Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-12-28
THE GEROLT ROMANCE.
why the Minister'S Daughter Wen
TO N Nunnery.

| TO ~ uhutGy.
George Alfred Townsend in Chicago Tribune
One Of the romances of Washington
City was recently enacted in the Diplo-
matte Corps. For nearly thirty years
Baron Gerolt served the interests OF
Prussia at Washington City, and he
lived long enough to rear Dative-born
American children under the shadow Of
our Capitol one Of whom married Mr..
Rangabe, the Greek Minister. Gerolt
owed his appointment to this country to
Baron Humboldt, who had been enter
tanned by him while Charge in Mexico
and who recommended him to the King
of Prussia. Gerolt was an affable, re-
publican sort of man in society, fond
Of the American people, and his social
associates were men like Charles Sum
ner and others, who inclined him toward
the Federal side in the war Of the rebel
lion. He probably got considerable
credit for original principle during
the war, when he was really subor-
dinate to acquaintances of stronger
will, who impressed the claims Of
the North upon him. 1t is charged
that at home he was somewhat
tyrannical with his family, as is the
German custom; and that he and his
wife wished to assert too much authority
over their children, who had inhaled the
breath of the Western Hemisphere
Whatever the interior side of his life
might have been, Gerolt is remembered
enthusiastically by some of the best
people Of Washington, Republicans and
Democrats alike. He resides at Linz,
near Bonn, in Rhinish Prussia, and is
permanently out of the diplomatic ser
vice of North Germany.
The Gerolts, although Prussians, are
Catholics, and the girls were strictly
brought up under the tuition of the
priests at Georgetown Bertha, the
youngest daughter of the Baron, now
about twenty-three years of age, and a
very rich and handsome type of the
young German girl, fell in love, three or
four years ago, with her fathers Secre-
tary of Legation, tall, handsome,
dashing, and somewhat reckless Prus-
sian, and a connection or relative Of
Bismarck. This young Secretary be-
longedt to fine old Bradenburg Profess
tant family, which had decided notions
against forming Catholic alliances. The
young gentleman would have fallen heir,
in time, to large estates in North Prus-
sia; but these were in some manner, as
is stated made conditional upon his
keeping up the ancestral Lutheran faith.
This young Prussian chap, you may
recollect as being the adversary of one
of our Ministers, Lawrence, Of Central
America, some two or three years ago,
when the two met on what is called the
field of honor, exchanged shots, and
then patched up the fight without blood
shed. he paid court to Bertha Gerolt
and she was intensely enamored of him.
In order to make the nuptials easy on
both sides, Gerolt applied to the Catho-
lie Church authorities for an indulgence,
or something warranting the marriage
of this hereditary Protestant with his
Catholic daughter; but as it was speci-
fed that the children issuing from such
marriage were to be brought up Protest
ants, the Roman dignitaries refused.
Gerolt, who appears sincerely to have
wished to please his child had also in
tentions upon the Pope; but while these
ecclesiastical efforts were being made
the domestic correspondence between
the Secretary and his mother in Ger.
many, and some ensuing letters from
Madame Gerolt to the other family,
growing warmer and more indignant
from time to time, had the effect of
racking the poor girls feelings; and, in
the end, the handsome Prussian went
off home. This is an end to the matter
up to The present. Bertha Gerolt re-
fused to accompany either her father or
mother to Germany, and has retired to
the Germantown Convent, where some
say she will take the last veil; and
others, that she will repent after while,
and reappear in the world.
Opinion is divided in this city as
to why Gerolt was remanded to his own
country. Some say that be suffered GER
tain indignities at the hands of our State
Department. Others allegs that he. Was \
particularly about the time
that American arms were shipped TO |
France to be used against the Prus-
slams. 1t is said that, on that occasion,
Bismarck asked Mr.. Bancroft why our
Government permitted such things, and
Bancroft, to make it easy for himself, re-
torted that there was Baron Gerolt in
Washington, and, il he had been attend
ing to bis business, the arms would have
been detained Others say that Cata-
cazy drew Gerolt into an intrigue, and
got him to work against the late treaty
which we made about ths Alabama
claims. Whatever the facts, the Baron
has gone for good, and his admirers
here are preparing to forward him an
elaborate service Of silver, to show that
what be did for the counHy in its crisis IS
remembered at least BY It's private citi-
zens.