New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-03-28

she WIS slill u young
woman. She lies buried in the old vault of
the Benedictine monastery, in Vienna After
the death of her husband, she built the larger
part of the Castle of Neuhaus. and, in re-
Quital for the assistance rendered by her sub
jects for this purpose she instituted a banquet,
which was to be continued to their descend
ants through all tiIne-a "Sweet Bake" as
it was called in the language Of the people.
Every year, at an appointed time, for many
long year after her death, each of her subjects
at Teltsch, Neuhaus, and Truman, both young
and old, received wheaton cake, loaf of
bread, fish, vegetables, and frumenty, a
measure of table-beer, and some money.
After the year 1884 this was all given out IN
money. If at any time the Sweet Bake was
omitted, then the White Lady appeared very
angry and wild. In the year 1854, when the
Swedes had taken possession of the city and
castle Of Neuhaus and the Swedish major
had not allowed the Sweet Bake to be pre-
pared at the appointed time, she appeared
again, and gavs him no rest. Night and day
she tormented him and his soldiers. They
even received blows from an invisible hand,
until the Sweet Bake was provided for the
poor. The common people looked upon her
as purified and blessed spirit. On all joy
full occasions in her family, at births and mar
riages, she is present and ever busy; the
clinking of the great bunch of keys which she
wears hanging from her girdle is distinctly
heard, and the rustling of her long white
dress as it sweeps the ground behind her;
she cradles the newborn child, bears it upon
her arm, and smiles upon it. But, when one
Of her family is about to die, she appears
wearing black gloves, she knocks by night
at the cOnfessor's door, she herself speaks
of the approach of death. The upper classes
| and her own relatives suppose her to be
still in purgatory, waiting the time of her
| release.
81 have heard that she stands in peculiar
| relations to the house of Wurtemberg, and
more particularly to one of its princes. You
can, perhaps, give us the particulars" con-
| Guided the Austrian baron.
"All we know Of it," said the Major, {" is
to be found in the Pilgen,' romance of
Count DARTMOUTH. He received the account
| from a nephew Of the King of Wurtemburg,
| Prince Napoleon. The Wurtemburg prince,
| of whom the fair Bertha became enamored,
| found her widow-so runs the tradition of
| the house of Wurtemburg. Also, according
| to this tradition, the White Lady was very
beautiful. But we will let prince Napoleon
speak for himself. The White Lady appeared
| in Stuttgart shortly before the death of his
| mOther.''
Frau Won R-gave the major the book of
| the Count d'Arlincourt, and he read from it
| as follows;
"The White Lady of Stuttgart" wrote the
| prince, " was not of noble birth but Heaven
has endowed her with wonderful beauty.
The reigning duke burned in passionate love
| for her Unhappily, she was widow, and
had two children of tender age, boy and
| girl. A marriage between her and the duke
appeared therefore to be impossible. One
day the duke, listening entirely to his passion,
| let fall the following words of tenderness and
s oBn har
ship her; but there are two obstacles between
| u.s. These words were repeated to the
| widow. She had often observed the duke cast
upon the children a look of dislike, mingled
| with Impotence. 'Oh, they are, without
| doubt, the two obstacles ? repeated the I'M
| happy woman. She spent many days hover
| ing between hatred and love for the two small
beings whom she had before loved with such
| passionate tenderness. Often would she
| press them to her heart murmuring Dear
chillren!' then would thrust them violently
from her, with the exclamation, Unhappy
| hindrancesv Her mothers love wore itself
out in struggles between that love and her
womanly ambition. One evening she took
them with her to small chapel, where the
dukes picture, as large as life, dressed in his
princely garments, fair in countenance, hung
upon the wall. She fell upon her knees be-
| fore this picture, while the fires Of madness
and despair cleaned from her sparkling eyes.
| Ny children" cried the unhappy woman, 1
| brought you forth into the world but behold
this man, this prince!' and with her raised
dagger she pointed to the duke, oh, he, he,
my children, has obtained the victory over
You. love no one but him; and on the path
Of glory, which would fain tread, you alone
hinder me from advancing; for he, whom l
adore, hates you Children have chosen be-
tween you and him, and you must die! The
poor little victims, too young to understand
| such words, looked wonderingly upon their
mother. Well, fold your hands, pray, she
continued in a hOarse voice, with convulsive
sObs, swinging her murderous weapon above
their heads. You, you are going to God,
my children (; but devote myself to the devil.
My heaven is love; love crowned with a
diadem. This paradise will be but of short
duration, and hell will follow! 1t matters
not, you must die = The two little creatures
uttered cries of horror and fright when they
beheld the dagger waved above their heads.
They fled, shrieking, to the other end of the
apartment, uttering but one word, that sweet
est word of all, 'mothern Trembling they
fed to an altar over which hung Madonna
with the Christ-child in her arms, instnctively
they pointed to it. My God, spoke from
hell! screamed the infuriated woman, am
already there. 1 burn! burn! Her eyes
started from her head, her reason was shaken.
Strike strike!' she shrieked again 'put an
end to this Internal pain!' Saying these
words, she few to her children, and bathing
them with her tears pressed them to her
bosom. Kiss me- she cried, madly, give
me last farewell!' My poor children, whom
love so well, We shall be blessed and STAIN
less spirits. We shall be angels in heaven;
but shall 60 hence a cursed spirit. Neither
my veal nor your own allows us to live longer
here on earth together. My breath has pol
luted yours, yes, kill you, but 1 save you'll
With these words, she seized them by the
hair, threw them to the ground, and plunged
the dagger into their hearts. The blood
spurted forth, the brother and sister were
dead. Good God! A man approached, it
was the duke. There stood the widow, with
dishevelled hair, the dagger still in her hand,
surveying the last struggles of her little
victims.
1.-THE two obstacles have fallen,' cried she
to the prince, with the solemn tones of mad
ness and despair. 81 worshipped the poor chill
dren; but they separated me from you; for
your love have slain them; for your sake will
/ Stay myself; and for your sake would viii
lingly sacrifice the whole world; and for your
sake also have 1 delivered over my soul to
perdition.
0s Uratcbad womap cr;od TN ,,r;,,o.