People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-27

was Napoleon repudiated jose
phine, he tried to break the marriage
of Lucien, he succeeded in rendering
null that of Jerome and Miss Patter-
son, Louis and Hortense separated
three times, and Pauline was unhap-
Ply with Prince Borghese. The moth
er would have been distracted with
all this had she not taken refuge in
reading. She liked novels and re-
igious books, for Letitia Bonaparte
was pious. One day she said:
"What a family Ny son, the
Emperor, is something extraordinary;
he is marvel, but the lion has claws
and very formidable jaws. He should
never be lrritated; Luclen irritates
him because of his marriage, and
Jerome irritates him. And poor
Louis is SO badly married! And
Prince Borghese! All! what tears
for me! Do you wish to know
which of my children l love the best?
The one who is the most unhappy,
the one who most needs my love-"
And in the end the most unhappy
of her children was the one who had
been the most powerful. Then came
1914 and the Punishment to Elba.
A ship one day was seen approach
ing the island. Great was the curl
osity, but all were overjoyed when
Nine. Mere landed and placed her
money at the feet of her son. In
spite of her age and infrmities she
had braved the tempest in order to
console her captive son and perhaps
enable him to regain his lost position.
Nine. Mere lived to be more than
ninety years old, but at the age of
eighty-two cataracts completely de-
stroyed her eyesight. In her old age
her favorite occupation was spinning,
but each day all the important news
papers were read to her. She sur
rounded herself with all that be-
longed to Napoleon; her breakfast
was taken on the tablet used by him
at St. Helena, and although in her
rooms each of her children was lep-
resented by bust or portrait, Ma
poleon's bust dominated al; AS
said Nine. Mere, "My life Nded
after the death of the Eufperot.
Then I renowned everything or
ever" -
Egypt" said that Nine. No re-
minded him of 'eNiobe dying 9m her
dying sons" And Baron LarveK says,
"When I saw portraits and busts Of
her children by all the great artists
of the time | thought they seemed
grouped in advance about Mere to
form, at the supreme hour of her OBJ
sequies, a resuscitated cortege for
this illustrious mother of Napoleon"
In her youth Nine. Mere had a
cameo profile broad, prominent fore
head, large eyes, long nose, exquis-
itely chiseled lips and a swan-line
throat.
In her old age her eyes, once black,
were gray and opake, because of the
double cataract, but her cheeks had
very few wrinkles, and her lips, al
though expressing sadness, were well
cut. Throughout her life Mime. Mere
was in appearance the typical Roman
Empress, but as she liked neither
balls nor grand receptions nor music
nor the theatres, Nine. Mere was de-
cidedly out of place at a gay court
like that of Napoleon.
Princess Mathilde said once, "Of
course [ revere Napoleon; had it not
been for Napoleon, 1 might have
been selling oranges at Ajacclo."
| think Nine. Mere would have
been a happier woman, would have
lived a life much more in accordance
with her tastes, had she cultivated
the vine in her little garden at Ajac-
clio and seen her children established
near her in happy homes.
BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR.