Connecticut western news., 1901-05-09
princess.


AS late as October, 1905, Jerome still
continued to write to his bride, avow-
ing his interchangeable love, but events
disproved his loyalty, for in less than
four years after his nuptials In Balti-
more his final abandonment of his
faithful American bride was confirmed
by his marriage to Princess Catherine
of Wurttemberg. The marriage was
celebrated with great pomp and the
approval of the emperor. The newly
married couple Immediately proceeded
to Westphalia, of which Jerome had
only recently been made king.
The disconsolate bride and her infant
son had returned to Baltimore. Her
life imbittered and her spirit envenom-
ed, she found no satisfaction In living
except in ambitious hope for the of
spring Of her treacherous royal hus-
band.
Her love for Jerome was transformed
into hate and contempt. Jerome offer
ed her title as princess and a dover
of 100000 francs, which she refused.
When he learned that she had accepted
a smaller pension from the emperor
and rejected one from him so much
larger, he requested a reason for her
doing so. She replied sarcastically, 81
prefer to hide under the wing of an
eagle rather than hang from the neck
of a gosling." Again Jerome advised
her that she might have a home In
Westphalia. She sent him the reply,
"Your kingdom may be large, but 1t is
not large enough for two queens"
Her fame for wit and repartee was
international. There were a cutting vein
Of sarcasm and a pithiness OF humor
that made her conversation interesting
by its brilliant and reckless malicious
ness. When she was ruthlessly shut
out from the regal circles to which her
husband belonged, Il imbittered her
against the democratic herd. Neverthe-
less when she visited Europe she was
the toast of the salons and the center
of attraction in court and diplomatic
circles.
She never saw her husband but once
after he left her ut Lisbon. Years aft
erward Jerome was in the gallery of
the Pitt palace, in Florence, when
Nine. Bonaparte was also a visitor.
Jerome recognized her as she silently
walked by, and he whispered to his
| other wife, Catherine, THAT lady is
my former wife" The recognition was
mutual, but no words were interchang-
, ed, and they never saw each other
again.
Her son developed a wonderful like
ness to his famous uncle, the emperor,
and she lived in the hope that the re-
vival of the empire would reinstate
the Napoleonic dynasty and that her
son would be accorded his just posi-
ton in the royal household. When the
republic was overthrown in 1852 and
the empire re-established, she made a
desperate effort to secure the recogni-
ton of the validity of her marriage
and the legitimacy of her son. Jerome
entered a plea to the council of state
demanding that jerome Patterson"
should be prohibited from using the
name of Bonaparte. The council de-
cided that he was a legitimate child
and entitled to the name, but did not
recognize him as q member of the
royal family.
Nine. Bonaparte lived to the ripe old
age of "a, and her latter years were
E, characterized by eccentricities In
Vulnerable. By parsimonious economy
she accumulated a large estate, but
her vitriolic temperament held at dis
lance many who admired her beauty,
virtue and even her vaulting ambition.
l stood beside her grave only few
| hourS aftar cha was laid fo rest and I
could not help contrasting her madly
romantic mesalliance with a royal
traitor with the sweet love matches
that have made the happy homes of q
great republic.-Sunny South.