The Elbert County tribune., 1911-11-10

Have you got herr"
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
slander Of Eugenie before Napoleon had mado
up his mind. and he exercised a diabolical in
genuity in trying to prevent an honest mar
riage.
Those first ladies OF the Second Empire had
extraordinary manners. One evening, at Com
peigne, when Eugenie going in to dinner
on the arm of Colonel de Toulongeon a slight
confusion permitted him to whisk Eugenie
ahead of Madame Fortoul. wife OF the minister
of that name.
How" exclaimed, audibly to her cavalier.
do you permit that - creature to push
past me?"
The next morning Mile de Montijo, with
tears in her eyes, stood on the terrace apart
from the others. 1t was no ruse to attract
Napoleon's sympathy the girl her prince
hero disappearing in nightmare of hateful
gossip. Napoleon. who had sought her. asked
the cause of her sorrow.
II must leave Compeigne." she faltered-
and told of the sights and insults to which
she was subjected
The emperor listened to the beautiful girl.
Then when she had finished, he tore a green
string Of ivy from park tree. deftly twisted
It into a crown. and said loudly-that all might
hear-as he placed it on her head:
Wear this one-meanwhile."
1t is a twicetold anecdote, but as It was
Napoleon's proposal of marriage. see no way
to omit 1t. He never actually asked her hand
he took 1t. Not another murmur arose from
the court ladies' At once they hocked around
Eugenie.
It 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 were for a princess Of
Sweden; some for a Braganza, some for the
IIrL. -~II-~
speaking OF Eugenie. sprung the mine by say
ing. There Is question but the right OF
hand"
No 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 rose to fighting
arguments. brutally accommodating proofs and
reasons why marriage would be idiotic both
dynastfcally-and otherwise. He sneered at
the Montijo title; brought out the grandfather.
Kirkpatrick bankrupt Malaga raisin merchant;
and then he took up Eugenie's rowing life.
What was the girl doing here in PARISH"
SestoT asked De Persigny. "Dsd you ever
hear of Merimee?"
"Merimee is great writer" said Napoleon
"Surely-for he writes Eugenie's letters to
you" laughed De Persigny. Mother daugh-
ter, and newspaper man sit round the table
and concoct the beautiful letters that you cher.
ish. Really. 1t was not worth risking the coup
detat to arrive at that"
What triumph for the aged lady to recall
Napoeon's steadfast love in face of both policy
and slander! 1t was always known why Eu-
genie hated De Persigny Prince Jerome and
the Princess Mathilde. She could forgive DO
htical -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 spokesmen. formed rapidly "The Clan
OF the Lovers" In vain did Mathilde drag her
self at Napoleons knees. begging him to re-
nounce a marriage that would be the ruin OF
them all. The emperor had decided you will
give great ball to announce the engagement"