Year: 1868

whatever to gay dance. know it is
so. have had my sad experience, and
! cannot SO easily decide upon marrying
a second time


"You refuse my hand, then!" said
Bonaparte with threatening tone.


Josephine smiled. "On the contrary,
general" ;" said she, "give me your hand
and accompany me to my carriage, which
has been waiting for me this long time


"This means you dismiss me! You
close upon me the doors of your drawing
room?" exclaimed Bonaparte, with
warmth.


She shook her head, and bowing before
him with her own irresistible grace, she
said in friendly manner: g l am too
good patriot not to be proud of seeing
the conqueror of Toulon in my drawing
room. Tomorrow / have an evening
reception, and l invite you to be present
general"


From this day Bonaparte visited Jo-
sephine daily; She was certain to meet
him everywhere. AT first she sought to
avoid him, but he always knew with cum
ming foresight how to battle her efforts,
and to overcome all difficulties which she
threw in his way. Was she at her friend
Therese's she could safely reckon that
General Bonaparte would soon make his
appearance, and come near her with his
eyes beaming with joy, and in his own
energetic language speak to her of his
love and hopes. Was she to be present
at the reception of the FIVE monarchs of
Paris, it was General Bonaparte who
waited for her at the door of the hall, to
offer his arm, and lead her amid the re-
spectful, retreating, and gently applaud
ing crowd to her seat, where he stood by
her, drawing upon her the attention of
all. Did she take drive, at the accus-
toned hour, in the Champs Elysees, she
was confident soon to see General Bona
parte ON his gray horse, gallop at her
side, followed by his brilliant staff, him.
self the object of public admiration and
universal respect and, finally, if she
went to the theatre, General Bonaparte
never failed to appear in her loge, to re-
main near her during the performance /;
and when she left, to offer his arm to ac-
company her to her carriage.


1t could not fail that this persevering
homage of the renowned and universally
admired young general should make a
deep and fattering impression on Jose
phine's heart, and fill her with pride and
JOY. But Josephine made resistance to
this feeling; she endeavored to shield
herself from it by maternal love.


She sent for her two children from their
respective schools, and with her nearly
grown up son on one side and her daugh-
ter budding into maidenhood on the 9TH
er, she thus presented herself to the gen
eral, and with an enchanting smile, said
"See, general, how old l am, with a
grown-up son and daughter who soon can
make of me grandmother"


But Bonaparte, with heartfelt emotion,
reached his hand to Eugene and said
"A man who can call so worthy youth
as this his son, is to be envied."


A cunning, smiling expression of the
eye revealed to Josephine that he had
understood her war-strategem-that nei-
ther the grown-up son nor the marriage.
able daughter could deter him from his
object.


Josephine at last was won by so much
love and tenderness, but she could not
yet acknowledge that the wounds of her
heart were closed that once more she
could trust in happiness, and devote hel
life to a new love, to new future. She
shrank timidly away from such a shaping
of her destiny; and even the persuasions
Of her friends and relatives, even of the
father of her deceased husband, coult
not bring her to decision.


The state of her mind is depicted in {
letter which Josephine wrote to her friend
Madame de Chateau Renaud, and which
describes, in great measure, the strang'
uncertainty of her heart;


"You have seen General Bonaparte a
my house! Well, then, he is the one whit
| wishes to be the father of the orphans o
Alexandra de Beauharnais, and the hus
band of his widow. " Do you love him ?
you will ask. Well, no =" Do you fee
any repugnance toward him " No, bu
| / feel state of vacillation and doubt,
state very disagreeable to me, and whicl
the devout in religious matters conside
to be the most scandalizing. As love


kind of worship, one ought in its pres


ence to feel animated by other feeling


than those / now experience, and there


fore, long for your advice, which Nigh


bring the constant indecision of my min