The times., 1901-03-31

| no training whose charm for him con-
| sisted solely in her great tact and genuine
| warmth and kindness of heart, and all OF
| whose traditions were those of the french
| West Indies. His motive for marrying
| her was intense and reckless love; hers
| in marrying him a lukewarm regard, a
| half-hearted belief in his ability, and
| wish not to offend her former protector
| 1t looks as if whatever inequality there
| was in the match was not Napoleon s
| fault Perhaps it was not anybody s.
| Josephines virtues were her own; her
defects were mainly due to temperament,
| heredity, and training.
| We find Napoleon, in the early years of
| their marriage. urging her, even begging
her, with a humbeness which sits
| strangely on the all-conquering military
| genius to leave Paris and come to him
! in Italy. She refuses. She was enjoying
| his glory and the prestige which it gave
| her in the society of Paris. She does not
! even write to him often. She pleads the
| dangers and discomforts of the trip. FL
nally. under protest, she comes. The dan
| gers of her journey are so many that Ma
| poleon does not plead with her to come
! to him again. All he asks is that she
write to him, and we find him sending
her letters like this
! You do not write me any more;
| you do not love your husband. You
know the pleasure that your letters
! give me and yet write me not more
| than six lines. and that by chance.
| What are you doing all day long, mad
| anne? But seriously, | am very much
| disturbed, my dear, at not hearing
| from you. Write me four pages quick
ly of those things which fill my heart
| with pleasure
The author adds:
| And 50 it went on through the en-
/ tire summer and fall Of 1896. While
| she received at Milan the honors due
the wife OF a couqueror who held the
fate OF States in his hands. he. in the
| field, exhausted himself in a frenzied
| struggle for victOry-nOt victory for
himself, so he told Josephine, and so,
| for time. perhaps, he persuaded him
| self; but victory because it pleased
| her that he win it; honor because she
| set store by it; otherwise, said he, !
| should leave all to throw myself at
! your feet.
Finally. in 1897. we find Josephine leav-
ing her husband for a tour in Italy, and
coming back to Paris. a month after his
| arrival to find the whole city restless
/ and impatient because the general had
absolutely refused to be Iionized until
she came to share the glory. Even after
/ her arrival he openly declared that he
would rather stay at home with her than
go to the most brilliant reception-and
| this was after two years of marriage.
After a winter of brilliant gayety, thor
| oughly enjoyed by the wife and accepted
| somewhat under protest by the husband,
! the Egyptian campaign called Napoleon
away, and during his stay in Egypt he
! was continually hearing rumors about his
wife and young lieutenant called Hip
| polyte Charles. The proofs of this affair.
II !. do
! by his brother Joseph, caused him to un-
/ dergo a complete disillusion. From this
/ point of view, the story of the man who
dominated Europe becomes in its domes-
tie aspect, the saddest of tragedies. AS
the author puts it, although finally recon-
cilcd to his wife, he was thencefOrth no
more the lover, only the commonplace,
bourgeois husband.
The shock of learning his opinion of her
seems to have brought out whatever
strength and sense there was in jose
phine's nature, and she is henceforth ir-
reprcachable in morality and unfailing
in tact and affection. 1t was not in her
to make definite resolves, guided by the
light OF reason, and whatever she did was
done unconsciously. from pure feminine
instinct. This, no doubt, was one source
of her power over her husband, who never
did anything unconsciously, and all of
whose acts were due to logical convic-
tion. The author says of her at this
time:
Josephine realized fully that if her
victory over her brothers-in-laW was
complete, ii could endure only during
her own good behavior-that, if she
ever again gave them reason for com
planning of her conduct, she probably
would have to suffer the fun penalty
of her wrongdoing- She must have
realized, too that the supreme power
she had once exercised over Napoleon
was at end. that he could get
along very we'll without her. The alb
sorbing passion of the Italian cam
paign had become the comfortable,
unexacting affection which would have
been so welcome to her in 1856. The
change, If more peaceable, brought its
dangers, she well knew. It meant that
II she kept him now she not only must
be irreproa chable in her life, but she
must foster his affection by her de-
Votion. amuse him, stand by him in
his ambition; she must be the suftor
now. There was no question in her
mind that ne was worth it, If there
ever had been, the wonderful enthu-
siasm of the people on his return from
Egypt would have dissipated the
doubt. Her course was evident and
she adopted it Immediately, and ap-
piled herself to 1t with more serious
ness than she ever had given to any
thing before IN her life.
AT the TuileTies he BOnapartes were
In a Government house: at MaImaison
they were at home, and they never
anywhere were SO gay, so busy, and so
happy together. Certainly in these two
years Josephine succeeded admirably
in her purpose of repairing the mis-
chief she had done by her past indis-
cretion. II was not alone her tact In
society and its value to him which
had won Napoleon. Ii was that she
had been TO him an incessant delight
and comfort She yielded to his will
necessarily and willingly. and this pill
ability was the more welcome because
his own family were in inccSsant op-
position 10 his wishes. She was ALWAYS
on hand. ready TO walk TO drive to 20
with him where he would. She was
tireleSS in her efforts to please the
people he wanted pleased to carry of
successfully the burdensome functions
of official life, 70 provide the entertain
ment he liked She studied his tastes
and foresaW his wants. She tried to
please him in the least detail Napo-
leon loved to see her in white: hence
she wore no other kind OF gown so
often He liked to hear her read and
no matter how tired she was she would
sit at his bedside by the hour. If he
wished. and read uncomplainingIy
Little wonder that as the weeks went
Josephine grew dearer and dearer TO
Napoleon OF that she, seeing her hold.
IT."
There is no reason to suppose-on the
contrary, there Is every reason to deny
that this assiduity In Josephine was mere
policy, and dictated by no genuine affec-
tion. She was not OF the temperament TO
be polite. Her former frivolity was the
lightness OF thoughtless and pleasure
loving nature. When she realized what
manner OF man she had 10 deal with, and
how severely ne would look upon any lack
Of faithfulness in her she ceased her CO.