SELECTED ARTICLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 169, 4 November 1876, Page 2

SELECTED ARTICLES.

NAPOLEON AND MAXIMILIAN. The following thrilling narrative of the final scene in the tragedy of the Mexican war, when Louis Napoleon refused further aid to the Empress Charlotte, is from the pen of the well-informed Herr Meding, private secretary to the King of Hanover, who obtained the particulars from eyewitnesses :

"In his saloon, on the bel Stage of the Grand Hotel, in the Boulevard des Italiens, the Empress Charlotte of Mexico safe in grand attire. Her face, once so beautiful and charming, was now pale and sorrowful; deep lines were traced across it, and gave it the expression of early age. Her hair was almost concealed under a black veil of lace, which reached down over her forehead. B 'fore the Empress stood Almonte, the Ambassador of Mexico and Paris, a distinguished-looking man of a southern type. " Tiie Empress, who left her husband struggling for his diadem in the city, of Montezuma, and becoming day by day more and more at the mercy of his foes, had come to Paris to seek for succour from Napoleon, who had by this time determined to withdraw the French troops from Mexico altogether, and to leave

Maximilian to his fate. The unfortunate lady, on her arrival at Paris, had tried every resource of passionate entreaty in order to change the purpose of the French Emperor and she, the granddaugliter of Louis Philiippe had thrown herself at Saint Cloud at the fees of the nephew of the Corsican usurper to implore help for her husband ; but all in vain; Napoleon IH., was not to be moved. " She awaited, however, a visit from the man whose hands could, she imagined, save her husband from the abyss of ruin and blood into which he was fast sinking, in order to make one last desperate appea'. When Napoleon arrived in the ante-room of the Empress, she advanced towards him to the threshold. General Almonte withdrew back into the antechamber ; and tha Emperor of France and the almost widowed Empress of Mexico were left alone. The Emperor kissed the hand of the Empress, and after regretting that at a previous interview he had been unable to yield to her wishes, endeavored to persuade her to join with him in efforts to induce Maximilian to return home, since the project for establishing an Imperial throne in Mexico had now been proved to be hopeless. To such suggestions the Empress turned a deaf ear. The honor of her husband .was engaged, and he would sacrifice his life to his honor. Nothing else but armed help from France, or money, could save her husband and his honor ; and his honor was the honor of France, since France had thrust him into his present perilous position. "'Sir,' said she, with heartfelt, but gentle, voice, ' pardon the wife who speaks for the honor and life of her husband. If I, in my zeal, have allowed myself to be carried on to do bold defence of the cause which to me is the highest and the holiest —it could not have been otherwise. Sire, I beseech you, for the sake of eternal

mere/, have compassion. Give us yet a year's protection ; or give us gold, if the blood of France is precious to you.' " And with an indescribably beseeching look of anguish, she looked at this man, from whose mouth the word of hope might be sounded, which she might carry on the wings of love and joy to her husband pining afar, in order to restore his despairing soul with new strength. With cold tone replied Napoleon : " ' Madame, the greatest service one can render ladies in serious moments is complete trut'i and candour. It would be a crime towards your Majesty if I were to offer yon hopes which could riot beT realised. My resolves are unalterable ; like the necessity which has dictated them, I have nothing left for Mexico—not a man ; not a dollar.'

" Then the features of the Empress became convulsed in horrible fashion • the white of her eyes became the color of blood ; her glance had a flaming phosphorjscent glow; her lips parted wide back from her splendid white teeth. With arms outstretched, she stepped towards the Emperor, and driving forth her words between tae ; ..pantings of her heaving breast, she criSd, with a voice which sounded more thanuhuman—

" ' is true—the picture of my dreams, tag horrible phantasy of my nights ! There,he stands before me with the breaker of blood—that demon of hell —the murderer of my family ! Murder me, the grandchild of Louis Phillippe—of that king who snatched thee from misery, and saved thee from the scaffold !'

'•' The Emperor retreated slowly to the door r as before the apparition of a spectre. " The Empress remained standing, and stretching out her hand, cried again, while her features became stiil more disfigured, and her eyes more widely glaring : " Begone, damned man ! but take with thee my curse—the curse which God 'hurled at the head of the first murderer ? Thy throne shall fall into ruins ; flames shall destroy thy house ; -ajyj -when thou hast been cast down ta 48.e dust from which thou in shame and impotency, then"ishafl the* Arigel "of Vengeance cry to thy despairing, tfoiii-in mournful tones, the name "Maximiliajfc and Charlotte:" '" * * ~' ~ ' r "/ ' J

"Before these imprecations the' Emperor retreated:-!'Tae unfortunate Pjyfcess, however, could not be restored l fo reason. "Almonte, the-Mexican ambassador, tried in vaih fojsootbis her, astlidba female attendant who entered. , "Suddenly the "Empress .stood still, with eyes searching about the room. " ' Wher<3 is he '' cried she, with hoarse voice. • He is gone .' He shall not go \ I will, cling to his heals ! Day'and "night shall my cry for vengeance ring in "bis ears!' .- - v> - *■> "'

" ' Tour Majesty,' cried the "' Away' cried the Empress. 'Letm — ma vpiture !ma voiture ! —let me f o ii ft him ; the betrayer ; the murderer of n, husband !' And with violence, from her the General and her attendant she rushed down the stairs crying, ' h' voiture ! ma voiture !'

" As she resisted all efforts to lead hj back, her carriage was ordered. Theeqm page came. With a leap the Empresi rushed in. .The General prepared to foj. low. Then her powers deserted her; atJ sunk down, her eyes closed themselve, white foam welled from her mouth; wjn/ out consciousness she fell down on tha cushion in convulsive shudders. Several servants. hastened to her, and she w&J borne to her room. 1

" ' What a tragedy is beginning here! said General Almonte, who followed slowly, seized with horror, 'and whats sequel lies in the lap of the future !'"

MR. W. G. GRACE. The position of champion batsman oi the world certainly has its disad vantages, Others may succeed i-r fail, maytop'thj century or make 0, but as long as tin can exhibit a decent average at the end of each season, their reputations may usuaUJ rest in quiet security. But with thj "Champion" it r* different. His very inning 3is jealously watched. Not to astonish is to disappoint, and season afta season hundreds are ready to raise and repeat the eternal cry, •'■Oh, Grace ii falling off." In no season has th:s more loudly and frequently been stated than the present, in none has it received mA decisive contradiction by the unanswerabj] logic of facts. A few of these our Canterbury cricketers. In WUM

tlemen v. Players matches, Mr. Gr» scored 90 and 169, against the attaclyol Shaw, Hill, Morley, and Emmett. Agifas l Sussex, he put together a rapid and chance l.ss 104. With 22 in the field, he, si Grimsby, surpassed himself with a nol out of 490. The last mail is replete wit! his triumphs. First,, at Canterbury, hj( scored 91 with the pick of England'i bowling opposed to him, and this at once followed up by a wonderful 344, made without a chance, at the expense of th< Kent Eleven, while the Yorkshire team, one of the strongest in England, had shortly after to endure his carrying .hi bat for 219 runs, and the representative of Notts, a County at least as string, paid for the on i life they allowed him by seeinj him score 177 off the:r unrivalled bowlen But all this must, in the eyes of true cricketers, be cast into the shade by tit last performance in a North v. Soutl match at out of a total d 159 made by his side m their Mr. Grace put together no less than 15| or about four-fifths of the whole, and this he backed up with 82 in the second innings. Gloucestershire has now played all the strong Counties of England. It hai not suffered a defeat, nor in all probability is it likely to do so, as Mr. Grace is by no means the only sterling cricketer of thf team.

A TALE OF THE DANDEM>NG.-i| FAITHFUL WIFE.

The late Mrs. Holier, of Lara, who wa well connected and generally esteemed had some years since two young and ii teresting children thrown upon herhandi The father, a person named Smyth, frou what we can learn, Isft them with her, undertaking to pay for their board. Tib he did for a time only, then disappeared Whether he is alive now or not is noi known. Mrs. Helier could not see them thrust out upon the charity of the cold world, but adopted them as her own. Oi her dying bed she was most solicitous fa the welfare of the motherless children, and entrusted them ; to. two grown-up daughters, one married and the other single, each to have one of them. The single lady proceeded to Sandhurst, and was engaged for- a time in connection with the drapery business of a Mr. Wright,* widower. Here a mutual attachment sprung up, and although Mr. Wright wa! in a bad state of health, it was deemed most politic that the union should take place. Business matters having been settled, both came to Melbourne with tto view of proceeding to Sydney, and -were joined by the little girl, who had been committed to her care by her dying mother. The marriage took place, and arrangements were made the same day to proceed by the Dandenong, which wai carried into effect. So ill was Mr. Wrigft that he had to be earned on board. .0" the terrible night when the vessel w*> wrecked the lady refused to leave her sick husband, as he could not leave with her, although she might have been saved. She ietermincd rather to remain with huty md nothing would shake her resold rhe little girl clung to her and would not ie separated, but she was dragged awajr md ultimately was found amongst the laved. The newly-married pair found » jrave together in the darK waters, the ady byher courageous conduct affording another beautiful type of gentle, lovingi ret 'heroic womanhood. In death they rere hot divided. The little girl, who tf iamed Ellen Smyth, familiarly known *> 'Poppyi" a very beautiful interesting hild of twelve years old, was taken again o Lara, where she is now with her sister nder the care, of Mrs. Strsat, the married ister referred fo.- Offers have been made j take care" of, one who": has certainly arned the title "of a _" waif of ut she'-wishes to staj with her sister, ad so ifc has been arradgecl. Such is the ithetic story as-it.rnas reached us. i* jrtainLy., shows 'tiiat -women can fef 8 sath "calmijf, .and- courageoas ffl ines* c*f eiireme* peril as nfen. -, 'ln s® ., iae man's extremityprfrvedto be'woin*"* I jportuaity.J I

JmtZE& BIOKEN'S ADVICE TO ' HIS SON. flfev»r take a mean advantage of anyone B any transaction, and never bo hard ipon people who arw fn yonr p.-wr. Try ] fjo to ofchurs as you would havy Uhj.m |o,t« y«»» do lio,i *"* discouraged if fail sometimes. It is inttcU fitter tt yutt that they should fail iu ..Luring lie (fp«allt.st rule fitid down by our Saviour baa that you ahoidd. I put a New TtstaBun t WIOD4 your books for the very (Ujo and with the very same (lopeu that made me write an easy account of it foe you when you were a fittre child : (wcttiiao it is tile best book that ever was, df «v«r will be, known in the world, and beanie it teaches you the best lesion* by tfliic'.i any human creature, who tries to Ijjtrut.iful an I faithful to duty, can posjibly bu giiidj.l). As your brothers have jjonu away, one by 0n..-, I have written to (gelt such words as I am now writing to mil, and have entreated them all to guide tiiomaolves by this book, putting aside the interpret*, t >ns and inventions of man. juu will remember that you have it hoinu been harassed about religious obgrvaiictt or mere formalities. I have ilways been anxious not to weary ray eluldrnnr with such t lings before they are ulil enough to form opinions respecting tlium. You will therefore un lerstand the better that I now most solemnly impress upon you the truth and beauty of the Clui»tian re ijoa, as it cama from Christ Sun* If, and tie impossibility of your jpinjf far wrong if you numbly but heartily mpjct it. Oalf o.ic thing m >r« on thii head. The mo.'e we are in earnest as to fouling it, the Las Wvi arj disposud to hold l;r>.i about it. Never abandon the wholeihik practiutf of saying your own private p/ars, nijfat ant in>ruing. I h.tvs never ihuul'oiMt! it myself, and (taowu the smnfort of it. J bops ys>u will be able to say in aftjr life thit you bid a kind father, joit cann.»6 s'iow your ad'ection for him w mil, or maku him so happy, as by doing jour duty.

&S EXTRAORDINARY JUMPER. Ireland, the vautter, was the most extraordinary natuatt jumper 1 ever saw, though I have seen many who excelled lliia whe» aided by the springboard a::d other artificial contrivances. I Lave imlked with Ireland, and he lias suddenly left my arm, and, with the mere impetus (if.ikanvpte of paces, jumped over a turn-nika-gate. In thuso days of practical joking he was foremost in frolic ; his aninrnl spirits were great, and he was vain anil fond of display. One trick »>f his was, if ho saw a horse held in watting for its mter, to stand besida it as if uncertain whia.i way hj& should turn for a moment, taiVvrliei* &• *» w {^e fixer corning out, to ipring uteswa over tlie back of the horse, vitaa.rid'teatou* appearance of anxiety to got out of tha gentleman's way. What miule this more singular was ttiat Ireland always Ms»Ht»drotf a» if he had performed no extraordinary feat at all, leaving those who had beiudd the jump doubting the tvidtmue of their own senses, and liable, ufiioiirse, to fee doubly doubted if they narrattjd the occurrence. Onu of hi* stage oxltibitwvtt* was to throw a somersault over iwaggou and eight horses—over a do«on jjKmiwiters standing at prtwvnt arm.* with teed bayott-jtsv Sir tnomas Picton, a ittitaof unquestionable course, went to tritiums t is exhibition ; but wi.cn he saw thu mtrt* placed, he trembled like a l««f, and kept his head down while frel»mt jumped, nor did fie took up till he , hail: Hvzt asked, "Has he done ic T W*-en wsurud he had, tie said, " A battle's nothing to that."—Records of a Stage Veteran.