Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-01
EMPRESS EUGENIE's VILLA.
Something Interesting OF Various
Phases of Her Life.
N0nlon Truth)

The Empress Eugene has BEEN busylng
herself purchasing bamboo furniture for
her villa II Cap Martin. 1t appears that
the Empress has not been tie sufferer
by the Barring crash that she was said TO
be. but her encourage Is not sorry for II
10 he reported that she was said TO
Losses. Relatives. connections. and cour-
tiers who disappeared on the 4th OF Sep
t~mt Ions fancied they had claims on
her rurse. one # the saddest facts con-
nccici with her strange career is that
when the fall OF the empire was approach
ing she awCke 10 a feeling that she had
not seized ClQortunitls 5 TO play a bene.l-
cent Part on the throne. After the rccove-
~ OF the Prince Imperial from a Painful
hir-Joint ar elton she began 20 think OF all
the IN sery hat was hi!0en under The fc!1s
oi he tricOlor. Tho Archbishop o. Paris.
Dari oy, encouraged what seemed e. him
Il charitable vocation. She visited the
cholera wards of .he Amiens and Paris
hospitals the prison fer juveniles. and
-. Ld1Grr. where women work out sem
fences passed by correctional judges The
circumstances undc~ which the EMPRESS
went there have been related by Mile. de
GrarGpre. TIE niece OF the prison chap
lain. who took the Empress over the pri-
son. Mlll De Grandpre had been called by
her Uncle, who was Gg.l and in falling
health. 10 come ana stay WITH him as
houscKeeper. three years before che guided
Eugene thvC ugh 81. Lazare. The Abbe's
one was IN the prison. He encOura ged
his niece 10 busy herself with tho prison
err a work 10 which she has devoted her.
self with as much disinterestcd charity
Is good Judgment for more than thirty
years. In 1851 penitentlary congresses were
beng held at Universal Exhibition She
fNnfr III tho lima e.,
through the papers, grievance OF -
profges. IL was at once n small and a
great matter. What she wanted 10 call
attNailon 10 WAS ;he narrowneas Of the
benches on which the prisoners were kent
seated FOR ton hours a day when busy a
the task. The seats we're mere rails. and
no. more than 3 inches wide. The Pre-
fcctrrc Of Police and the Ministry OF the
Interior were furious Al what De VILE
m't.ant. and Others following him, said
auplt the benches.
The Lmpr rs was interested I'm the con-
troversv. She took NJ he female prison
ers' grievance and brought II before the
Council az Ministers which she used 10
attend as prospective Regent The Minis
Ter whom the benches concerned promised
alterations. but nothing Was done. At
leaFth the Empress LOST patience at this
Inertia. ~ put her oer Il was proposed T.
name a committee Of inquiry. which in due
time would send ~ a report. How many
years might they take?' Possibly two or
three The Empress said: why such a
bother about s. small an affair? The best
course IS Tor me % 90 myself II Will be
easy TO SIT for quarter OF an hour on
one % the benches" The Minister thought
70 frightcn the Empress by advising her 10
90 wei projected against a crowd OF Mae
nads. ribaid Of speech and unruly I'm their
tempers. she was not 20 be put OF. de-
clined 10 have guard OF Sisters OF Chart
~ and did not men,iSi on what day she
would so on her errand OF mercy Her
carriage drove UP one morning to the
door OF St Lszare. An equerry who was
10 stay In the parlor asked to see the
Governor. and told him what illustrious
visitors had arrived TO inspect the peni-
Tertiary. That official thought q woman