Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-11-10
"Have you got her ?"

Hoary old sinner unrepentant of his deser-
ton, fifty years ago, Of his true American wife
in Baltimore he had the court ladies in full
SANDER of Eugene before Napoleon had made
up his mind, and he exercised diabolical In
genuity in trying to prevent honest mar
riage.
Those first ladies Of the Second Empire had
extraordinary manners. One evening, at Com
peigne, when Eugene was going in to dinner
on the arm of Colonel de Toulongeon, a slight
confusion permitted him to whisk Eugene
ahead of Madame Fortoul, wife of the minister
Of that name.
How" exclaimed, audibly to her cavalier,
past me9"
The next morning Mile de Montjo with
tears In her eyes, stood on the terrace apart
from the others. It was ruse to attract
Napoleon's sympathy the girl saw her prince
hero disappearing in nightmare of hateful
gossip. Napoleon, who had sought her, asked
the cause Of her sorrow.
IT must leave Compeigne," she faltered-
and told of the sights and insults to which
she subjected
The emperor listened to the beautiful girl.
Then, when she had finished, he tore green
string of ivy from park tree, deity twisted
it into crown, and said loudly-that all might
hear-as he placed it on her head:
Wear this one-meanwhile."
It is a twice-told anecdote, but, as 1t was
Napoleon's proposal Of marriage, I see way
to omit it. He never actually asked her hand
he took it. Not another murmur arose from
the court ladies. At once they focked around
Eugene.
1t was another matter however, for Napo-
leon to force his choice on the statesmen and
soldiers backing his still risky empire. Opin-
ions were divided on what royal alliance he
should make. Some we're for princess Of
Sweden; some for Braganza. some for the
Hohenzollern. Then, suddenly, Napoleon,
speaking Of Eugene, sprung the mine by say
ing, There Is no question but the right of
hand"
mo question but the right of hand!" The
words ran through his hackers like an alarm
of fire. One with the strongest hold upon
Napoleon-De Persigny, his minister of the in
terior-was sent to tell him In the name of all
that 1t would not do
De Persigny, mixed up with Napoleon In
many an adventure, had, kept his old-comrade
liberty Of speech. He joked about Napoleon's
admiration for Eugene; surely the emperor
must amuse himself. When he noticed that
Napoleon's face grew stern, he to fighting
arguments brutally accommodating proofs and
reasons why marriage would be idiotic, both
dynastically otherwise. He sneered at
the Montijo title: brought out the grandfather,
Kirkpatrick. bankrupt Malaga raisin merchant:
anu Cnen ne look up EugenleS rowing lue,
What was the girl doing here in Parish"
did you ever hear of the young Duke of
Sesto?" asked De Persigny did you ever
hear of Merimee?"
"Merimee is great writer" said Napoleon.
"Surely-for he writes Eugenie's letters to
you'll" laughed De Persigny. Mother, daugh-
ter. and newspaper man sit round the table
and concoct the beautiful letters that you cher
tsh. Really, 1t was not worth risking the coup
$50
What triumph for the aged lady to recall
Napoleon's steadfast love in face of both policy
and SANDER! 1t was always known why Eu-
genie hated De Persigny, Prince Jerome and
the Princess Mathilde. She could forgive po-
Htfcal counselors who pressed the royal prin-
cesses upon Napoleon; she could not forgive
the powerful ones who sought - take away
her character behind her back.
Napoleon heard them all alike He answered
nothing. Fould and most Of the military back
ers with Edward Ney and Toulongeon for
their spokesman, formed rapidly 'The Clan
of the Lovers" In vain did Mathilde drag her
self at Napoleon's knees, begging him to re-
nounce marriage that would be the ruin of
them ALL The emperor had decided. You will
dive great bill to announce the engagement"