The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-12-12
EUGEN|E's END NEAR
Some Features in Life of Former
French Empress.
How the Daughter of a Spanish
Grandee Captured the Heart and
Throne of Napoleon lli.-At-
tempted Suicide Once.


London-Empress Eugene lies i'll |
in Marlborough. Press reports say |
she is dying. The woman, once the |
leader of the gayest court in all Eu-
rope and the most beautiful woman OF
her day, is now plunged in the most
profound melancholy. She has re-
tired completely from society and re
fuses to permit any one to talk to
her about the time when, as empress
of the French, she shone with regal
splendor. And the end is drawing
near for one of the most tragic flg-
ures in France. Hers is only the
shadow of name.
THE tragedy of my life" she says
to friends, lis almost ended. My Wis
itors come to witness the last act"
Eugene was not horn to the purple.
Her mother was the daughter OF an
Irish adventurer; her father was the
count of Montijo, grandee OF Spain.
The mother was a light, frivolous
woman. but Eugene and her sister
Francesca grew up to be adorable III
| tie girls. Their father having dleo
| after inheriting the title of his broth
er, they were sent to a convent IN
Paris and came back to Madrid, where
| their mother was living as maid OF
honor to Queen Isabella. Sultors
fiocked around them. The countess
encouraged the attention of the DASH
ing young duke of Alba and bade MIN
! chose between the sisters. The duke
chose Francesca.
When the young girl, beaming with
iov. FASTENED to tell the news TO ner
Younger sister, she found Eugene ~
ing in bed. At first she believed ner
sister asleep, but on approaching
closely she saw that Eugenie's eyes
were staring wide, her cheeks were
wet with perspiration, her features
contorted by commissions. Eugene
had heard the dukes proposal to
Francesca and had taken poison In
her sorrow. Slowly she regained her
health. but the incident changed her
character. The convent bred girl be
came determined to dazzle the world
She rode through the streets of Mad
rid ON an unsaddled horse. She lee
the applause at bull fights, f1irted with
toreadors, and embroidered caps FOL
them in gold.
She received attentions from none
except serene highnesses and dukes
The queen. angry at being outsnone
dismissed mother and daughter from
court. Eugene tossed her beautifu
head and vowed that IL she ever came
hack to Madrid It should be as
oueen. There was at this time II
,, France an interesting young man VINO
, had inst been elected president O.
the second republic of France Ant
he was destined to fulfill the youns
girls ambition to be queen.
shortly after he met the charming
madcap girl, the prince-president
louis Napoleon, had brought abou
tha famous coup detat by which n
cansed himself to be reelected for
: term of ten years, and in 1852 to o.
proclaimed emperor with the title o
Napoleon III. He was fascinated b.
the Young girls beauty and her happ,
on lucky sort of existence appealed I
one who had so long led an adventui
8 nus hand to mouth life. So he at ono
made love to her in an easy goin
t way. She and her mother were II
yited to the Elysee.
$ But Napoleon had no notion OF maj
t wing this fascinating Spanish CIR
e He realized that the best way t
.trerpthen his throne was by an
!. u.nca with some woman OF roys
n blood. He begged Prince Hohenion
e Tor the hand OF Prince Adelaide
n prussia. He appealed to the dowage
r duchess of Baden to help him hnd
d princess for his wife. Queen Victori