290 THE FLIGHT OF EUGENIE. several royal ladies, whose parents had in turn politely but firmly declined the honor of having him for a son-in- law. He was married to Eugenie, according to the civil form, on the twenty-seventh day of January, 1853, at the Tuil- eries. On the next day, which was Sunday, the religious ceremony took place at NStre Dame,- with every circum- stance that could add to the splendor and impressiveness of the spectacle. The bride and bridegroom occupied two magnificent thrones erected before the high altar. It was observed that Eugenie betrayed much agitation during the progress of the rite, and that her husband endeavored to reassure her. If the duties of an Empress consist in dressing fre- quently, in behaving graciously, in bestowing picturesque charities, in giving showy entertainments, and in nothing more — then was Eugdnie a model empress. She was fitted by nature to play the part of Lady Bountiful and dwell in the House Beautiful. Her first act was in charac- ter. The city of Paris voted her a large sum for the pur- chase of jewels : she accepted the money, but requested permission to devote it to founding an institution for the education of young girls belonging to the working classes. She further bestowed in charity twenty thousand dollars of a present of fifty thousand given her at the same time by her husband ; and her " reign " was marked by many other striking gifts to charitable and scientific objects. It was during this period that what I have elsewhere called "the clothes mania" raged throughout Christen- dom. It was within her province to decide what fashions should prevail in France, in Europe, in America, in parts of Asia. She might have claimed the privilege of intro- ducing taste, elegance, and simplicity in dress. Instead, she aggravated the rule of cumbersome extravagance. Her own costumes were of the most elaborate con-
