The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-01-18

sitting in front of the platform. Instant
ly 8 gust of passion swept over hel
lovely face, Transforming it into some.
thing terrible. She paused, fixed her
eyes on the offender, and seemed like q
tigress just about tespring. She master
ed her anger, however, and went on
reading, but with fierce CLINT in hel
eyes to the end.
After this, out of sight and out of
mind she passed wholly, till Iheard OF
her sudden illness-that cruel stroke
that left her helpless and so pitiable,
blighted and aged before her time-a
| fate most terrible for an organization
like hers, all nerves and fire and action.
Then followed the long dim twilight
of that life of fitful and lurid brilliance,
misty and chill, and dshering in night
that seemed quite dreary and starless.
But the poor soul thought she saw
amid the mists of the gloom, the steady
shining of the Star of Stars, gracious
and pitiful-the Star that shone over
the Manger ofBethlehem and came out
above the Cross of Calvary; and on this
side she fixed, to the last, those great
dark eyes through which had blazed
| every wild human passion and sinful
beguilement, but which had sometimes
softened with human pity and over
flowed with penitent tears. So who
would dare deny to them the right to
look toward those divine beckoning
rays Of peace and pardoning grace?
have heard from lady who knew
the kind Samaritans who nursed poor
Lola MOnteZ in her last sickness, that
her grateful gentleness and humility
were very pathetic. That fierce, rebel
lious nature seemed utterly tanned. She
crept to the foot ofthe Cross and crouch
ed there weeping, till she seemed to
hear the gracious words" -"Thy sins are
forgiven thee"
In the summer of1853I visited Mum
ich. While driving about that fine
capital, which from its aspects of new
ness, seems more likean American than
a European city, the beautiful residence
allotted by the late King to Madame
Lola Montez, was pointed out to us by
our vaJet de place.
"Was she very unpopular in Mum
ich ?" asked.
eyes, Madame, with our most res
pectable citizens, and latterly with the
students-but she was good to the poor
they missed her."
In the Art Gallery of the newpalace,
King Ludwig, who was great co1anois-
scar of beauty, had set apart hall for
the portraits of living European beau
ties, and at the head of all these we
found a portrait of Lola Montez, decid-
edly the lovliest picture there. Even
the refgning Queen, a young and pref
ty woman, was given less honorable
position in the gallery. We were told
that the old King exacted of hissucces,
sor promise that this picture should
remain in its place, at least while he
lived.
In the rose-emboWered studio of
Kaulbach we found another portrait of
as the painter named her-''the Coun-
tess of ofLandsfeldt" Itwas full length,
in an antique Spanish dress, superb
and stately picture, after the style of
Vandyke.
One bright afternoon in this winter
of 1866, / was wandering through Green
wood Cemetery, and suddenly came
upon an humble grave, inasmall three
cornered lot, quite unadorned and on
ly marked by plain white stohe, bear
ing simply this inscription =
"lL-s. Eliza Gilbert. Died February
18th, 1861-aged A."
1t was the grave of Lola Montez!
could hardly realize that after such
free, wild swing at life, from conti-
nent to continent, she had been limited
to such narrow domain. How that lit
tie triangular hedge seemed to imprison
that wilful, untamable creature, that
rebel against society, that Zingara of
the world! How heavily the earth
seemed to rest on that strange, wild
heart, passionate as fire, inconstant as
water. How still she lay, who had
seemed like some cleaning tropical
bird, gay and fierce and restless.
Kind people provided this place of
repose for her poor, weary, faded body,
but it is hardly likely that they often
visit the spot. There are here no floral
tokens of lovely remembrance. Doubt
less, many an unmarked grave in the
Potter's Field, on the hillside, is more
frequently visited. But as stood over
that mound, felt only womanly pity
and regret, and gladly would l have
laid thereon an offering of flowers, to
fade on the brown turf as her beauty
had faded from theworld; notsumptu-
Gus roses, typical of her in her lovely
prime, when the great German painted
her,-not Lilies, which might seem to
reproach her memory-but bunch of
purple Hearts Ease, breathing recon-
cilementand peace!- Philoolepa Home
Weekly.