Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-02-11

She approached the window, but her
| head was cast down so that she did not
see with what a look Of hate Joseph be-
held her advancing toward him. .r.
To obtain your pardon, SIRE" said
she, II must say why l deceived you.
II was because / preferred perjury to the
loss OF my earthly happiness--the un-
speakable happiness of being your wife.
/ wac afraid Of losing my treasure. For
/ love you beyond all power Of express
sion from the first moment Of our meet
ing, / have loved you, and this love which,
thanks to Almighty God, have a right
to avow before the world-this love It
was that misled me. Oh, my husband,
have mercy, and forgive the fault that
was born Of my excessive love for you.
A whole life Of love and obedience shall
atone for my sin. Forgive me, forgive
me, for the sake Of my love T.
And. overwhelmed by her grief the
princess knelt at the feet Of her husband
and raised her hands in supplication for
pardon. e
The empress looked on with sympa-
thetic heart and fearful eyes she ex-
| pected, at every moment to see Joseph
raise up his wife, and press her to his
heart for her touching avowal of love.
She expected to hear him implore for
given ess but she was sadly mistaken.
Joseph stood immovable, his eyes
flashing scorn and fury at the kneeling
princess before him.
This outraged all the pride of Maria
Theresa's womanhood. Hastily ap.
preaching Josepha, and stretching her
arms towards her she said IF Joseph
has no mercy in his obdurate heart, I, at
least, will not witness such humiliation on
the part Of his wife Rise, my daughter,
and take shelter under my love | will
not suffer you to be oppressed--not even
by my own son.
She would have raised Josepha, but
the poor girl waved her gently back.
mo, dear lady" said she, sobbiug, "let
me remain until he forgives me-"
LET her remain, your majesty" cried
Joseph, with burst Of wrath, "she is in
her proper place But if she means to
kneel until she obtains my forgiveness,
let her knecl throughout all eternity
/ consented to this marriage for expedi-
ency sake, and would have done my
best to make the burden as light for us
both as lay in my power. Your majesty
knows how she has deceived me; yon
have heard her pitiful lie with its pitiful
excuse | might have forgiven her for
marrying me, with her disgusting dis
ease, but for being a liar-neverl
Enough" cried the empress, as much
excited by her son's obduracy, as by Jo-
sephas touching confession, This
scene must end, and so help me God, it
shall never be enacted second time
You are bound to one another for life,
and together you shall remain. Each
mortal has his weight of grief to bear
Bear yours in silence, and bear it as be-
comes your dignity and station. Have
the manliness to smile before the world,
my son, as beseems prince who has
more regard for his princely duties than
for his rights as man to happiness"
And, with that imposing grandeur
which Maria Theresa knew so well how
to assume, she continued: "Rise, Queen
of Rome, and never again forget either
your own royal station or the dignity OF
your womanhood. Give her your hand,
my son; if YOU will not love, you must
at least honor and respect your wife.
The bells of Vienna even now are peal
ing. your welcome; tne people await
their ssovereigns, and 1t does not become
us to keep them IN suspense on sucn an
occasion as TINS.
without looking back 10 see the enecP
OF her words, thesempress leit tne room,
and called to her pages 10 ning wloe the
palace doors
Apprlse the court that We are ready
to move, SAID she, IN commanding
voice, "and let the carriages approach.
The pages threw open the wlde doors;
the emperor and the arehduchesses en-
tered, ana, loilowihg 'Ieui' celne tl9
eourtiers aud ladies OF the imperial
household, In all the splendor OF nashing
jewels and costly ropes.
The empress, with unr1iied serenity,
advanced to meet them. Not once were
her eyes cast pehind toward the unhappy
had yielded to the force of circumstances,
and were already throwing the ven OF
Guy Iesse auu o0ui Wy N'''' "l' 0'e' '"
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sta'e sIa cslliase sss sIo paHs IL as tbe raIo
i1i empress, ana az ner slpe was tne pd.e az
queen Oh hone. Ou tSIsuda e,sIe, S'uI ~ " En s~
carrlage roue 'us ls '"o no HuSOa onS ,ba K;nr
peTor rranSls S VI ilOi,a,no anr - vi sbon,o5
OF none. tne Peop'II Iso yoVe - 'o ,ba ;nnor;ai
Ior JOYS wisninS 'ous "to ~ sr;od ~ A. ap,,nle
par, ahuJoy ~ the ne"l ~ a1anIass ~,
IRON one siue ~ anosnei, J ;ioS siI a. - 'eTI en
ahe tne qHeen T oSTsu p"r,a @"I LsSi,ad | tha en-
while tne H.ng " l'V.ne e .Ioa .ha;n aIoona ino