HOME OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 309 



ticularly ornamented. The two most interesting ob- 

 jects to a visitor are, first, a picture on the right of 

 the chancel, given by Napoleon, and on the left a 

 tombcan, or tablet, to the memory of the mother of 

 Josephine. 



And here let me venture a remark upon the falli- 

 bility of certain biographers. In Meme's "Memoirs 

 of the Empress Josephine," I find the following: 



"The infancy and youth of Josephine were passed, 

 not under the paternal roof, but with an aunt. In- 

 stead, therefore, of returning to St. Domingo with 

 her parents, the infant remained in the island of Mar- 

 tinico. We can discover no cause for this save a 

 family arrangement in the first instance, and the pre- 

 mature death of her mother. Without being aware 

 of this circumstance, however, and perhaps not recol- 

 lecting that her father died before she had become 

 known, the reader might deem it remarkable, and 

 even ungrateful, that Josephine so seldom mentioned, 

 and consequently has left such slight and imperfect 

 memorials of, her parents." 



Headley* is careful not to commit himself upon 

 this point, and truly says : " The data are imperfect 

 from which to gather a complete biography of their 

 gifted daughter." But J. S. C. Abbott, in his history 

 of Josephine, launches forth the following remarkable 

 statement, evidently culled from Meme's Memoirs : 



"But little is known respecting Mile, de Sannois, 

 this young lady who was so soon married to M. Ta- 

 scher. Josephine was the only child born of this 



* Headley : s " Life of the Empress Josephine " is the most com- 

 plete, and comprises all data at that time published regarding her. 

 It is an interesting and valuable book. 



