The record-union., 1895-02-08
NAPOLEONS HAPPIEST DAY,
1t Was When the Little King of Rome
Was Born,

Was Born.
Philip was in the palace busy enough.
tie, too, at tue twenty-secOnd gun
though he of course had already heard
the truth-feit the inspiration OF excite
ment, and although he was in the pre-
clncts OF the palace could, like "Lhe ranks
OF tuscany IN Macaulay's famous bal
lad,
scarce forbear TO cheer"
But be did not \ page OF the palace
| on duty must be quiet and circumsDect.
SO Philip reined in his enthusiasm and.
even before the echo of the one hundred
and first gun had died away, he was hold
ing aside the curtains which fell before
the doorway that opened into the blue
room. y short, stout man passed hur-
riedly between the parted curtains, In
! his arms he bore q precious bundle
swathed IN richest robes. This man was
the Emperor.
"Gent!emen," he said to the assemb bled
dignitaries who awaited in the blue room
the official tidings, Il present to you the
King of ROmen'
Down upon one knee. in homage TO tbs
imperial baby, dropped each man in that
gutterlng thronG of soldiers and states
men. And as tho little King OF Rome
lifted bis voice III wall OF welcome, or,
perhaps, OF protest, there came from the
kneeling throng the triple shout of low
atty and reverence: Long live the En-
Llllpl9S5
live the King OF ROmen'
All day Paris was in fever of low.
What they had wished for had happened,
An heir to the throne had been born
The semaphore, or signal telegraph.
flashed the news from city on to city;
Iast-riulng courers, pages and nIessen-
gers bore the official announcements to
distant municipalities and foreign courts;
the people absolutely lived in the streets.
talking over the event on corner and
curb, on boulevard and in cafe From
great balloon that went up from the Field
Of Mars papers were flung out 10 the peo-
pie III CommemOratlOn of the notable
event, and a constantly shifting crowd
thronged the garden of the TuiIeries, sat-
1shed simply TO gaze upon the palace that
held the heir to the empire.
The Emperor OYerhOwed with low, He
could not keep still. He wandered from
cradle to cabinet, now looking at his son,
now looking at his people: and !Ie who
was unmoved by victory on the battle
field and accustomed to every form of
popularity and alteration, felt the pride
OF father overtop the dignity OF q king.
AS he looked at the great crowd in tho
garden, as he heard the bells pealing joy
fully from every church-tower and the
guns laundering In salute, tears OF thank
tulness and JOY streamed down his checks.
For the day on which his son was born
was, beyond all question. Napoleon's
happiest day.
In the evening the baby Prince was
privately christened in the chapel of tho
Tuileries. and to him was given the
sounding name of Francis Charles TO-
seph Napoleon, King OF Rome and Heir
of France.
Every house in the city, palace and
hovel and lofty apartment-house alike,
was brilliantly Illuminated; fireworks
flashed and whirled in every public
square, while oG the river that wound in
and out, spsnned by it's dozen bridges,
the Seine boatmen celebrated the birth of
the little King by an impromptu river
parade. sparkling with lights and
crowned with show and song.-From ~
Boy of the First Empire" by Elbridge
S. Brooks in ST. Nicholas.