Evening star., 1923-10-14

ueStlny. mas ndu Iull
justice done to her at last by
grateful France. Each year,
recently has seen additions to
the Josephine Museum. in Malmai-
son chateau. just outside of Paris,
where she and Napoleon set up house
keeping. Now, by gifts of eXEmpress
Jugenie's will. all the remaining
Josephine-Napoleon objects of impor-
tance have at last been added. NAL
maison is complete.
Strangely, 1t is the country house
associated with the joys and struggles
of Josephiue's young life, before she
met the conqueror. 1t was the scene
OF their married years of splendor and
love. Here she lived, always, after
the divorce-her sublime sacrifice for
Napoleon and for France. And here
she died.
The museum Is made up of a thou
eand familiar objects which surround
cd her. You see the harp which
Josephine never learned to play-type
Of the broken music of her life! Here
s. the silver-gllt dinner service pre-
= sented by the City of Paris. You see
her furniture. her bed, her bath. her
toilet table and her beauty utensils.
x * i y
TFERY schoolgirl knows the his
~ tory of Josephine; but how much
her destiny was bound up with this
country hOuse-west, beyond Paris,
On the old, royal road to ST. Gerlnain--
are recently known data from docu-
ments and letters.
Six miles out is Croissy village.
On its edge begin the wooded grounds
oil Malmaison.
From Croissy, in the days before
Napoleon, n young mother took her
:wo small children for their airing
in the shade of Malmaison. The place
was uninhabited. There was none to
warn her off. She read her book,
while the babies played. She had
$1,000 a year from her legal separa-
tion from flirting old husband. Now.
che was at peace. 1t never came into
her head to wish Malmaison hers.
Yet it was Josephine.
She had actually married there at
the little church of Croissy to De
Beauharnais when but an awkward
girl. Pathetically. she fed to Croissy
when she found herself again alone.
But one day Malmaison awoke to new
life. Lecouteuix du Molay, Paris
water-service magnate, brought his
guests. Malmaison was closed to
y Josephine.
1t stirred the young mother TO deci-
sion. If she could not air her babies
in anothers park, she must rent a
villa of her own. Her $1,000 allow
ance came irregularly. She was al
most a foreigner In France. Mar
Unique, where her folks belonged, was
her only resource. She must make
the voyage.
With her two little ones she sailed.
She realized on the family property.
Now, again. she was in Paris, with
q Nine. Hosten-who had country
place at Croissy!/
Josephine, by force Of things. came
O. third time in view Of Malmaison
Park. As Nine. Hoseen's guest she
made friends with the revolutionary
nabobs-Tallien, Barere, Real and
Charlotte Robespierre. They gave her
good advice: Put your boy, Eugene,
apprentice with the carpenter of
Croissy-he is n national agents" 1t
was none too soon. Josephine's sis
ter-in-law De Beauharnais was al
ready arrested as an aristocrat- Try
ing to get her out, Josephine herself
was thrown into prison!
Her acquaintance with the revolu-
Sionary crowd got her out. She got
news that her separated husband had
been separated indeed-from his head!
She was a widow!
Again, she fed to Croissy. 1t was
safer than Paris. for others as well
as herself There she met Hoche
and Barras. Through them she
made acquaintance with Napoleon.
All were rising in life together. 1t
was love at first sight.
IN a few months, she and Napoleon
were married. On his return from
Italy, she saw how great man she
had for husband. He was looking
for a country house not confscated
from anybody place that he could
buy. II know one" said Josephine,
''It's Malmaison, at Croissy""
Lecouteulx wanted 100000 for the
chateau, park, farm and woods.
Bonaparte would not go above $4,000.
While he was in Egypt. Josephine got
the price reduced to $4,000 cash and
$4,000 on mortgage. She took the
furniture for $1,000 of her own
money, borrowed $4,000 from the real
estate man, secured an option deed
and waited for Napoleon's return. 1t
is a story of money difficulties and
suhterfuges. Joseph Bonaparte, the
brother, pocketed Josephine's allow.
anoe and got her into compromising
army contract graft. But the re-
things aside.
Il like Malmaison," said Napoleon.
ut is our homei"
The nation had put st. Cloud and
Fontainebleau at his disposition. He
preferred little Malmaison. 'It IS our
own place." he said. Those palaces
of kings are the stage setting of the
empire. We will fix them up from
Malmaison.'
France is a saving old land. Keep
a thing seven years." they say, "and
It will come into use again" Well,
through revolutions and changes of
the utmost violence, the French
garde-meubles, museums. palace do
mains and other government depart
ments, treasuring all they got their
hands on, kept the raw material of
that stage settingi
They have returned to Malrnaison,
not only Its cid furniture. but the