
1t 10 generally admitted that the EN-
press Eugenie waa principally respons-
tble for many of tho most cruel of
Frances disasters She was entirely
under the control of her maid. who pos
sessed all the vices and none of the vir.
tues OF tho Spanish character. The
emperor and many of Eugenie's friends
and relatives repeatedly implored hel
to dismiss Pepa, but without avail, and
owed her exceedingly strong position ia
some dangerous secret of her mistress,
which the latter feared she would re-
veal
Pepa commenced her career as . mere
maid. with white apron and cap. in the
service of the old Countess of Montijo
taking her meals in the kitchen. She
sfterward became the maid and conf.
dante of Eugene, being aware of all
her dirtations and adventures prior to
her marriage to Napoleon On becom-
Ing empress Eugene appointed her first
femme de cham bre, and subsequently
gave her the place of treasurer of her
household Just before the latter pro-
motion she married corporal of the
Imperial Guard, whose good looks
pleased her, and at the emperor's re-
quest the corporal was advanced to tho
rank of lieutenant on the wedding day.
Every purchase made by the empress
passed through Pepas hands-not only
those of clothes, but also of pictureA
statutes, bric-a-brac, and jewels In
each case Pepa insisted upon obtaining
. commission, and thus it was that
when the empire came to an end, in
1870, she possessed q fortune of 5,OOO 600
francs in money and 800, 600 francs in
jewels deposited in the vaults of tho
Bank Of France. The amount of her
wealth became known just before tho
declaration of war. through the death
OF her husband, which rendered it nee
essary that an inventory should DO
taken of her property.
AL the dresses, and, in fact tho
whole garderobe of the empress, with
the exception of certain valuable furs
and laces, were included in Pepa's per-
quisites. The empress rarely wore .
dress moro than once-or at the most
twice-and accordingly they accumu-
lated fast Every month or two Pepa
used to organize regular auction sale
OF all these dresses in her ape rtments
in the Tuilleries, which were situated
In the Pavilion de Flore. Great ladies
and demi-mondaines, alike attended
these extraordinary sales, when it was
possible to obtain dress worth manv
thousand francs at cost of only a few
hundred franco
Pepa was small, swarthy and an
Rular, her lips were thin and cruel, and
her small eyes vicious and cunning. At
the palace she was hated, but feared.
Indeed, the familiars of the court were
wont to regard her in much the same
manner IS the courtiers of Richelieu
looked upon the cardinals confessor.
/ Eminence Grise.-N. Y. Recorder.
THE difference between an editor and his
wife IS that his wife sets things to rights
while he writes things to sct-Yonkers
Statesman.
Blows are not always exchanged when
yon strike an acQuaintance.-N.Y Y. News