The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-16

IT would rather my son were stran-
gled than see him brought up in VII
emma as an Austrian Prince" wrote
Napoleon in 1914 to his brother Jo-
seph. But he was not to be spared
this blow.
Even as he wrote the work Of trans
for ming his son into a Hapsburger
was already begun. The man chosen
to superintend the work was Count
Maurice Dietrichstein.
"It is absolutely necessary" he
wrote to the plant Marie Louise, "that
all impressions of his former exist
ence should be obliterated, for every
ones memory reaches back distinctly
enough to the age at which the Prince
now is, and it is to be feared that.
with the many things that have been
told him, he can only think with regret
of his past existence; above all, he will
carry with him from childhood to ado
lescence an exaggerated idea OF the
virtues Of a Nation to which he can
no longer belong"
Clipping His Wings.
And so the education of the Duke
De Reichstadt was begun. Dietrich
stein lost no opportunity OF inculcat-
ing feeling of reverence in the child
toward his grandfather, the Emperor
Francis of Austria Likewise he per-
mitted no opportunity to present it
self by which his protege might be
informed of the greatness OF the fate
of his father.
"It would be impossible" said Die
trichstein, Ito conceal from the Prince
his own descent, or his fathers fate;
on the contrary, one day he must learn
| it in it's entirety"
1t was no easy task, however, that
i Deitrichstein had before him. He
early discovered that his pupil had
inherited the old eagles blood. He
proved a most rebellious pupil.
He wanted to know things about his
| father. When he was only years old
and inquired of his tutor, "who was
| now reigning in France" To the an
swer, "a King" he rejoiced: But I
know an Emperor once ruled there.
Who was it?" "That was your faith
err" replied his tutor, "who in conse-
quence of his passion for war, lost his
crown and empire" And the little
Prince was silent.
| Again, when he was 10 years Of age
he one day suddenly asked his tutor,
while out walking: my father is in
the East Indies, think" Tutor. "Ah.
no, it is not So" Prince: "Or per-
| haps he is in America" Tutor:
''Why should he be there?y Prince:
where is he them" Tutor: II
cannot tell you."
Genius for Military Affairs.
But the time came when Napoleon,
| died at st. Helena and he was told all
told, of course, from an Austrian
standpoint--and, in the course Of his
military training he was even given In
struction in his fathers campaigns,
but the man who was chosen to i'm
part this instruction was Marmont, the
man who betrayed Napoleon.
It Is certain that the seed was in
him. He rapidly developed O. pas
sion for military affairs He had the
Napoleonic eye and the Napoleonio
temperament that broolxed no control.
He chafed under the constant surveil-
lance that was imposed upon him and
longed for the day Of his freedom from
restraint, which never came.
He became passionately devoted to
his fathers memory, but learned to
keep his thoughts to himself and to
| "eat out his heart in comfortless de-
| spair." 49,
ri He became the idol OF the Austrian
| Army. Successfully he was made
sergeant, a captain, colonel Of an
| Austrian regiment, and longed for an
| opportunity for active service.
But it never came: In his 21st
year he. fell victim to quick con-
sumption and died in the castle Of
! Schonbrunn, his gilden prison, to be
| named in history only a some of the
''illustrious obscure"
How far the system under which
the young Prince was reared and the
| influences by which he was surrounded
contributed to this will laways re-
main one Of the hidden secrets Of his
| tory.