sweeps over Europe, and all her exalted friends and
towering hopes are prostrated in the dust. Lingering years of
disappointment and sadness pass over her, and old age, with its
infirmities, places her upon a dying bed. One only child, Louis
Napoleon, since President of the French Republic, the victim of
corroding ambition and ceaselessly-gnawing discontent, stands at her
bed-side to close her eyes, and to follow her, a solitary and lonely
mourner, to the grave. The dream of life has passed. The shadow has
vanished away. Who can fathom the mystery of the creation of such a
drama?

Josephine arrived in France. She was received most cordially by her
husband. Sorrowful experience had taught him the value of a home, and
the worth of a pure and a sanctified love. Josephine again folded her
idolized Eugene in her arms, and the anguish of past years was forgotten
in the blissful enjoyments of a reunited family. These bright and happy
days were, however, soon again clouded. The French Revolution was now in
full career. The king and queen were in prison. All law was prostrate.
M. Beauharnais, at the commencement of the Revolution, had most
cordially espoused the cause of popular liberty. He stood by the side
of La Fayette a companion and a supporter. His commanding character
gave him great influence. He was elected a deputy to the Constituent
Assembly, and took an active part in its proceedings. Upon the
dissolution of this Assembly, or States-General, as it was also called,
as by vote none of its members were immediately re-eligible, he retired
again to the army; but when the second or Legislative Assembly was
dissolved and the National Convention was formed, he was returned as a
member, and at two successive sessions was elected its president.

The people, having obtained an entire victory over monarchy and
aristocracy, beheaded the king and queen, and drove the nobles from the
realm. France was now divided into two great parties. The Jacobins were
so called from an old cloister in which they at first held their
meetings. All of the lowest, most vicious, and the reckless of the
nation belonged to this party. They seemed disposed to overthrow
all law, human and divine. Marat, Danton, and Robespierre were the
blood-stained leaders of this wild and furious faction. The Girondists,
their opponents, were so called from the department of the Gironde,
from which most of the leaders of this party came. They wished for a
republic li