The Washington herald., 1914-10-31
October sI-CharIO!te BOnaparte.

Lolotte Bonapsrte-for Charlotte she
was never caIled-wss a very pretty lit
tie girl with all the Bonaparte features
and all the Bonaparte assurance" She
was the daughter of Lucien Bonaparte. q
brother of the great Napoleon. She was
brought up in great happiness with her
little sister, Egypta, and when she was
at an age to be sent away to school she
went to the celebrated Nine. Campan' s
school for young women of the French
nobility. Her mother had died when
she was a child and her father had re-
married very happily a woman of whom
the Emperor did not approve and whom
he refused to recognize as Lucien's wife.
mother very dearly she was perfectly
devoted to her stepmother and idolized
her father. Bucien, who was never too
devoted to his illUstrious brother, felt
especially bitter because that brother
refused to recognize his wife
Such was the state OF affairs when Lo-
lotte was fourteen. Napoleon had just
decided 10 divorce his first wife, Jo-
sephine. and he was casting about for a
suitable successor He was anxious and
his mother was even more anxious to
keep the honor Of being empress Of the
French in the Bonaparte family. So 1t
was that the ambitious grandmother sug-
gested that Lolotte would be just the one
for the high position. To be sure she
was Napoleon's niece, but kings could
do what they chose and as she was the
only marriagable young woman OF the
family the Emperor looked with favor
on the proposition
So Lolotte was sent for and .she left
her happy family in Italy and went up
10 Paris. As soon as she arrived the
grandmother saw to it that she goe to the
rooms allotted to her In the palace and
made a suitable toilet. Then she was
brought before the. Emperor. The En-
peror could not but see that she was a
very pretty young woman. and that she
was exceedingly clever and for a few
hours he was very much in favor of
the alliance.
But Lolotte, who knew nothing of the
proposition, and would have regarded her
uncle as the last possible husband, show
ed the Emperor clearly that she was not
very much pleased with him. He Of
feTed her expensive gifts which she
refused to receive. saving that since he
had not been kind to her mother and
father she didn't want his presents At
night she wrote letters home to her
family in which she said sarcastic things
about the little Emperor and her ambI-
uouS grandmother. These letters were
inteFcected at the postoffice and copies
Of them were put into the Emperor's
ha,.ds. She also kept a journal in which
she registered ner dislike of her uncle
and his household. Much Of the DAYS
She spent in tears CT inconsistencies.
Then one Sunday at dinner when all
the family werc assembled the Emperor
rose in n.s sea; and proceeded 10 read
to the entire ttbIefuI the letters which
LolOfe had intended only for her fam
lily. He made no comment but he was
clearly angry and vas deeply offended
because this little girl upon whom he
HAD 'thought of comforting what he con-
siGeTed high honor. should have ridl-
culed MIN. The aunts and the grand
mother were Mortified and before many
days had passed little Lolotte had been
sent back to her family in Italy.
CCCFyTight, 1871