The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-05-26

France. she IA the !
only American queen VINO ruled the
destlnies Of Eurrpe.
In the centre OF green expanse Of
park. In the tile city OF Fort de
France. there stands marble por-
tralt-statue OF Josephine. Five miles
away. across a deep and landlockci
hay. lies the estate Of Sannols de IA
pagorio. where Josephine was born
The house In which she frat saw the
light was destroyed BY a hurricane
three years after her birth. Her
father. a prosperous sugar planter. re-
moved his family into the upper cham
bers OF hls sucrcrle. or sugar mill, and
beneath the roof OF that rude. but mas
siye structure. Josephlns passed twelve
years OF her youth.
She had two sisters later. both Of
whom died young: but her only CON-
panlons on the plantation we're the
children OF the slaves and occasional
visitors from the adjacent estates.
None OF them was so dear 10 her a. her
foster sister. Fihne. who. being Of the
same age. and having been nursed BY
the same mother. was a sharcr In all
her youthful Joys and sorrows To-
eothor they played beneath the mango
trees and wandered along the banks
Of the little stream that lOwed past the
door Of tho In pagerle dwelling. This
life Of intimate compani9nshlp lasted
until Josephine was sent to school al
For, De France. and their friendship
continued until the daughter Of the
la Pagerics was sent 70 France. at the
age Of Is. 10 become the bride OF Beau
harnals. Finne was then a lovely giri
OF charming manners and lively Wit.
who. though she had In her veins the
faint Of African blood. was yet almost
as fair az her beloved mistress. She
I parted from her friend with keen s0r-
row. and. when the ah'p that carried
Josephine away had disappeared from
sight. returned TO her suites as do
nestle IN the family. A few years
later. after Josephine herself had been
made a widow through the terrible
revolution. and had then become the
wife Of Napoleon. Fihne was the only
fcrvltor remaining TO Nine DC In
pagerie. whose husband had died In
November. 1880 The widow was left
alone. and. despite the opportunities OF
her empress daughter. who would have
had her come 10 her In France. she re-
manned 10 her dying day on the estate
of Sannols. az Trois llets. across the
bay from Fort de France. she repeat.
cdly had promised Fihne who chung "a
her like a daughter. that she should b
manumittcd at the nrsi opportunity
but the years went by. ard san tht
beautiful octoroon was a slave. though
uominally free. She became attached
20 another OF her class. a free man o
color. who urged her to marry him
but she resisted both bis and her owl
inollnations. hoping continually thai
Ame. De Ia Pagerie would keep bel
/ promise and bestow upon her th'
priceless boon OF freedom.
, The sad story has been KEEP, a clos
secret until lately; but The reccat dis
, covery and publication OF some letter.
Of the la Pagerle has put me In pos
resslon OF the facts They were ex
humed from the archives Of the littl
town OF Trols llets. where stands IN
church In which Josephine was hap
p tiEed. and In which her mother. fathc
and sisters lie entombed.
b Solicited by her lover repeatedly 4
J leave her mistress and ny with hla
, 10 some retreat In the mountains Of a
island. Flhne AZ last pretended to yield
4 promising TO so with him at a certal
{ time In the near future. Mcanwhil,
seeing no possible hope from Nine
p De la Pagerie. and knowing wen N
= fate that would be hers and her lover