ed, however, that the
match was settled. The artful woman was therefore compelled to allow
Josephine to marry _at first_ the undistinguished son of the planter,
with whom she could not be happy. She, however, very considerately lets
the unworthy husband in a short time die, and then Josephine becomes
a queen. This is the old story, which has been repeated to half the
maidens in Christendom. It is not very surprising that in this one case
it should have happened to prove true.

But, unfortunately, our prophetess went a little farther, and predicted
that Josephine would die in a hospital--implying poverty and
abandonment. This part of the prediction proved to be utterly untrue.
Josephine, instead of dying in a hospital, died in the beautiful palace
of Malmaison. Instead of dying in poverty, she was one of the richest
ladies in Europe, receiving an income of some six hundred thousand
dollars a year. The grounds around her palace were embellished with all
the attractions, and her apartments furnished with every luxury which
opulence could provide. Instead of dying in friendlessness and neglect,
the Emperor Alexander of Russia stood at her bed-side; the most
illustrious kings and nobles of Europe crowded her court and did her
homage. And though she was separated from her husband, she still
retained the title of Empress, and was the object of his most sincere
affection and esteem.

Thus this prediction, upon which so much stress has been laid, seems to
vanish in the air. It surely is not a supernatural event that a young
lady, who was told by an aged negress that she would be a queen,
happened actually to become one.

We have alluded to a contemplated match between Josephine and the son of
a neighboring planter. An English family, who had lost property and rank
in the convulsions of those times, had sought a retreat in the island of
Martinique, and were cultivating an adjoining plantation. In this family
there was a very pleasant lad, a son, of nearly the same age with
Josephine. The plantations being near to each other, they were often
companions and playmates. A strong attachment grew up between them. The
parents of William, and the uncle and aunt of Josephine, approved
cordially of this attachment; and were desirous that these youthful
hearts should be united, as soon as the parties should arrive at mature
age. Josephine, in the ingenuous artlessness of her nature, disguised
not in the least her strong affection for Wil