The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-02-16
TIE PALACE A. PRIsoN.

INK xAAAACS A.6AAo0Ns
A Frenchman who lately visited Castle
kTervueren, the asylum of the unfortunate
Empress Carlotta, previous to her removal
to Castley9acken, gives an interesting ac-
count of the Impressions he received there.
The apartments of the Empress Carlotta
are on the ground floor. Her sitting room
has three parts, is very pleasant and well
lighted, and opens upon largo lawn. The
Empresslikes to sit here ut the window,
4 leaning on her elbow, and to enjoy the
/ beautiful view, on hich occasion she plays
necessarily with lock of her hair. The
room, a mixture of luxury and precautions,
is hung entirely in white. A etwork. of
yellow satin runs as border around the
/ whole ceiling, and is turned down in the
corners. All reliefs are carefully avoided,
or disappear under soft cushions; neither
knobs or keys are to be seen at the door !;
. for tho rest, the rooms lead into one another
and arc connected by parsicres in. order to
enter, you merely draw then< aside Her
bed is lined with curled gauze; the curtains
descend from the canOpy@i clouds of
gauEe, forming transparent mist The
Empress sleeps under the eyes of those who
A table of 1apis lasu1i standing under the
lustre, il her writing desk. On the sides of
the bod are to be seen tho ife-size portraits
of King Leopold I, and Queen Louisa. The
portrait of the present king, splendid pho
De
stands also beautiful clock a Ia Louis XVI.
Opposite the mantel- piece is glass case of
| ebony and gold, whose tone it not exactly
! in keeping with the toxt ensemble On the
wall opposite tho bed, between two win
dows, is q Christ of ivory on His CROSS of
cons Of Orleans and Belgium. This pris-
dien, already worn out and faded by the
knees and tears of Carlotta and her mother
is tho same on which the Queen, tho daugh-
ter of Louis Philippe, used to Prey.
But there is in thisroom nothing, nothing
whatever, recalling Carlotta's husband,
Macmillan !; and yet there is blonde hair
pierces the feet Of Christ 1t is the lock
which Macmillan entrusted to the priest
who comforted him on going to his execu-
ton. - ',-
For the rest, Carlotta never seems to oc-
cupy herself with him, at least not In the
mercy extinguished her memory7
The Empress rises early, her sleep being
very restless. She goes to bed at ten. She
hears one Mass daily /; her devotion is touch
ing.
She takesa very light breakfast, and also
a most unsubstantial dinner. Fruit and
milk are here favorite food. This diet,
which she adopted at Miramar, and from
which they try to wean her at Castle Ter
vaeren, adds to the bloodlessness which has
SO feaIfully undermined the health tho
Princess.>
She chats, she reads, and writes, but never
to her husband. >~-@
was SO fortunate>a "a to obtain one of her
pens. as well as q sheet Of paper on which
she had written all sorts of INDIFFERENT SEN
fences, the whole being signed rlotta.2
What a difference there is between this and
her former handwriting Every thing in,
her is but the shadow of what she was.
Her sister in law. the Queen of Belgium,
leaves her only from time to time, in order
to embrace her children, at Ostend or Brus-
sels.-Hew inuel, kindness and tender soil
citude, and what an angelic protection, sur
rounds this august and interesting victim.
What efforts are being made to conceal from
the poor sufferer the fact that she is a pris-
oner, and to hide from her the grated win
dows of the prison of Tervueren.. During
Every rare absence of the Queen, instances
of her trying to make her escape have oc-
Cured; the motive of these attempts, she
says, is to " fulfill her mission" -