The Washington herald., 1914-10-11

I than gathered together all the relics OF
| the Emperor in the island than his fever
| ish interest in Elba seems to have sub
! sided and the collection was carried on
persed through the world. Thus the
Elbans have hardly an old shoe or hat
! to show for their vanished empire For
tunately they sttll have the walls the
Emperor reared, but those Of San Mar
| tino are held in a precarious proprietor
ship. They passed from the Demidoff
family into the hands of an islander,
who had grown rich from the Elban
attempting to NIL the bare cabinets of
the museum with a natural history col
lection he lost his fortune, and some Ital-
ian creditors took his property. including
the historic but deserted villa.
An Imperial Hermit.
When the heat OF the southern summer
descended upon San Martino, a still
simpler abiding place was chosen by
the Emperor. This was in the house OF
Of the Madonna high up Monte Glove.
On the 2,50O-foot climb along the stony
path to his solitary hermitage, where
the altar candles are still kept burning.
ciana, at the shore. and passed through
the mountain hamlet Of Marciana Alta
to the Madonna's lonely chapel
There, in the late summer of his Elban
the four-rooHa- stone hut of the hermit.
although he really slept in a tent. There,
too, Is a rocky throne-Napoleon's seat,
1t is called. From 1t he looked over the
Of his native Corsica, with the town OF
Bastia shining white against the YER
dant mountain sides. How near together
his two islands were. and vet how long
the path between themi
Stern as the imperial refuge of Monte
Glove Is, It holds soft memory, for 1t
solitude that Countess walewska came
to visit the conqueror OF Poland and its
fair daughter. The Countess brought
their son with her, but her journey would
been prompted by her anxiety about her
pension. The Emperor. moreover, was
alarmed by her unsolicited visit. because
he was still hoping to be reunited with
and son. descended the mountain and sail
ed away in their ship. leaving the mys-
titled islanders disputing with one an
other whether the Empress and the King
of Rome had been among them.
SIEhIns for wife and chiId.-
The Elbans only less eagerly than the
Emperor, watched for the coming Of
Marie Louise and her child. Napoleon
himself at first hoped and next implored
that those who had taken away his en-
pire would restore to him his wife and
son. When he saw that his letters ad-
dressed to My good Louise were in
tercepted. he appealed to members of
her family for some report Of her and
the little King, but no reply came, and
then he dispatched secret emissaries to
the Empress. His efforts were vain. The
politicians, 50 far from permitting the
mother and child to join him. would not
even let them go to their allotted duchy,
because Parma was too near Elba- They
separated the Empress and the boy and
moved her about from place to place,
like a piece on chess board At FIRST
she mildly begged to be allowed to join
her husband in his exile, but soon her
father brought her back to her girlhood
habit Of obedience to his will. and al |
most before her summer wanderings in
Switzerland were over, hW plant affec- !
tions were quite diverted to Count Neip- !
perg, an ingratiating courtier whom Met /
ternich had craftily chosen to attend |
her.
Napoleon, however, continued TO amuse /
himself with preparations for the com |
ing OF Marie Louise. Wherever he dwelt |
he fitted up room for her, and her
tavorite saddle horse awaited her In /
the imperial stable His chosen snuff box |
bore - miniature portrait of the King