New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-22


her vacantiy. and suddenly exclaimed; MY
daughter. do not seek for rest within our walls
| you are called to adorn a throne" This Is
| pleasing tale. but more flowery than credible
However this may be, Eugene gave up her
| intention and the two women spent severai
seasons in the gayest capitals or Europe
Everywhere the girl was a conspicuous ana
much admired cocuette. They met Louis Ma
poleon in London in 1S47'4S and 1t Is said that
the then poverty stricken prince proposed IN
vain to Eugene who liked him and had be-
lief in his future. but was too prudent to join
her life to his at that time This may be as
apocryphal many other stories about the
pair. but 1t is certain that during the two years
that followed the Spaniard carefully watched
the Princes career, and that she set out FOR
Paris shortly before the coup d'etat. She ap-
peared in the Court circle for the first time IN
the autumn Of 1852 at Compegne She was in
PRODUCED by Baron Rothschild and accompanied
by his daughter, Countess Napoleon Camerata.
and the beautiful creature who was perfection
itself as a horsewoman reawakened all his
former fancy in Napoleon's heart He had
asked in marriage most of the eligible princesses
in Europe and had been repulsed, and in hu-
initiation and evaporation he was quite ready
to yield to a veritable, If not to be lasting,
infatuation for the granddaughter Of the Malaga
wine merchant Mother and daughter con-
Quoted the affair with prudence and inf1aming
coldness; the Emperors relatives and friends ex-
hausted themselves in useless protest The
marriage was opposed in the Ministerial Coun-
Gil, and public opinion did not favor It But
Napoleon took his own way and the tie was
knotted with magnificent ceremonies In Janu-
airy, 1853
In the early years Of her married life the EN-
press heartily admired by the French peo-
pie. She was certainly beautiful and she filled
her position with unexpected dignity and grace.
Her kindness of heart was great and unaffected,
and she inaugurated notable charitable enter
prises with a Judgment remarkably good In
most directions she was better wife than
Napoleon III deserved, and she was an excellent
mother. II the Court over which she presided
was frivolous corrupt and vulgar one, 1t was
perhaps not altogether her fault. The Paris
tradesmen assuredly had no reason to turn
against her. for her craze for dress and show
kept a stream of gold running through their
shops, and there was always something on the
carpet with which to amuse the crowd. The
Church. too, had reason to think well Of her, for
she was ever it's devOut, not to say bigoted. ad-
herent Whenever she meddIed with politics
she was mischievous, absurd She was
bitter In her hatreds, and foolish in many Of her
friendships II is to her credit that she always
showed great respect for brains and admired
even those who attacked her in print II they did
IT ceverly. Her literary tastes were not pro-
found nor otherwise unusual, but they were far
from contemplate. She had some taste in art
but not enough be II remembered. to prevent
ton OF modern times, the enormous crinoline
She eet the pace in fashion toward the novel
rather than the beautiful. and the feminine
world has not yet. in truth. fallen out OF step
She was never a thoroughly happy woman, even
when the world seemed TO offer her most The
sharpest thorn in her lot was her consciousness
that she was not born In the purple, and she
felt TO the depths Of her being the sights she
received from those more fortunately placed.
If not happy at the elimination Of her power
and beauty. what can be said Of the bent hag-
gard white haired woman who now wanders, a
childless widow, from England to France seek
ing health and ease Of mind? Hers is pathetic
figure one to which the most censorious must
pay the tribute Of silent courtesy 1t Is nearly
thirty years since the Second Empire fell In
flaming ruin but it is still too for definite
history of that strange and fantastic period. 1t
&c possTble that the final record will be kinder to
Eugenie Montijo than have been many Of her
contemporaries.