New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-02
a CLEVER ANEcDOTE-THEE EMPEROR AND
his DAUGHTER.

a few years since, there was in the city of st.
Petersburg young girl, SO beautiful and SO
lovely that the greatest prince of Europe, had
he met her, even in a peasants hut, might well
| have turned his back upon princesses to offer
her his hand and his crown.
But far from having first seen the light in
PEASANTS hut, she was born in the shadow of
/ the proudest throne ON earth. 1t was Marie
Nicolewna, the adored daughter of the Emperor
Of Russia.
| As her father saw her blooming like the May
flower. and sought for by all the heirs of roy
atty, he cast his eyes upon the fairest, the
/ richest, and the most powerful of them, and,
with the smile of father and a king, said to
her:
my child, you are now Of an age to marry,
| and have chosen for you the prince who will
| make you queen, and the man who will render
you happy
| sThe man who will render me happy"
| stammered the blushing princess, with sigh,
| which was the only objection to which her heart
gave utterance. ''Speak father" she said, as
I she saw a frown gathering on the brow of the
Czar. Speak. and your Majesty shall be
| obeyed."
| 'sObeyedl" exclaimed the Emperor, trem-
bling for the first time in his life, s' is it then
only as an act of obedience that you will receive
4 a husband from my hands,"
The young girl was silent and concealed
| tear.
1 6 Is your faith already plighted ~ .$=,v =
The young girl was still silent
4 Explain yourself, Marie; command YOU
At this word, which sways sixty millions Of
human beings, the princess fell at the feet Of
1 the Czar.
6 Yes, father, if | must tell you, my heart is
no longer my own; it is bestowed upon young
man who knows it not, and who shall never
know it if such be your wish. He has seen me
but two or three times at a distance, and we will
never speak to each other if your Majesty for
bids it!"
The Emperor was silent in his turn. He grew
pale Three times he made the circuit of the
saloon. He burst not ask the name Of the young
man.
He who would have braved, for a caprice, the
monarchs of the world at the head of their
armies--he, with his omnipotenee, feared this
unknown youth, who disputed with him the
lpossession Of his dearest treasure.
&c Is it king 7" he demanded, at last
"No, father?''
&c The heir of king, at 1east.''
ssNo, father
&c A Grand Duke?"
''No, father
l "a son of a reigning family 20
II sNo, father
At each step in the descending scale, the Gar
3 stopped to recover breath.
4 A strangers"
s' Yes, father"
The Emperor fell back into an armed chair,
and hid his face in his hands, like Agamemnon
at the sacrifice of Iphigenia.
3 !" Is he in Russia - he resumed, with an
effort.
81 Yes, father"
cat St. Petersburg9''
Yes father
And the voice of the young girl grew faint
G Where shall I see him - said the Gar,
e rising, with threatening aspect.
Tomorrow, at the review
'How shall recognize him." repeated the
d Gar, with q stamp of his foot.
s "By his green plume and his black steed''
e sssIis well. Go, my daughter, and pray God
9 to have pity upon that man The Princess
Withdrew in fainting condition, and the EN-.
y peror was soon in thought.
e "A childish CAPRICE he said, at length. ssl
e am foolish to be disturbed at it. She will for.
get it. She shall forget iti' and his lips dared
not utter what his heart added ssIt must be
for all my power would be weaker than he,
4 tears"
t On the following day, at the review, the Czar
whose eagle eye embraced all at a glance
sought and saw in his battalions, nought els,
than green ploom and black charger. Fl,
recognized IN him who wore the one and rod
| the other, simple Colonel of the Bayariar
Light Horse, Maximillian Joseph Eugene Aug.
uste Beauharnois, the Duke of Leuchtenberg
> youngest child of the son of Josephine (who was
for brief time, Empress of France) and of the
Augnste Amelie, daughter of Maximillian
Joseph, of Bavaria, an admirable and charming
cavalier, in truth; but as far inferior then to
Marie Nicolewna, as simple soldier to an en-
lperor.
&c Is it possible p said the Czar to himself as
he sent for the Colonel, with the design of dis
missing him to Munich.
But at the moment when he was about to
8 crush him with a word, he stopped at the sight
Q of his daughter fainting in her calache
ssThere is no longer Doubt" thought the
n Gar, s' It's indeed he"
i, And turning his back upon the stupefed
d stranger, he returned with Marie to the I'M
lperial Palace.
o For six weeks all that prudence, tempered
r with love and severity, could inspire, was
essayed to destroy the image of the Colonel in
t the heart Of the princess AT the end of the
first week, she was resigned; at the end of the
n second, she wept; at the end of the third, she
u wept in public; at the end of the fourth, she
|, wished to sacrifice herself to her father: at the
end of the fifth, she fell sick; at the end of the
sixth, she was dying.
/, Meanwhile. the Colonel, seeing himself in dis
grace at the court of his hest without daring to
confess to himself the cause, did not wait for hs
dismissal to return to his regiment. He was on
If the point of setting cut for Munich, when an
e aid-de- camp Of the Czar came for him.
81 should have set out yesterday" he said to
- himself, SCI might have avoided what awa;+u