The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-12

EXTRAORDINARY DELusIos. - Utmost interes
; has been experienced in the fashionable circle
all over the continent, BY the publication Of TIL
brochure of the princess de S., which, printed
at first in small numbers for private circulation
only, has gradually spread itself Throughout
the arstocratic and religious coteries Of Europe
1t is now exactly year..since the young prin
cess Eleanore de s.. in the prime of her you'll
and beauty, young wife, adored by her hus
band, and much beloved by her family, dice
suddenly at the hotel de S., in Paris, and wa!
buried with great pomp at Pere La Chaise
where a splendid monument, by Leehene, re
cording her age, her lineage, her virtues, ha;
Just beenSput up by her disconsolate husband
In spite Of the high position held by the prin,
cess, and from her great wealth and beauty
having become the observed of all observers
there has always existed an extraordinary feel
ing of mystery in the public mind with regard
to the circumstances of her death. The prin-
cess a child of immense imagination and pow
er. left at an early age on orphan, with the con-
sciousnessof beauty and the command of bound
less wealth, finding herself suddenly transport
ed to her guardians old castle in the Hartz,
was not likely to enjoy either content or hap
piness; and here her temper and disposition
grew SO wild and intractable that, after repeat
ed efforts of home education, it was deemed ad-
visable to send her to be trained into rule and
discipline by seclusion in a convent. .s
Just then her guardian being appointed am
fbassador to Paris from the court of W., it was
though the best opportunity for placing the child
In the rue de Varennes, where she could be bet
ter trained to habits of obedience than else
where. But, alas! this first attempt proved to-
tally abortive. Three unsuccessful efforts at
escape were followed by decided attempt to
set fire to the furniture of her room where she
was confined; and the governess, fearful Of the
effect ofsuch example on other pupils, and wea-
~ Of the attempt Of tanning this bold, vehe-
ment spirit, reluctantly restored the young lady
to the care of her guardians A COUNSEL de fa-
mile was held, and it Was resolved to send the
culprit, now no longer mere child, but fine,
hspirited girl of fifteen, to England, to com
plete her education, with the hope that the con-
viction of being thus alone in foreign country,
dependent upon her gesd behavior to ensure
the kindness of those about her, might have the
desired effect. ....
The eyoung lady was accordingly placed at -
at Hammersmith, and for time the hoped for
change seemed to have taken place in her tenn
per. But, after a while, it appears that the
burst of violence to which she gave way, and
the fits of depression which succeeded, became
so alarming as to cause serious fears Of her
health. Letter after letter was despatched to
her guardian from the young lady herself, beg
ging to be taken into favor, declaring that the
climate of England was weighing her to the
esrth, and the discipline Of Hammersmth
breaking her heart. t. @1'1
The prince de S. arrived at Hammersmth
one Sunday morning. He returned no answer
to the last letter despatched by bis ward, and
she was, therefore, not aware Of his intsntion
of arriving. The lady commissioned to bear
the news reported to have found her on her
bare knees alone in her room, praying with a
most fearful expression of countenance, and on
being informed of her guardians arrival, she
had uttered an unearth]y shrek, and rushed
down the stairs like one possessed The guard
ian was much pleased with the progress and i'm
provement, and brought her back to Paris tr-
as a specimen of the good training
of the ladies Of Hammersmith. There was in
deed no token of the old ndomitable spirit left
within her. She was silent and subdued, sub
missive to all, and only urgent in her suppca-
tions never to be left alone Or in the dark. She
always persisted in maintaining that it was use
less TO lay any plans for her welfare, for that
she would die before she was twenty one!
Even when she became the bride of prince
Leon, she would insist upon every arrange
ment being made with view to this early death,
which seemed to prey upon her mind forever.
1t was not till the young couple had been mar
ried for some time that, by dint of maternal
and solictude, the confession was wrung from
her that she had sold herself to the Evil One,
and that she would be claimed before she reach
ed the age of twenty one! She confessed that
her despair had been so extremely great at be-
ing exiled, that she had addressed her vows to
the powers of darkness on the very Sunday
morning when her guardian had arrived, and
the announcement of hispresence was evidently
the TOKEN of the acceptance of that fearful VOW.
It seems that in spite of every care and coun-
of 6e constant watching and wise
teaching Of the able Dupauloux, nothing could
urn aside this idee fxe from the mind of prin-
cess Eleanore; and although the very extreme
Of dissipation and excitement was tried to divert
her thoughts, she gave way to a settled mel
ancnOly, ana Qieu just TWO days DelO1e the COM
oletiopof her 2lst year, suddenly, sitting in her
chair, full dressed for ball at the minister
! etat.
~y-~~~~-~>-~--~-.~ |
HoRRinLE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AFRICA
Mr.. Beachman, a member of the
London Wesleyan mission, has recently return
ID from visit to Africa, and in sketch of the
negroes inhabting the gold coast and its vicini t
y, which we find in the Honolulu Religious
Journal, he furnishes a picture exceeding in
horrors anything we had yet believed of beings
wearing the human form. Who can read with
,ut a shudder Of such bloody deeds and pan
lemonium customs as those which he records:
''scarce any one of their bloody customs has
oeen abandoned since they first becawe known
o Europeans. sTbey will even pave their court
7ards, palaces, and even the streets or market
places of their villages or towns with the skulls
If those butchered in the wars, at feasts, fu-
lerals, or as sacrifices to Bosom. When Ada
lausen died, two hundred aaA eighty of his
wives were butchered before the arrival Of his
uccessor, which put stop to it, on] y to in
rease the flow of blood and the number of
leatbs in other ways. The remaining living