Evening star., 1924-08-10

be drawn by two goats or two ponies.
1t is an open carriage, with ter
race" in the rear for standing
lackey-who would have to drive the
goats, because the drivers seat in
front was replaced by great silver
eagle, heavily gilded The gliding is,
indeed, SO heavy, that the eagle seems
all gold today. still. Napoleon's son
could never get away from that sign
Of the eagle.
KING LOUIS XVIII, one day when
he thought of it, sent on from
Paris to Marie Louise in Vienna the
goat or pony carriage which the
great Napoleon had ordered for his
kid-just like the silver cradle.
In the palace grounds of Schoen-
brunn the boy rode around in it, be-
hind two Austrian goats-a few times.
But the Austrian politicians did not
like the big gold eagle. They did not
like the arms of the French Empire
though it existed no longer. So they
demobilized the goats and sent the
simply perfect little French carrosse
de gala to the imperial carriage house
of state vehicles. There, for a hun
dred years, exactly, 1t stood between
the old golden carriage of Maria
Theresa and a little white enameled
go-cart which had been the play
thing of Marie Antoinette as child,
Is it not a touching coincidence?
The play cart of the Austrian prin-
cess guillotined in France beside the
nf he
dying in Austria,
8. The third relic of Napoleons son
which Austria is sending back to
France is tiny object, curious and
mysterious, which Rostand used to
build up a strong situation of his
play.
1t is the watch fob which the Aig-
Ion always wore after his 18th
year. On his 18th birthday he found
it on his dressing table, a great royal
blue sapphire (rare tint and a jewel
of great price,. engraved with the
coat of arms which his grandfather,
the Emperor of Austria, had given
him as Duke of Reichstadt. Fun
bling with it, he accidentally touched
hidden spring, which made the
the arms of the French Empire Of his
father, the great Napoleon!
The Aiglon wore it on the black
silk ribbon which held his watch.
He never quit it. He knew it to be
the token of his fathers partisans
Gin France and all over Europe) that
they were working to set him upon
Napoleon's throne, his fathers SON!
He had just one material thing to
go on. The gold part Of the fob,
which held the jewel, bore the poin-
con stamp (tiny die) of the French
mint. guaranteeing fine gold, as has
always been the custom.
WHO prepared the jeweled message
w to Napoleon's son which the
lads death, shortly, made Of no
avail? It came to him from high up
in France. Other facts of the great
plot have come out. Some day the
historic story will be published
how, but for untimely death, Napo-
Icons son would have been put upon
Napoleon's throne. Like the silver
cradle, the value Of the watch fob,
both intrinsic and historic, is i'm
mense.
One thing is certain. That other
tragic prince, the Archduke Rudolph,
SON and heir of the late Emperor
Francis Joseph Of AUSTRIA Hungary,
knew much about the watch fob's
meaning. For sentimental reasons he
wore it continually, attached to a
heavy chain bracelet. 1t was on Ru-
dolph when he was found dead at
Meyerling.
They are small things, you say.
But reflect a moment.
On the day when these relics of
Napoleon's son are returned to Paris
and exposed to public view all France
will stir with emotion!
France clings to the great memory,
and there is no danger. The empire
is past and gone. Exactly because it
is past and gone. without chance Of
return, the French people let their
hearts go out to the great Napoleon
and his son, on whom such hopes Of
peace and greatness were founded.
You will not get them to talk about
it, but the thing is in their hearts
and a glimpse Of it can be surprised
out.
On the day when these monumental
relics are exhibited in Paris there
will be such crowds in line to view
the silver cradle and the pony car
riage that the cable agencies OF all
the world viii file stories running
into the thousands of words.
The Paris papers will be full of