The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-06
4 LOVE OF NAPOLEON
Its Memory Recalled by SET of
CheSSnlen.
Beautiful Ivory Toys Presented by
the French Emperor to His Broth
er-in-LasV, General Murat - Mar
yeEous workmanship Displayed
the Carving of the Pieces.

which the great Emperor figured promi-
nentIy. and which is but vaguely todcned
upon in history.
In the paImy days Of the Empire was
founded by Napoleon at st. German. near
Paris, and carried on under his protection.
a school where high-bred daughters OF il
lustrious families were trained under
competent teacher In court ways and man
neFs. that they might be prepared WbeE
chosen to become accomplished and charm
ing ladies in waiting to a queen. Ma
poIeon often visited this school to give
words of encouragement and praise 10 its
directress. Nine Campan.
1t was during one of these visits that he
met the young and lovely daughter of
French nobIeman. Mile EIeonore De
I.aplaine and the dauntless hero of 100
battles went down in unconditional sur
render at the unspoken dictate of a girl
of eighteen
BY virtue of his authority the Emperor
demanded that the girl be sent TO him
at the TuiIeries- This request Nine
Campan refused TO comply with unless the
consent of the parents was first obtained.
The subject was, therefore, preached TO
the girls father and mother, but they
bitterly and obstinately refused to coz
sent TO sacrifice so Infamous.
General Murat. brave officer in the
French army had married Napoleon
fayorite sister, Caroline, ana was after
ward elevated TO many positions of honor
by his titled and powerful brother-in-law.
Murat was IN 1906 created Duke of Berry;
he resided in Paris, spending much OF his
time at court there, where als0%was plac-
cd the lovely Nile. De Lapfaine. with
whom the Emperor became more and
more infatuated Nothing but tragedy
could follow in the wake OF a love so
ill-placed and one day 1t began TO be
whispered about that all was not well
with the EInperor's beautiful sweetheart.
To avoid scandal she was welded TO
high officer in the army. who soon after
this marriage lost his life in battle.
When son was born TO Eleonore it is
said that the Emperor was openly re-
joiced; that he himself named the boy
/ Leon. giving him in token Of especial
favor the last Two sylIables of his own
name. Every mark of affection was be-
slowed upon the little Leon in the first
years OF his life, but all too soon misfor-
tune oyeTshadowed him. From the time
of Napolecn's second rriage Leon was
neglected and after the Emperor's down
/ fall was utterly ignored by his family.
As the boy grew TO manhood he engaged
in one business enterprise after another,
Dit IdIfeu III All EBE HIS ItidAIOlis 10
his mother became somewhat strained
and after her second marriage 10 Count
Luxbourg he saw her but seldom.
Leon, at the age OF ifty-one, after an
unfortunate and disappointing life, died
in 1881, almost IN want, al Pontoise,
/ small village near Paris. He is said to
! have borne most remarkable ressm-
/ blance to MS {, her
| For many yea Countess Luxbourg had
/ her winter residence at Mannheim,
! Baden. Germany Within stones throw
/ of her, on the same street, lived her
mother Nine. Charlotte Eleonore de Lap
/ LAME. and her only sister. ZuIma with
! whom, however, she was no longer on
! friendly terms. as they never forgave
| her liason with Napoleon
To the little colony of French patriots
! in Mannheim who for political reasons
! found it convenient at that time to reside
/ On German soil there came in 1S43. fresh
| from a college course in Paris. a young
| man OF the name Of Gutllaume Rembiisr.
to take up his residence with his father
| by whom he was introduced to Nine. de
| Laplaine and also 10 Countess LuZboUrg.
| and warm friendship was begun that
! was destined to continue through many
| years Nine. de Lapiai2e was an enthusi-
| astic chess player and very fond OF the
| game. Young Mr. RembIier, who fell
| into the way Of spending most of his
| evenings under her hospitable roGf soon
! proved himself worthy foeman and the
! Chessmen that furnished them much alb
! Sorbing amusement night after night
| were of delicate ivory, finely carved.
When Napoleon returned victorious frozi
his Egyptian campaign he presented &c his
| efficient general and esteemed brother-in-
/ law Murat subsequently King of NapIesl.
| a set of chessmep carved by his especial
! order from purest ivory by the best skilled
| hands in Italy. Prince Murat later present.
"a -
! his iiiustrious father, Leon in turn giving
| them TO his grandmother. Nine. De La
| PLANE with whose family Mr. Remblier
| continued to be on terms of waTmest
| friendship for many years. Nine. De La
! PLANE lived to the green old age OF
! eighty-siX, and at her death, in 1850, the
| ivory chessmen were given by her request
| 10 the young man who had become as near
and dear to her as though he were her Own
| son
When Mr. Rambler came to this coun-
try, some twenty-five years ago, the chess
game was brought with him as treasured
possession and keepsake. The first few
/ years Of his residence in America were
| passed in the city of New York where he
| was engaged in the shipping and commits
| sion business. Not finding such occupation
| congenial, he drifted west, and for sixteen
years has been resident of Hamilton
| Ohio and the able editor of a German
| newspaper.
The famous set of chessmen consists Of
| French and Egyptian figures the king and
queen of the whites representing Napoleon
| and Josephine, the eight grenadiare that
stand for the pawns and the complement
| tary pieces ali are of clear. cTeam-eoIored
ivory most exquisitely and deIicateiy
| carved, while the same puGnber of Egyp-
tian figures were once stained green by
some chemical that time has faded to a
pale burnt lumber shading to mellow tints
of moss brown.
The carving is marvellous every detail
being perfect, the fringe on the grena-
diers' epaulets and the folds Of the Egyp-
tfan head dresses alike standing cut in
as clear relief as though the figures were
three feet instead of three inches in
height, while the busts of Napoleon and
Josephine are striking in their resem-
blanee to the many portraits extant OF
| those celebrities.
Mr. Remblier also has a miniature FOR
trait, painted on ivory of the Countess of
Luxbourg as she appeared when Napoleon
saw her first, and if the pictured face. in
its rare and high-bred beauty is like the
| living one its possessor deserved a hap
pier fate than was hers-Cincinnati En-
quirer.