The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1911-11-23

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 madc
up his mind, and he exercised a 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 slight
confusion permitted him to whisk Eugene
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 It was no 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
'T 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 green
string of ivy from park tree, deftly twisted
it into a crown and said loudy-that all might
hear-as he placed it on her head
Wear this one-meanwhile"
1t is q twice-told anecdote but, as 1t was
Napoleon's proposal of marriage, see no 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
Eugenie
1t was another matter, however for Napo
leon to force his choice 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 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 it 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
dynastically-and otherwise. He sneered at
the Montijo title: brought out the grandfather,
Kirkpatrick, bankrupt Malaga raisin merchant;
ana Inen ne look up EugenleS rowing llIe-
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 a 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, it was not worth risking the coup
detat to arrive at that!"
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-
litical 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. RE 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 Mathde drag her.
self at Napoleons knees, begging him to re-
nounce marriage that would be the ruin of
them ALI The emperor had decided you will
give great ball to announce the engagement"