The record-union., 1892-10-29
EK-EMPREOO EUGENE.
The Curious Sketch Written by Her
Husband.
How She Spends Her Sad Old Age in
the Island Kingdom of Queen
Victoria.

There is place where the Tuileries
once stood. There are yet standing
many buildings inseparably associated
with the Second Empire; some in ruins,
some intact. Some of the memorials of
that gilded and patchouli-perlumed era
still command respect, some only excite
contempt. And what is said of stone and
mortar also may be said of flesh and
blood. MacMahon, for example. still
lives, and others less noble and less
known. Twenty-one years of established
republicanism have not destroyed all
relics OF the Imperial regime; but they
have made them only relics, not vital
forces.
Among all things that still exist to tell
OF Louis Napoleonic days, by far the
most impressive, most touching, most
pathetic, is the figure Of Eugenie de Mon
tito, eX-Empress of the French. She is
seldom seen on the continent now.
scarcely ever in late years in Paris. And
when she has now and then glided like q
ghost through the city she once ruled and
always loved, there have been few TO rec
ogniZe her. But those who have done SO,
OF whatever party, have been able to look
Scarcely i'll BelleVille or on MOntmartre
has she an evil wisher. She stands in
every mind apart from all memories Of
the coup d'etat and of Sedan, separated
from them by the two sepulchers OF Farm
borough. And should she wish to live
once more in Paris she would find here
only kindness and esteem.
She will, however, never again make
her home upon French soil. She has cast
her lot, for the rest of her mournfuI life,
in the island kingdom Of the widowed
queen, who, only less sorely smitten than
herself, can so well Sympathize with her
solitary woe. She is now at ner beautiful
seat at Marlborough ''in good health"
says the gossips. There are degrees Of
health. The eX-Empress is, in fact, much
OF an invalid. She suffers intensely and
constantly from rheumatism, and is so
severely affected by that disease that she
IS scarcely able to walk a dozen PAGES
unless leaning upon staff or upon the
arm of an attendant. To those who re-
member her thirty years ago, beautiful,
VIvaclous, active, it is pitiabIe sight to see
her, bowed, with snow-white hair, slowly
and painfully making her way along the
paths of her private park.
1t is true that not many do thus see her
for now the public cannot frequent those
grounds as OF old. AT the gateway there
is conspicuous sign: "Ihese grounds
are private. Trespassers will be prose-
cuted." This is not, however, a mark of
inhospitality, or of morbid desire of Sc
clusion. 1t is simply a measure of self
defense, and 1t reflects little credit upon
those who have hitherto visited the place.
Time was when all were freely admitted.
The eX- Empress then found her footsteps
at all times dogged by intrusive and in
quIsltlVe strangers, SO that she could not
have an hours or a moments privacy.
Not contented with gazing at her from a
courteous distance, they would press
close up to her and stare rudely in her
very face. Nor, bad as this was, was it
all. Vandalism of all kinds was prac-
ticed. Flowers and plants were stolen,
and shrubbery. broken and defaced
Even the wreatRs placed by the widows
own hands upon the late Emperor's sar-
cophagus were ruthlessly spoliated and
stolen. One day the eX-Empress left her
rosary lying on her prayer-desk in the
chapel while she went for a moment to
the tomb and returned to find it stolen
Such a state of affairs became intolerable,
and she was compelled to put up the sign
excluding the public. However, anyone
may obtain admission to the grounds
now, at certain hours, upon application
for the privilege; and at certain hours,
also, the mausoleum and the road leading
TO 1t are opened free to all.
MANY Gals ago. III Gllt DGSb bdNS Oh Jl6
Empire, Louis Napoleon paid a singular
bit of homage to his vile. He wrote a
sketch OF her, and had it published in a
leading Paris paper. 1t was eXtraor-
dinary for an Emperor to write a news
paper article; still more so, when his En-
press was the theme of it. But he did so,
and this is what he wrote:
''To-morrow is the fe;e day of the EN-
press, so it will not be out OF place to ded-
icate a few lines TO her. Spanish by
birth, and the daughter of a great patri-
clan house, some public organs would
seem to take every pains to represent her
as being imbued with the most intolerant
religion, tanaticism, and, in fact, with all
the prejudices OF nobility. What good is
it to occupy one of the first thrones of the
universe If one is misunderstood in this
way? a short sketch of her life will be
put before the public in her true colors.
The father OF the Empress Eugene was
the Comte de Montljo, one OF the few
Spaniards who, being inspired with pas
Sionate devotion 10 the Emperor, followed
him through all his campaigns. Taking
part as he did i'll our triumphs as in our
reVerseS, and crippled with wounds. he
was one of the last to combat the enemies
of France on the nights of the Buttes de
Chaumant. Retiring to private life on
the downfall OF the Empire, he kept the
Napoleonic sentiments, and ere long his
liberal opinions made him the object of
persecution on the part of Ferdinand
VII.
I'm 1888 the Comtesse Montiio came to
Paris with her two daughters and placed
them in one of our largest educational in
stitutions. Brought up in the Convent
of the Sacred Heart, she who was one day
destined to be Empress of the French,
and who was then called the Comtesse de
Teba, learned as it We're French at the
same time as her native tongue, Spanish,
y few years later the Montijo family
returned to Spain, where the Count died.
Left under the wing of their mother the
two young girls received from her that
complement ofeducation which completes
a lady'S training and prepares her for her
entree into society.
"All those who visited Madrid at that
time must remember that hospitable
salon which the intellectual leaders of
every country-diplomati writer's and
artists-would seem to have made place
OF rendezvous. y grande dame who was
justly famous for her intellectual Quali-
ties and her atfabitity, the Comtesse Mon
tito did the honors of the salon, of which
her two daughters were the chief orna-
ments. Ere long the eldest espoused the
Due d'Albe. The youngest was remarked
not only because of her great wit and in
telligence, but for the amiable and Iowa
BILE qualities of her heart. Frequently
surrounded by persons animated with
sentiments OF a different epoch, her pre-
cocious intellect prompted her to reject
what she could not approve of in their
opinions, and whether owing to the rec
objections of the years passed near her
father, or to the influence OF her French
education, or finally to the power and
vlgor of her own personal convictions.
she was frequently heard in intimate re-
unions boldly to defend the cause of
progress and the new ideas. Her lively
Imagination sought food for these noble
aspirations toward the beautiful and use
ful, and she was often seen pouring for
h0urS Mt a time over tho works of LNO,1r;ar