Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-07
mantle soft of snow.
Only n Maid Servant.

A few days ago there died in France
a woman who, although ill-favored
and disagreeable, exercised most
powerful influence on the destinies of
Europe. Extraordinary though it may
appear, she was nothing but servant
girl, with so little education that she
barely knew how to write her own
name, which was Pepa. She was a
Spaniard by birth, and was the maid
and confidential factotum of the EN-
press Eugenie. both before and after her
marriage to Napoleon.
1t is generally admitted that the En-
press Eugene was principally respon-
sible for many of the most cruel Of
Frances disasters. She was entirely
under the control of her maid, who pos
sessed all the vices and none of the
virtues of the Spanish character. The
Emperor and many of Eugenie's
friends and relatives repeatedly i'm
plored her to dismiss Pepa, but without
avail, and it was current at the time
that she owed her exceedingly strong
position to some dangerous secret of her
mistress, which the latter feared she
would reveal.
Pepa commenced her career as a
mere maid, with white apron and cap,
in the service of the old Countess of
Montijo, taking her meals in the
kitchen. She afterward became the
maid and confidante of Eugene, being
aware of all her firtations and adven-
lures prior to her marriage to
Napoleon. On becoming Empress,
Eugene appointed her first femme de
chambre, and subsequently gave her
the place of treasurer of the household.
Just before the latter promotion she
married corporal of the Imperial
Guard, whose good looks pleased her,
and at the Emperor's request the cor
poral was advanced to the rank of lieu
tenant on the wedding day.
Every purchase made by the Empress
passed through Pepa's hands-not only
those of clothes, but also Of pictures.
statues, bric-a-brac and jewels. In each
case Pepa insisted on obtaining COM
mission, and thus it was that when the
empire came to an end, in 1870. she pos
sessed n fortune of 5000, 900 francs in
money and 100000 francs in jewels de-
posted in the vaults of the bank OF
France. The amount Of her wealth be-
came known just before the declaration
of war, through the death of her hus-
band, which rendered it necessary that
an inventory should be taken Of her
property.
All the dresses. and in fact the
whole garderobe of the Empress, with
the exception of certain valuable f,lrs
and laces, were included in Pepa's per-
quisities. The Empress rarely wore a
dress more 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 apartments
in the Tuileries. 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 many
thousand francs ut cost of only few
hundred francs.
Pepa was small, swarthy and angular;
her lips were thin and cruel, and her
small eyes vicious and cunning. Al
the palace she was hated, but feared.
Indeed, the falniliars Of the court were
wont to regard her in much the same
manner as the courtiers of Richelieu
look upon the cardinals confessor,
l'Eminence Grise.