Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-06-16
Seleet 8sadina.
AN EPISODE IN THE HISTORY OF
THE HAPSBURGS.
by LADY ALICE HAY

In the vault Of the imperial chapel at
Vienna there rests one small simple coffin.
More than a century has elapsed since the
day when it was deposited in that gloomy
mansion of the dead and, perhaps, very
few persons are acquainted with the brief
touching story of the young princess
whose ashes it contains.
The Archduchess Maria Josepha was
the fairest, the gentlest, and the most
beloved Of the six beautiful daughters of
Maria Theresa and Francis of Lorraine.
The emperor idolized her, and the lmper-
ious emprcss-queen, who had little time
or inclination to lavish caresses on her
children, was known to regard her with
peculiar indulgence. Contemporary writ
ers all rec in praising the beauty. the
peculiar sweetness of disposition. and the
winning grace which made the young
archduchess SO lovely and so 1ovable ;
whilst her passionate attachment for her
family. and especially for her father, made
her their idol The sudden death of the
Emperor Francis in 1854. was the first
shadow cast on the bright existence of
Josepha and it is said that from thence
forth deep melancholy oppressed the
young archduchess.
Time passed away the princess was
now in her sixteenth year, and rumors of
her approaching marriage had already
been for some months in circulation, when
it was officially announced that the hand
of Maria Josepha Of Hapsburg-Lorraine
had been plighted to the young King
Ferdinand II. of Naples. The alliance
was in every way brilliant and advantag-
eous it seemed an influential and impor-
tant ally to the Austrian empire it in
creased the dignity of the imperial family;
and it enabled Maria Theresa to eucircle
the brow of her beautiful daughter with
a crown matrimonial. The marriage
treaty was signed. the preparations COM
pleted, and the betrothai took place on
the 9Th of August, 1867. The empress
was radiant with smiles, the court put
aside the mourning and gloom which had
hung over it since the emperor's death,
and became once more the scene of gayety
and splendor. Fetes, balls. entertain.
ments of every kind followed in rapid
succession, and only ono person seemed to
shrink from the bridal festivities: that
person was the imperial bride herself
From the moment when the fact of her
betrothal to Ferdinand of Naples had been
announced to her, Jesepha's deep melan-
choly had steady increased. Day by day
she BECAME more gloomy and depressed.
She showed no interest in the preparations
for her journey. She appeared indeed at
the court festivities, but it was evident
that her thoughts were far otherwise
occupied. More than once she was heard
to declare that the marriage would never
take place, and that the journey to Naples
would never be undertaken by her. But
no one headed the princess's prediction.
The day for her marriage by proxy was
fixed, and also that for her quitting
Vienna.
The evening before the wedding-day
the empress sent for her daughter, aud
| commanded her to repair alone to the
imperial vault and there. kneeling by
her fathers coffin, to pray for the repose
Of his soul The archduchess shrank from
this CHASTITY ordeal. She entreased her
mother to spare her so painful and terrify-
ing task; but prayers and entreaties
were i'm vain. Maria Theresa was little
used to opposition, especially from her
own children she refused to listen to her
daughters pleading. and she peremptorily
insisted on her orders being obeyed.
I 90 to my tomb we're the mournful
words Of the archduchess and her presen-