The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-06
EMPRESS EUGENE.
She Is still "a Woman of Fair and
Aristocratic Presence.


London Letter in Boston Transcript.
There were no gayeties at Osborne, of
course, this year but the Empress Eugene
paid a short visit there from her beautiful
belonged to the Duke of Hamilton. She
was, perhaps, the most interesting figure
to be seen. and felt quite thrilled when |
was taken by very old and trusted friend
of hers to speak to her, on the one occasion
when she appeared for few moments in
the r. Y S. Gardens.
Until oclock there We're very few peo-
pie there this season-sometimes practi-
cally one at all and it was in the morn
ing about half-past eleven. that | had my
memorable moment with the Empress. She
has always seemed to mc-I should thinl!
the most interesting women who haze ever
lived, and so delighted was l With the
chance of speaking to her, that when 1 got
it, 1 could think of nothing, which was
proper to say. 1 could only look at her,
and the traces of that great beauty which
When gazing at her full face, I could
scarcely realize what it must have been in
it's prime
1t looked narrow, and long and sunken,
with a certain fullness under the eyes, but
the broWs were still exquisite. and the eyes,
nating-long and dreamy, with strange,
soft light in their depths which seemed but
to need to be lightened by some sudden
thought or memory OF passion into living
fire. The mouth was deeply depressed at
the corners, and slightly Swallowed by the
in the cheeks and many lines in the fore
head and near the weary eyes The once
glorious hair was white as driven snow
and brought softly down on each side of
the extremely oval face though to form
a frame under the simple black bonnet
But then, as | telling myself that this
empress face, though looking that of an
ariStOcrat--an ariStocrat wOrfd-WOrn and
sadly tired-showed few signs of old-time
beauty. some one spoke. and the Empress
Eugene smiled. AS she smiled. with slow
swan-like movement, her head was turned
and her profile came into view. 1t was fine
and perfect as a cameo The bonnet strings
skillfully hid the overfullness and loosenesS
of the flesh under the rounded chin, and
the outline of the features was still so eX-
Quisite as to make draw my breath
quickly. and long for a pencil, piece of
paper. and the rapid touch of the true ar
fist. The smile, too, was like the daWning
of new day in the sad face. / could al
most have thought that a sudden light fell
across it. but it was but fleeing trick of
expression. and when it had died away the
face looked stiler, sadder, older than be-
fore.
had heard that the Empresss voice was
sweet. but / was scarcely prepared for the
soft richness of the tone. without any sug
gestion of age in it. She spoke in English,
with a pretty accent, and this, too, sur
prised me for l had heard that she only
cared to converse in French Afterwards,
however, / heard that in her anxiety to
save strangers from the possibility of hav-
ing to confess the notifying truth that
they did not speak French with sufficient
huency to keep up a conversation. she in
variably spoke to those whose capacities
she did not know, in English