The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31

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no training, whose charm for him con
sisted solely in her great tact and genuin
warmth and kindness of heart. and all o
whose traditions We're those of the FrencI
West Indies. His motive for marryini
her was intense and reckless love; her
in marrying him a lukewarm regard,
half hearted belief in his ability, and
wish not to offend her former protector
1t looks as if whatever inequality Their,
was in the match was not Napoleon
fault. Perhaps 1t was not anybody S
| Josephine's virtues We're her own; he
defects were mainly due to temperament
| heredity, and training.
| We find Napoleon, in the early years o
| their marriage, urging her, even Begging
her, with a humbleness which sit:
| strangely on the all-conquering militar,
| genius, to leave Paris and come to hin
in Italy. She refuses. She was enjoying
his glory and the prestige which it CAV,
her in the society of Paris. She does moi
even write to him often. She pleads tn,
| 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 com,
) to him again. All he asks is that she
1 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, l am very much
disturbed, my dear at not hearing
from you. Write me four pages quick
ly of those things which fiji my heart
with pleasure
The author adds:
And so it went on through the en-
tire summer and fall of 1886 While
she received at Milan the honors due
the wife of conqueror who held the
late 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, L
should leave all to throw myself at
your feet "
Finally, in 1897, we find Josephine leav-
ing her husband for tour in italy. and
coming back TO Paris d 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
would rather stay at home with her than
go to the most brilliant reeeption-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 a young lieutenant called Hip
poIyte Charles. The proofs of this affair,
which were put into Napoleon's hands
by his brother Joseph, caused him to UNI
dergo a complete disillusion. From this
point of view, the story of the man who
Europe becomes, in its domes-
tic aspect, the saddest of tragedies AS
the author puts it, although finally recon-
cicd 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
and sense there was in Jose
phine's nature, and she is henceforth ir-
in morality and unfailing
In tact and affection. 1t was not liz 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- |
lion. The author says of her at this |
line:
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 full penalty
of her wrongdoing. She must have
realized, too, that the supreme power
she had once exercised over Napoleon
was at an end. that he could get
along very well without her The alb
sorbIng passion of the Italian cam
paign had become the comfortable.
uneNacting affection which would have
been so welcome to her in 1886 The
change, II more peaceabie. brought its
dangers, she well knew. 1t meant that
II she kept him now she not only must
be irreproachable 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 sutton
now Ihere was no question in her
mind that he 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 vas evident, and
she adopted 1t Immediately, and APP
ness than she ever had given to any
thing before in her life
At the Tuileries the Bonapartes were
In Government house: at MaImaison
they were at home and they never
anywhere were so gay 50 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-
erection. 1t was not alone her tact In
society Soc and its value to him which
had won Napoleon. 1t was that she
mad been to him an incessant delight
and comfort. She yielded to his will
necessarily and willingly. and this nil
aplilty was the more welcome because
MS own family were in incessant on
position TO 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, to provide the entertain
ment he liked. She studied his tastes
and fOresaW his wants. She tried TO
please MIN 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 uncomplalningly
Little wonder that as the weeks went
Josephine grew dearer and dearer 10
or that she, seeing her hold
watched carefully that nothing loosen
it."
There is no reason to suppose-on the
ntrary, there is every reason to deny
at this assiduity in Josephine was mere
'licy, and dictated by no genuine affec-
N. She was not OF the temperament 10
polite. Her former frivOlity was the
shtness of a thoughtless and pleasure
wing nature. When she realized what
amer Of man she had to deal with, and
w severely he would look upon any lack
faithfulness in her, she ceased her CO.
iustipptfueIy h. baH taly.,