The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-25
LOCAL TALES OF
THE BONAPARTES


from church on that eventful day. on
a corner table. in a safe angle Of the
wall, is large and curious carving IN
ivory which the caretaker says Napo
leon sent from Egypt to his mother It
oddly represents the nativity-Joseph and
Mary. seated on altogether too modern
chairs, in a parloT gazing enraptured
upon the babe in a fine cradle. while
outside and peering through the windows
are the shepherds. just arrived. and car
rying satchels on their shoulders. Butch
er Napoleon" must have had a sense OF
humOr in him. after all.r On the man
tlepiece is marble bust Of Eugenie's
beloved son. There are several pictures
and busts Of him scattered through the
house, representing the various stages
OF his short career The jealous care
with which this mother OF many sorrows
has sought IN every way 10 link the men,
ory Of her dead with that Of his more
iilustrious predecessor, has in It an ele-
ment Of the pitiful.
Letitia's room. with its once bravely
Powered. but now dim and ghostiike pa.
per. it's scones and many mirrors IN
frames Of faded gilt. contains little but a
dilapidated spinning (relic OF her
peasant days.. and the framework Of a
bed. The latter IS painted in stene-gray
monochrome. but IN times long gone by
was doubtless gay with color and gid
ing. for the curves and beading of the
head and footboards testify that It was
the expensive style OF bed known as Cup
liz Pompadour"
Several other apartments are shown. in
cluding a smoking room and an immense
Dall room The fact that Carlo Buona-
parte occupied so large a mansion. with
the luxury Of a ball room attached. seems
10 Indicate a social prominence which re-
flutes the stories OF his extreme poverty
and the ISLANDERS concerning the character
OF his wife The oft-repeated statement
that Napoleon was the son Of base
born pauper and brought up az a charity
school" and the wicked insinuation
that his father was not I.etitia's husband
were probably instigated by the Bourbon
ist enemy Though money was so scarce
in those DAYS that the boy Napoleon was
ridiculed by his schoolmates as a ''pezza
calzetta" tone without gafters) and
doubtless mother Bonaparte found IT dir
hcult TO provide even shoes and stockings
for SO many little feet-the feet which
were afterwards 10 climb the steps Of
thrones-we learn in Corsica that besides
his cnlucrative profession. Carlo Buona-
parte was also a considerable landed pro-
prietor and wine grower. At any rate,
the family made good their claim to rank
as mobiles; and about the year 1900 the
superior council Of the island confirmed
the claim. declaring Napoleon's father
and brother TO be mobiles Of a nobility
extending over 200 years.
How the handsome Letitia must have
queened it IN that ball room! II has no
fever than sixteen mirrors-a very large
one at either end. the rest being long and
narrow panels set between the windows.
Instead Of the usual red tiles its floor IS
q kind Of primitive parquet. smooth
enough yet for dancing and its windows
open 70 the ground. allowing free access
10 the terrace
We purposely left to the last the room
which Napoleon occupied when a boy.
There are no mirrors there-only a tiny
dressing glass above a rickety bureau.
II shows the soldiers instinct. and might
be IN a barrack for the luxury displayed.
There is the shell Of a plain bedstead
and two or three chairs. a shabby writing
desk and a little cupboard in the wall
where his school books we're kept IN
the small fireplace stand the same old
andirons; and beside it is q card table,
with checker board attachmeent-whe
where perhaps he practiced with ivory
pawns the moves he afterwards made
with the kings and queens Of Europe.
The fact that 70 him alone. OF an the
eleven children. was given a room on
the parlor floor. is proof that he early
assumed the directioei OF the family His
father died at the age Of thirty-nine and
Letitia had only her sons TO depend upon
II was recorded that Cardinal Fesch
uncle Of the Bonaparte boys said 10 the
Jealous Joseph. Eyes. you are the Oldest
but remember. Napoleon is its head"
What OF the home life that once went
on there? These moldy walls tell few
taies-but no doubt the afterwards illus
trious family had its domestic joys and
sorrows. its petty quarrels. its loves and
hopes. just like other folk Fancy sees
the well-born young bridegroom. only
child-bride OF fourteen years-Letitia Ra-
molina. Of peasant birth, but Of fortune
much superior 10 his own. How little the
youthful couple thought that they we're
destined to become the parents OF a race
OF princes who should practically rule the
whole Of EurOpe-that fate was going to
shower imperial crowns upon that humble
roof. There is not a tale in the thousand
and one Of the Arabian knights which
compares with the history Of this family
the poor little notary IN his struggles
to make ends meet. and his eternal but
always unsuccessful law suits against the
Jesuits Of Ajaccio. until he went to his
rest before middle age; the Juno-iike Le-
titia. who remained peasant to the last
day OF her long life-hardy unsenti-
mental. frugal and not always serupu-
lous. She was a woman Of heroic mold
unnoved in prosperity and undaunied in
adversely. Napoleon strongly resembled
his mother in childhood, and 20 her he
owed his tremendous physical endur-
ance. such a number OF children as came
TO his home. The two eldest
boy and a girl died in infancy Then
came Joseph. baptized IN the little Cor
sican church as Nabulione, then On l76N
NAPOLEON. or rather Napoione as the
church record shows Nine others fol-
lowed ~ quick succession. six Of whom
lived 10 share their brothers greatness.
Il. .st.. .t- 49,. tn~m~aH raafhaw MA a