The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-11

DED LIFE DISASTER AND
EXILE EMPRESS ALWAYS
NOTED FOR CHARITY.
The news of the death of the EN-
press Eugene, which took place IT,
Gently in Spain, has evoked profound
and widespread regret. She was born
in Granada on May 5, 1926, and had
thus attained the great age of "a. Two
months ago, while staying with the
Duke of Alva, her nephew, in Madrid
she underwent an operation for catar-
act, which was said to have been sue
cessful. Although she had long been
in feeble health, death came quite un-
expectedly.
On her fathers side Marie Eugene
Montijo, COmtesse de Teba, was de-
scended from the ancient Spanish fam
lily of De GuZman of Granada, while
her mother was Miss Kirkpatrick, a
Scotswoman of good family, from
whom she is said to have inherited
her fair golden hair. There is a tra-
dition. that when quite young she con-
suited a Spanish gitana, who predicted
that she would be one day an EN-
press. A rather romantic story is told
of the first time the Comtesse de. Teba
saw her future husband in 1S4O when
she was on visit with her mother to
Madame Delessert, the wife of the
Prefect of Police, says writer in the
Irish Catholic. While she was there
Prince Louis Napoleon was brought
in as prisoner previous to his con-
demnation to perpetual Imprisonment
| in the fortress of Ham. Though Ma
demoiselle de Montijo saw Prince
| Napoleon he did not see her, and he
| first gazed on her matchless beauty
and grace during the fetes of Com
piegne, and he said to her, Fortune
must surely smile upon me, for it will
guide me to your side," to which the
| future empress replied, eff you are not
successful as you anticipate, come to
my country, where we shall enjoy in
dependence, and perhaps be happier
there than on a throne" When Eu
genie de Montijo at length set out for
Spain, she was the betrothed of Louis
Napoleon.
| A Love Match.
The engagement was formally an
nounced for the first time in "Moni
teur" of January, 1858. The emperor
in justifying his marriage, said thai
he wished frankly to take up before
Europe the position that he had con
quered Europe as parvenu} and hat
chosen a bride who, though like 10
sephine, was not the issue of Roya
house, but French in her sympathies
Lord Palmerston was lost in admira
ton of so frank a statement, but it die
not commend itself to the Frencl
people. That the marriage was a low
match none could doubt, and the re
markable thing was that SO cold ant
calculating a man as Napoleon shoul'
at such crisis of his career have dis
carded prudence and caution. None
however, who witnessed the super
beauty of the bride at his marriag
in Notre Dame can wonder at the maj
velous fascination exercised over tn
emperor by Eugenie. The carriage
on the occasion were the same d
those used at the wedding of the Firs
Napoleon with the Archduchess Mari
Louise. The brides dress was a mas
nificent triumph of the dressmaker
: art, and she was covered with dit
: monds from head to foot, and she ais
wore a superb necklace of pearls, RI
gardless of popular Spanish superst
ton that the pearls worn by woma
on her wedding-day are emblematics
of the tears that she will be destine
to shed in after life.
The Marriage in Notre Dame.
No more magnificent ceremony tfa
: the marriage in Notre Dame had bee
1 seen within living memory. Owe
whelming, indeed, for the bride mu
have been enhancing entering that sc
emn nave, which had witnessed SON
of the most thrilling scenes in Frene
q history. Though it is neither tf
j. crowning nor the burial place of mo
!. archs, their shadows haunt its my
O terious twilight The service, whit
n was conducted by the Archbishop
J. Paris, was long and fatiguing, and tt
n empress became so visibly agitatt
# that Count Tascher de la Pagerie, wi
Il stood behind her, thought she mu
q faint, and heard the emperor cheeril
her with tender words. She ralli'
for the TIE Deum which followed Il
Mass, but it was noted that her ms
!. velous beauty paled that day as if wi
:, apprehension of sorrow. After t
= signing Of the register the Archbish
= and his clergy conducted the new
= = married pair to the western entrant
;, Everywhere on her passage it W
:, said, "the young and beautiful empire
: :, has received from the people, frc
~ the National Guard, and from t
army, the most touching and enthu
astic greeting"
The Idol Of Paris.
Paris raved over her, and stori
we're told daily of her wit, her gen
se osity, and her charm. The city
Of Paris voted s24,OO0 for a set of d
TX ,monds tn he given to her as a Weddi