The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-21


the great Napoleon. The record of her
/ baptism describes her as Marie Eugenie
Ignance Augustine, daughter of-but her
fathers names and titles are too tedious
/ to be recapitulated; it is enough that he
was then styled the Comte de Teba, and
that after his brothers death he assumed
I the title of Comte de Montijo.
Eugene and her elder sister. FRANCHISE.
/ afterward Duchesse d'Alba, were sent to
Paris for their education. And here oc-
ours one Of the pretty condolences Of
history
! Louis Napoleon was arrested in Novem-
/ Der, 1886. after his humiliating failure 70
/ persuade the garrison of Strasburg to
march with him 10 Paris. The two Mon
/ tito children had gone as usual that day
to take a lesson in calisthenics in the
! large hall of the Prefecture of Police.
Thither the prisoner was taken For an
( hour he was in the same room with the
/ girl who was to become his wife. his En-
! press. But she was only ten years old,
and he did not guess it
! Three years later she was recalled to
! Madrid by the death Of her father. The
/ Countess became first lady of the bed
| chamber, and her daughters were thrown
! among the questionable influences Of the
most corrupt court in Europe.
Eugene, whose marvellous. beauty car
| ried with it certain naughty aloofness
| emerged from the ordeal with undimmed
brow
Her mother in 1919 took her to Paris
and Louis Napoleon. then President of
| the Republic, received them we'll No
one suspected it. but his heart trembled
in the balance at his first meeting with
Eugene.
She and her mother were among the
distinguished guests Of the Prinee-Pres-
ident at Fontainbleu. No horsewoman
in the forest looked as noble or as fair
as she; none was so daring. none so wit
~. Louis Napoleon took her through the
/ apartments of Marie Antoinette and
showed her all the reminders of that
lady's splendor-a splendor that she her.
self was soon to emulate.
But whatever Eugene herself may
have thought, none other suspected that
he would offer her his hand.
Dec. l. 1852, saw him proclaimed En-
peror. On New Years Day he laid him
self and the Empire at the feet of Mile.
de Montijo
Three weeks later in the throne room
of the Tuileries, he made a moving ad-
dress to the Bureau Of the Senate, the
Bureau OF the Corps Legislatif and the
members Of the Council of State. an
nouncing his choice of a wife and justi
flying it.
Gifted with all the qualities Of the
SOUL" he said. "she will be the ornament
of the throne, as, in the hour OF danger,
she would become one of it's courageous
supporters"
It is hard nowadays to realize the gil
gantic figure that Louis Napoleon was
in Europe in 1s55-70 His squat figure,
his lean face with the heavy-Hdded. in
scrutable eyes, were the symbol of royal
power, which Germany had not yet risen
to f1out
Eugene quickly lived down and smiled
down the opposition with which she was
received by the distrustful official world.
In the end she was more than queen. The
women of two continents copied their
toilets and dressed their hair "a Ia Eu-
genie"
Life was to her a constant succession of
victories-such victories as such a woman
could win when her seat was a throne
and the throne that of France. They
were stirring days for France and Eu-
rope. and ever above the mad conflict Of
pleasures and ambitions haughtily mis-
tress of the revel was the beautiful fig
ure OF Eugene. Empress of the French.
And as France ruled the world and Ma
poleon ruled France, Eugene ruled Ma
poleon, capriciously, winsomely. Gray
marshals of France bowed low to her in
her gilded salons All the world femi-
nine wore chignons or curls, bustles or
panies at her beck, and slavishly copied
even the mannerisms of her walk.
How men worshipped her.
When the brave De Gallifet. now Min
lister of War. was it was thought, NOR
tally wounded in Mexico, word came to
Paris Of his wound.
III eat no more ices until De Gallifet
RECEIVERS" announced Eugene.
And the gallant fellow, hearing Of the
remark. said that he'd hurry up and get
well, rather than cause his beautiful En-
press such a sacrifice.
Yes, Louis Napoleon was supreme. He
took his pay. He backed Macmillan in
Mexico and made Roadway until the
United States said NO
Then war MY little war" history
accuses Eugene of saying. War with
Germany. bringing swiftly the end OF all
her glory
Sedan the Emperor a prisoner Eu-
genie was less than queen now. The TUT
leries We're threatened. How should she
escape with her infant son? The con-
trolling genius Of that flight was DR..
Evans. her American dentist. who died
only a year or two ago
Her carriage was called to the front
entrance, and while the menacing crowd
was thus diverted she departed by a rear
door. disguised in som6re black Fans
took her 10 Dieppe. where Sir John Bur
goyne was preparing 10 embark n his
yacnt. The little vessel carried an i'm
periaI passenger not provided for in the
sailing orders.
Next day came this message from
Windsor.
Come OF cnce. my sister. 7 an wait
ing with fmDatence your arrival
vICTOFIN"
And the rest IS part ~ the tumi.dm
history Of these times. sad, siive-ed Eu-
genie might be mistaken for an English
lady nova very stately widowe5 lady.
with now and again = fash of The oli
imperial fire. but more often dimmed with
the memory q a little cross in Znlu-
land planted with her OWE hands ~ he
spot where the Prince Imperial fell SIGHT
ing IN a South African contest IS farce
II not as great as that now being Tased
by Boer and BTiton-