The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-27
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
otHISTORY
Napoleon and Josephine
By Albert Payson Terhune
Copyright, By the Al taor.)

4NopO1NVA 01AO OOSCOIlllIC
Copyright By the Author,
Napoleon Bonaparte, young, stern,
cynical-commander of Frances army
in Egypt-sat silent in his tent at
Cairo. His favorite officer, lie Febvre,
stood near. not wishing to break in
upon his chiefs thoughts, Those
LIE Febvre knew, were doubt
less Of Josephine, the adored wife
whom the commander had been forced
to leave behind him in France soon
after their wedding. Suddenly Bona
parte raised his head and asked in his
imperious, rasping voice:
lie Febvre, what do you suppose
Josephine is doing at this moment"
The officer. more tactful than truth
full, answered:
General she is weeping and count
ing the days that must crawl by until
your return"
'Le Febvre. you're a fool" snarled
Bonaparte. "At this moment Joseph
inc is riding in the Bots de Boulogne
on white horse and in bad com
pany!"
Which goes to show that the future
emperor's eyes were already opened
concerning the character of his wife
and that his early worship Of her was
dying out Josephine was a creole,
ignorant but pretty, and with no depth
Of character. At Is she had come
to France and married the Vicomte
de Beauharnais.
Their welded life
CO. was not pleasant
Josephine was not model wife. Beau
harnais tried to divorce her, failed to
secure the decree, and for time sep
arated from her. Later he fell victim
to the reign of terror and was behead-
ed. Josephine herself was sent to
prison, but managed to win her free
dom. The reign Of terror was ending
and France was governed by COM
mittee known as the "directory." Jo-
sephne became a leader in the de-
cdedly fast social set made up OF the
directors relatives and friends. She
attracted the notice of Barras, a dis
solute politician, who just then was
high in power Soon Barras tired Of
her She was past her first youth, her
teeth were bad and she could no
longer help him politically. Also she
had two children to support. 1t was
at this time that she met Napoleon
Bonaparte.
Napoleon, a poor Corsican, had had
many changes of fortune and at last
had risen to local military power I'M
der Barras He was just q. He was
poor, unpopular and lacked the quality
of making friends. He had lived the
life of a hermit. One day Josephine
visited him to thank the young gen
eral for the return of her late hus-
bands sword. Napoleon, who knew
nothing of women. thought her a
vision Of loneliness. The ascetic, shy
man went mad with love for this
somewhat faded widow, who was six
years his senior. Josephine was not
carried away by the same fervor
When Napoleon proposed to her she
asked Barras' advice. Barras Che says
in his memoirs) told her Napoleon had
a promising future and advised her tC
accept him. The couple were married
Napoleon received from Barras the
command of the army of Italy and left
for the campaign almost at once after
his wedding. He was desperate al
parting from Josephine and wrote
wildly ardent love letters to her al
the time he was gone. He conquered
Italy in a whirlwind campaign and
was sent to Egypt. By this time he
had heard that Josephine was consol
ing herself for his absence by series
of daring flirtations.
Such rumors, as we'll as news Of g
political crisis in Paris, sent Bona
parte hurrying back to France before
his work in Egypt was finished. 10
sephine failed to come to meet him or
his return. A stormy scene ensued
after which Napoleon seems to have
realized how foolish had been his
blind love for his Eighty wife. YET
the two settled down to a fairly pleas
ant existence together. Meanwhile
Napoleon forced himself to the high
est rung of the political ladder. He
became first con
sui and then, il
1oof, ClllpSlOl VI
France. With his own hands he
crowned Josephine. The former ere
ole widow was thus empress Of the
worlds greatest nation. For Napoleon
brought nearly every other European
country to its knees. browbeat kings
bullied the pope and turned peaceful
lands into armed camps. He was the
"hold-up man" Of Europe; military
genius such as the world had nevel
before known-lawless invincible.
But he and Josephine had no chill
dren. He wished an heir to carry OF
his own greatness. He also wished
to strengthen his position by a roya
alliance. So. in 1910. he calmly di
vorced Josehpine and married the Aus
trian emperor's daughter. Marie Lou
Use. He settled an annual income o
100000 on Josephine and continued
always on friendly terms with her
Josephine won genuine admiration b.
the patient dignity with which sh,
bore her fall from power. Her mis-
fortune. indeed, awoke such universe
pity that her earlier faults were large
ly forgotten. AS an empress she hat