Smyrna times., 1872-01-24
Romance of Real Life.


century came an old German emigrant with his
daughter, and settled there. She was youngan
very beautiful, and attracted much attention es-
peclally that of one Dauband, an officer of the
colony, who so ingratiated himself with the
father that after time they kept house togeth-
eer. This oth:er had been in Russia, and what
hrst struck him, upon seeing the young lady,
was the very remarkable resemblance which
she bore to the late wife Of the Czarowitz
Alexis, son of Peter the Great. The historv
OF this Princess had been very sad one.
Though high born lady, aud sister in-law to
the Emperor Charles VI. she had been
treated with as much brutality as though she
had been his slave. He had attempted on
more than one occasion to make way with her
Dy poison; and at last he had struck her with
such violence, when far gone with child, that
he had caused the death both Of herself and
her infant. All the courts of Europe had
gone into mourning for her, and everybody
but her husband had pitied her unhappy fate.
After great lapse of time the Czarowitz him
sell died, aud to the Daubands s watchfui eyes
1t seemed that the intelligence of that princes
death was received by his fair follow lodger
with such suspicious interest and excitement
that he taxed her with being in truth that
exalted but unhappy lady, whom all the world
believed to be dead.and buried If such were the
case, he declared himself devoted to her ser
vice, and prepared at once to sacrifice his pros
poets III the colony in order to escort her to
Russia. Then Charlotte Christina Sophia de
Wooltenbuttel (for such had been her maiden
name) narrated her pitiful story. She was in
deed the parsonage he had imagined her to be,
and had made use of the piOus fraud to escape
from the crueltes of her late husband. The
blow that had been given to her had almost
caused her DEATH las it undoubtedly did that
OF the Heir of All the Russas, whom she
carried with her,, but she had in truth re-
covered from it, BY help of the Countess
honlgsmark, mother of Marshal SAKE, she
gained over the women of her bedchamber so
that it was given out she was no more, and
funeral was arranged accordingly. Then,
being conveyed to a secret place, she was care
fully tended, and, when strong enough, re
moved In the guise of peasant girl, to Paris,
under the guardianship of trusty servant,
who passed as her father; and finally from
France to louisiana. Having heard the story,
Dauband renewed his devoted offer to furnish
the means Of her return to that sphere from
which she had fled under such pitiabe circum-
stances; but the young widow thanked him,
and said that the only service she required of
him was that he should maintain an absolute
secrecy regarding her past, aud conduct himself
toward her as he had hitherto done for the
future. He endeavored to obey her in both re-
spects, but his affection for her was stronger
than his loyalty; he was young and handsome
as we'll as impressible; and perhaps the ex-
princess, on her part, was not sorry when, her
pretended father dying, and it becoming no
longer possible for Dauband and herself to be
| under the same roof without reproach, he
offered himself to her as a husband. If she
had really renounced all thoughts of resuming
her rank, he argued, why should she not wed
an honest man who loved her? Though net a
queen, In him she should ever have a devoted
subject. She consented; and in so doing
afforded one of the Strangest examples of vicis
situde of fortune that history has recorded THE
marriage with an humble officer of infantry o.
one who has been destined for the throne O
Russia, and whose sister was actually occupy
ing that of Austria. The marriage was hap
py one, and bore fruit in an only daughter
After ten years Douband, being troubled will
, some disorders which the practitioners il
Louisiana could not cure, removed with hi
, wife and child to Paris, to get the best medica
. advice, and on his recovery solicited ant
, obtained from the government an appointment
! in the Isle of Bourbon. While in Paris tn
wife and daughter went to walk in the Tuile
: res, and, conversing in German, were over
! heard by Marshal SAKE, who stopped to con
slider them. Madame Dauhand's embarrass
; ment confirmed his suspicious, and his recogni
tion of her was complete. She drew hin
= aside, and persuaded him to promise secrecy
r He called on her. however, the next day, an,
often aiterward; and when she had departe
S for Bourbon, informed the King his master
r of what he had discovered. Orders were sen
e off to the island that the greatest respec
y should be paid to her; and the King c
= Hungary was also made acquainted with tn
s position of his aunt. He sent her lette
e inviting her to his court, but on the eonditio
: that she should quit her husband, which sh
S refused to do la l747 Dauband died, havin
: been preceded to the grave by his daughter
f and the widow came to France, with the inteu
e ton of taking up her residence in the convent
: in place of doing So however, she lived i
great retirement at Vitri, about league fror
e Paris, where she died in l772.-Chan,bers
e Journal.