St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-11-16
THE CROWNED SACRIFICE.

I.t InE CBVWNED SACklElCE.
On the sixteenth Of April, 1910, the i'm
perial castle of Vienna presented, bot
within and without, the appearance of
vast bee hive Of stone. The great stair
case which led to the royal apartm cnts wa
guarded by halberdiers and soldiers of tn
Hur garian and German hody-guard, VIII
were stationed in two files, extending a.
far as to the ante-room of the presenc
chamber. Without, in the street an,
square, IN excited crowd moved hither an,
thi:her, pressing forward with eager curl
osity whenever a carriage arrived, and it!
occupants, richly dressed 'noblemen or 10
dies Of all ages, alighted at the chief en-.
trance, under whose arch six gigantic hal
herdiers stood like automatons. giving nj
sign Of life excepting by their salutations
Within the castle the excitement was a:
great as without. A company richly dres
sed, glitt with jewels, already circula
ted through the imperial apartments, whiot
seemed to swim in sea Of light, created
by thousands of candles. All classes. wer,
these; uniforms. tho Advocate s robe, til,
soutsne Of the Able, the costly vestures Of
cardinals and bishops, all mingled with thu
elegant attire Of stately cavaliers, and the
brilliant toilets of beautiful and charming
women. ..a4', -. &. .s.,.-.'
As the clock struck six, costly equi
page came thund'ring with pantjLg horse.
to the gate. The running foo, main opened
the door, and n cavalier stepped out, in O
magnificent dress of embroidered red vel.
vet,-h,s knee-bands, the clasps Of hi.
point-lace rutfles, shoe buckles, train-clasr
contributions, md sword hilt, all flashing
with diamonds. Instantly soldiers and
halberdiers presented in q body, and the
highest officers approached this richly
dressed man, and attended him to the re-
ception hall, where all the throng of the
nobility bowed to him, and he returned tie
salutations with protouli and cerenionious
greetings.
"ll,s Excel'ency, the Marquis of Dur.
fort, envoy Of his mos. gracious Majesty
! Louis, the Fifteenth of France sounded
through the room. Almost the same mo-,
mcnt the folding doors which led TO the
inner rooms Of the castle flew open. and a
second ice cried, ''The Empress Queen
The Emperor!' -
Maria Theresa entered the room, attend.
cd by her son, Joseph IL Behind them
followed the princes and princesscs Of the
imperial house. Then all was silent in the
vast hall there was n speech in the French
language, then reply to it, and at las,
the Empress took the hand Of a young g,r
and led her te the Marquissf Durfort.
The young, beautiful creature irembled
and turned pale. She received from the
hand of the ambassador a miniature sur.
rounded by points Of flushing diamonds
As the maiden took the picture she STAN.
mered out a short speech Then the Coun.
and fastened it with costly pin TO til.
| breast Of the girl. 1t could now be seer
that it was the likeness Ola dignifed though
amiable looking youth, sixteen or seven
| teen years old. At the same time Durfor
presented a letter, and the ceremony wa!
ended. The young and beautiful princes.
was Maria Ant oinette, Archduchess of Aus
tria, at this moment bctrothed and giver
away to Louis. Duke OF Berr,. the fu,ur,
king Louis XVI. of France, who in this let
ter expressed his joy.
When the portrait Of the dauphin gilt.
| tered on the noble, beautiful princess o.
scarcely fifteen years, the eyes of her i'm
peri"l mother shone with delight. She had
accomplished 1.-THE great political deed O.
uniting these two powerful houses. Hel
daughter shared the first throne in Europ,
with the successor of St. Louis. Like an
electrical current, this feeling of joy, of ad
miration, flowing from Maria Theresa, per.
vaded the whole assembly. What good
fortune! What a distinction. what a fu.
ture!" resounded through the hall. "What
a future ?" Maria Antoinete asked herself
| She pr. ssed the portrait to her throbbina
heart. Led by her brother; Joseph, she lefi
the halls Now, like the rushing of q brook
sounded through the wide hall the silken
robes Of the ladies', the movement of the no.
bles, in their first reverential salutation Of
Maria Antoinettc, Dauphiness Of France
In the evening was French theatre + q
plav Of Marinau1 and i ballet by Nove,re
On the following day Prin5e Kaunitz
read the act of abnegation. Maria Antoin.
ette had henceforth no home but France.
She promised ut the altar to leave father
and mother behind her--her fair hand rest.
ing upon the gospels, which Count Hers
bernstein held out to her. France-the
land Of her future! The land Of Pompa-
dour, of Duharry-o Of which the great Ger.
man writer's warned one-its capital Paris
that glitteriug haunt of vice-seducing
entangling, destroying! sit'l J. <->E:<i. :
With triumphant look, the empress sur.
| veyed the crowded imperial church, when
on the nineteenth Of April, q solemn bene
diction was bestowed upon the marriage
The Archduke! Ferdinand represented thu
dauphin. Maria Antoinette wore dress Of
silver cloth; she responded Eyes," with a
loud voice, the organ sounded, clouds O
incense rose, the singers struck in will
loud voices, and the empress, on her knees
prayed ,devoutly for the welfare of her be
loved daughter. What a crowd of images
pressed upon the inward vision of Mari:
Theresa - An sinextrichhle knot of :desti
nies and dangers of all kind whirls befor,
the eyes of the empress. oh, who can Civ,
The solution! ..We will attempt lit, ;
she whispered to herself One liftle
grain Of certainty ;onef drop Of socth'
ing balsam fol, the bitter anguish Of. Low
ing, motherly einpress Maria There's,
trembled at the prospect Of the hour of sep
| aratiou from her child.
Deep night rested over Vienna. At
ter the exciting festival Of the church an<
bene fiction, rest has come. The empress
alone is still awake. Z She rises from he
bed, walks across, the room and opens tn,
door of the ante-room. She calls softly fo
the waiting woman, who quickly appears.
lis he there =. asked the empress: !
=, .'He has been fer an hour, = was the re
Iply. If4t' as<. ~. sz@ ,j..! go! Y. ::
..Let him enter" Il IIIA& ,@sE3i#H J.
The waiting-woman left the room. m,
returned in q few minutes accompanied b,
Ian elderly man dressed in black. The en-
press is alone with the stranger in the 81
lent room. The outward aspect Of the ma