North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-04-17
LOLA MONTEZ.
sKErcHED IN SMILES AND SHADOWS
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

The atmosphere about the Capitol was sui
en- and portentous Disagreeable wran-
giles, that led to nothing but intenser ill
| feeling. we're the order ot each day After
unsatisfactory mornings. spent in watching
Congressional proceedings, which were
neither amusing nor edifying, we turned
with more than usual Zest to musical and
dramatic entertainments. Among the
latter, perhaps, might be included the
| somewhat profuse and deluding honors
! paid to Kossuth.
Charlotte Cushman played a long en-
gagement at the National Theatre that
season, filling the stage with the grand
sweep aud regal Of her genus-charmlng
| in social life with rare wit and culture
with the wcmanIv truth of her nature and
the genial sim plicity of her manners-all
of winch followed some tempest OF tragic
power like sunshine, rsinbows and SOFT
airs, after tropical tornado.
Then came Ole Bull, with his wlerd
violin his artistic ectacies ana frances,
and lis well preserved boy ishness of enthu-
siasm--And Catherine Hayes, the sweet
singing bird Of rii Shannon.
/ Following Cushman, that fixed star Of
the ,lrama, came the lawIess, erratlc little
meteor, Lola 4iontez. . .a'
Everybody knew than she was by no
means nice aud proper young person,
vet everybody was anxious to see that
dancing encbantress, who owned kerselt
to beng "wid aud wayward though
never wicked d'-that subduer of elderly
kings and tanner OF young huSbands-and
everybody went once at least, and was
subject for one prrilous evening to the
spell of her dork, splendid entangIing eyes
and G rcian fascnations. She. appeared
merely as dancer and she was hardly
that Daring and dazzling, she was want
ing 10 grace and artistic finish. She
showed Sort of petglant dlsIain Of the
ordinary arts of the GanseuSe, relying
wholly, it seemed, Oh tie piqnant beauty
of her face and the splendor Of her cos
tunes. Her form was light and 1.-THE, but
too thin at that time for perfec: symmetry.
| Beautiful she was with those wonder ful
| eyes, blazing forth now and then from un-
der long, heavy dropping lasheS--and her
| dark, soft, abundant hair, gathered back
from her low forehead III lovely, shining
ripples, and lit by some gorgeous tropical
flower. Yet to me there was something
sad in her passionate, defiant, utterly un-
peachabe face. Alas, it ~ ould have seemed
sad beyoud.tears, could have foreSeen the
p!teous dreary ending OF that erring and
wasted life, OF that mad, baiIied chase after
pleasure; the sudden awful blight Of par
alysis-the painful death so YEARLY pro,
Ionged-the funeral of the forgotten cour-
tesan--the humble grave OF the Maglalen.
Very little is really known of Lola Mon
tpZ, thOngh several sketches of her 'ife
have been wrilten-Oue purportiDg to be
from her own pen. One Of our party at
the theatre that night was an English
gentleman, who had seen her several
wears before, at her first appearance in
London. She was then, be said, exqui.
sitely 'bcautitu, yet was hlssed, not for her
bad dancing, though that may have de
served it, but because Of her being recog-
nizrd, by some officers in the pit, as an
! English or an Irish woman, and the run
away wife of captain in the army. She
! had, it seems. left her husband in India,
with the understanding that she was going
TO England on a visit, but she went no
farther than Spain, where she took some
lessons in Spanish and ballet dAncing.-
After gaining some little reputation on
the Continent, she was daring enough to
appear under her pretty Spanish s0Jri-
puet ou the boards of Drury Lane. Her
English career was very short. She was
next heard OF as playing more important,
! If not more honorable rofe, as the chief
favorite, friend and adviser of King Lad
wig, of Bavaria-as the power behind
that respectable. but not very imperial
throne, which stands in gorgeous, gilded
hall in the new palace at Munich Lud-
WIG was gentleman of much energy and
| enterprise, aud of artistic tastes. lie bad
built fine palace and noble museums of
art He had been the generous patron of
sculptors and painters, aud had greatly
beautlfed the capital city. His loyal
subjects had been willing to indulge him
in his pretty .edifces, but they did object
to the scandal and cost involved in his
infatuaiion for the young Spanish dansease
who had turned his royal head with her
heels, and fred Us steady-going old Ger
man heart with her wicked witch eyes
| 1t was an attachment highly paternal and
platonic doubtless, but necessitatlng in the
! munfcent royal mind, handsome estab-
lishment, horses, phsetons, dogs, diamonds,
and finally the title and estates ofa Coun-
ltess.
I We'll, those loving subjects grew more
and more aversc to seeing their august
sovereign bowing his annoInted head to
kiss the hand of dancing adventures
They denied his divine right TO make a
fool of himself ia his old, ags.-They ridi-
culed, they reviled, they rayed. They fl,
nally made the crown 1too hot for thai
monarch's head, and it was laid down
more in sorrow than IN anger-aud Max
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