The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-24
EMPRE 8 EUGENIB.
The Story OF Her Conquests and Her
Defeat-An Exile IA England.

! scended to private life, while the third is
only public parsonage because her son is
Emperor Of Germany. The lot of Isabella of
Spain and the Empress Frederick is hard,
but the fate Of her who was empress OF the
French is one OF the most pitiable In
history.
Mile. Eugene de Teba was grand
daughter GU side her mothers of Mr.. Kirk
Patrick, English consul at an unimportant
spanish town, who married a Spaniara.
Their daughter, an extremely clever aud
immoral woman, became Countess Of Mon
iii, wife Of q & andes Of Spain. One OF the
daughters married the Duo d'Albe, a
famous Sprnish nobieman; the other. altar
her fathers death, made the round of Euro
pean capitals with her mother.
The present Coun ess OF Cork has sold of
mesting Mile. de Teba at party at Lady
Palmerston's forty years ago. She called
her "a vision Of peerless loveliness." But
the Castilian beauty remained only day
or two In London ana hurried 10 Paris,
whore her SUCCESS was more lasting. She
became very much talked about, not al
ways charitably, for there con be little
doubt that the future Empress of the French
was fast. With such mother she could
hardly have been other wise.
In 1851 and 1852, abeut the time when
Louis Napoleon made himself emperor, her
charms were IA their full development
Just % years old, tall graceful, with ex-
Qnisibe neck aud shoulders, which she liked
t. display in all their enchanting proper
tions; with a dazzling complexion, abund-
ant golden hair drawn back to show the
olassic contour Of her head, osd large blue
eyes that were melting and brilliant by
turns; high spirited, accomplished,
speaking French, English. Spanish,
and Italian; fearless rider. q bswitchiug
dancer, dressing msrvelously; daring oil
things In dresf, manner, and speech, yet
doing what was r1gst daring with a chic
that dehed criticism aud g grace that dis
armed censurs-shs was just the woman TO
tndame man or captivate a soeie5y. She
was seen at the otfioial balls, at the opera.
In tbs Bots de Boulogss, and az diplomatic
parties, but not very much in the legiti-
mist society OF the Fauoourg Saint Ger
main.
With this woman Napoleon fell madly in
love. AT hrsi, however, be had no idea of
marrying her. After he had settled him elf
III his uucle's ssat he made overtures to
several royal houses in tbs hope of allying
himself TO one Of the established dynesties;
but even the seoond-rAte princesses rejscted
MIN, Mean while bis admiration for tue
brilliant Spanlard was ripeuing every honr
The willy woman saw bis infatuation, and
although sle shared It, possibly. she was
playing for higher stakes than love; there
was a crown on the cards. She did not
mean 90 accept the role Of Montespan or La
Valliere; she coveted the place Of Anne of
Austria the Spanish woman who had ruled
France 300 years before.
Nevertheless, nor frie DIS thought she was
in danger and cautioned her. At thst time
she was the guest of an English woman in
Poris, not of she highest rank, who had the
entree to many distinguished houses, aud
that lady said 10 her visitor one day: IF
you never see him alone you can certainly
become an empress" The young nspirans,
however. understood her posdtion very
clearly, and wes not over delicate in letting
the EN- Jeror know is, too. From her bal
oony, which happened to be next door to a
church, she was watching troops pass by
wheR Sne emperor rode up.
'How can l reach you. msdsmoisellsT'
he asked.
"By the church door," was the reply.
Another time whom she was visiting Com
peigne, one Of the imperial palaces, with
her mother, q game Of blind mans buff was
introduced. The emperor caught Nile. de
Teba, and, according to the rules OF the
game. plsced crown of Sewers on hsr
head.
"sirs,' she said, "tbis crown Is too
light" 1899
Every ons supposed she was thinking of
the crown If Josephine.
The chapel was the road the emperor
Dame. Either his love overcams his ambi>
ton or his ambition was checked by the
rsfusals he received and he offered his hand
Instead OF handkerchief. The announce
ment Of the emperer's choice was a mas Ter
piece of Napoleonio craft. He referred to
bhe career Of the first Bonaparts and to his
own grandmother, the creole Josephine
then calling hi self a parveDu among
kings, he declared he preferred the woman
Of his heart 20 more pretensious C Jnsort
taken from royal houses. That pleased tas
French people and they never had a SOW
ereiRn more popular than the unroyal
Spaniard.
Toe court that Eugene reigned over was
the most splendid OF her time. The etiquette
was not always 50 rigid as at Vienna or Bsr-
lin, and the morals were certainly not
straightlaeed; but other courts have been
careless tu these respects where the daugh-
ters Of kings p; esided. Napoleon III. give
hts consort cause for jealousy at times, and
vtoleat FecrininatiOns shsued. The hunts
at CompeiRne and the evening parties after
ward were very free. Tbs old ariStocracy
of France held aloof to the last, but Nspo-
leon made new peers, revived the titles con-
terred by his aucIe, and invited many for
eigners TO the court. The Princess de Met
ternich, the Austrian embassadreSs, became
an intimate friends OF the empress, and used
TO say she WAS willing TO be her Princssss de
Lambslle.
Americans, TOO, were welcomed often az
the imperial parties. Mrs Lorillard Ronald
aud her fair haired sister met the emperor
at skating party, and fascinated him at
once. They were friends Of the EN- pre- 9
also, and we're seen at her parties as often as
at balls. Two mem 1ers OF the imperial
household we're daughters Of Col. Thorne,
an American of distinction, loag resident in
Paris; one OF them, Nine la Baronne de
Pierre, is painted in tho famous picture by
Winterhalten, representing the empress
surrounded by her lediss
At that time Eugene set the fashions for
Europe and America. The Czarina of Rus
STA and the Queen Of England dressed 40
oording to her taste, and all the feminine
| world followed in their train. Wnen she
became sncsnte crinDline was invented to
conceal her shape, and democrats as veil as
aristecrats the prudss OF Boston and the
bigots Of London copied the caprices OF the
dislipsted Partisan. The very Bourbons
whom she supplanted dressed their hair q la
Eugenie.
or course the gossips talked hsrshly while
they initiated. They recalled her early es-
! capsdes, and even insinuated that the
| prince imperial was not the son of the en-
perur--a scandal dou otlsss without founda-
ton. One story especially they liked to
tell. Before his engagement was announced
formally the emperor dismissed beautiful
| woman who had been attached to hun for
| -