Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-08

The Story OF his Engagement TO 3
Daughter Of Heyerbeer-HOw LOui-
sa Muhlbach was Hambled By
an ImpOster.


50 Muhlhach was Humbled by
an ImpOster.
Berlin Correspondence New York sum-
In the summer Of 1867, Louisa Muhl.
bach, the German novelist, was ut the
) hight Of her popularity in the United
> States. The English traslatiOns of hel
historical novels were published by q
leading publishing firm in New York, IN
the most rapid succession, and yet the
, American reading public seemed never
, TO tire Of perusing the works of the fer
tile and entertaining German authOress.
OF one of her novels, " Joseph the Sec
ond and his Court no fewer than thir-
ty-nine Thousand copies were sold. This
unprecedented success, winch will seem
very strange to our readers now that the
popularity of Mime. Muhlbach has al
most entirely died away, encouraged
the German authOress so much that She
requested one Of our literati to act as hel
agent in this country, and to negotiate
the sale of her new manuscripts with
American publishers. She corTesponded
with her agent in the United States 10y
almost every steamer, and in her letters
frequently gave him bits of social and
political Berlin gossip, which We're the
more welcome to him as he was a regu-
lar contributor TO one of the leading
Western dailies.
GEORcE BANCROFT IN LOW.
Iu one Of her letters to her American
agent she mentioned the interesting fact
that the Honorable George Bancroft, the
! Ambassador Of the United States in the
Court of Berlin, was dead in love with
Mile. Ida Meyerbeer, the youngest
daughter Of the illustTiOus composer OF
"RObert lie Diable;' that they were en-
gagged TO be married, and that their
wedding was TO be sOlemnized at an
early day. This was certainly Interest,"
ing news, and Nine. Muhlbach's agent
lost no time in communicating it to his
newspaper. The item soon made the
rounds Of the American press. A fort
night afterward il reached Germany,
and was extensively copied by the news
papers Of the Fatherland. The German
! illustrated periodicals even went so far
as to publish Mile. NIeyerbeer's portrait,
| and to mention in the biographical
sketch accompanying the engraving
/ that she was engaged TO be married to
/ the Honorable George Bancroft, the
American Minister 10 the Court of Berlin.
1 GEORGE BANCROFT NOT N LOVE.
/ Unfortunately there was no fOUnda-
/ ton whatever to the story. Mile. Ida
1 Meyerbeer had been betnOthed year be-
! fore to a Young Austrian officer, Baron
vOt Teller. When she first read the
rumor about herself and Mr. Bancroft
she was both puzzled and amused; for
/ she had never met Mr.. Bancroft, and she
/ did rot know whether he was old or
/ young, ugly or handsome. This frame
of her mind, however, gave way 70 a
/ feeling of intense vexatiOn, when letters
Of congratulation upon her impending
union with the American Ambassador
began pouring in. And when she could
not ride out in the Berlin TbcirQdrtClI
without being stopped by friends and
even casual acquaintances who cOngrat-
ulated her and inquired abOutthe health
Of her supposed fdBce. Her mortifica-
ton rose TO the highest point when her
real betrOthed, Baron Teller, seemed dis
tTacted and threatened to wreak ven
geance upon the head of the mischiev-
Gus person who had started the story.
THE GREAT HISTORIANS ANNOYANCE.
The Hon. George Bancroft was hardly
less excited. He did not know anything
about it. He had never seen Mile. Mey-
erbeer. He did not know whether she
was hOmely or pretty, dull or accom-
plished. He was at a loss to know
what to do under the circum-
stances. But one day Baron Tel
Ter called upon him, and then the
two wronged gentlemen resolved to sift
the story to the bottom. They called
upon the editor of one of the Berlin
journals that had published it. The edi-
tor said that he had taken the item from
New York newspaper. Mr.. Bancroft
thereupOn ascertained through his
friends in New York that the item had
originated in a Western daily ynewspapeT,
and the editor thereof, after consulting
his correspondent, gave the name OF
Nine. Muhlbach as the author of the
mischief.
When Mr.. Bancroft and Baron Teller
had obtained this information, they sent
a note TO Nine. Muhlbach, who lived at
L Behren krasse, Berlin, inquiring when
it would suit her convenience to receive
them. Now, Nine. Muhlbach has
weakness for the great of this world,
and q visit from an ambassador of
great power fills her with delight So
she wrote back that it would afford her
unbOunded pleasure TO see Mr.. Bancroft
and the Baron Teller on the following
day. at the appointed time the two
gentlemen were conducted into her
sumptuous parlOHs, where the popular
authoress received them IN the most
fiattering manner. Her smiling face !
heightened when she found out what 4
mad brought them to her house. In an
swer to their inquiries, she admitted |
that she had written all about the en- 4
gagement Of Mr.. Bancroft to Mile. Mey- I
erbeer to her agent in the United States. /
She then said that I'm June, 1867, she |
had been at the fashionable watering /
place Of PyrmOnt, and one day when |
she had been in her room with Berthold /
Auerbach and the venerable Prince /
Puckler-Muskau a stranger had sent up
a card bearing the inscription-"H Hon. 4
George Bancroft, American Minister /
TO Prussia" and had solicited an
interview with her His request |
had been granted at once, and |
there had been ushered into her /
room an elderly gentleman with dis
tinguished mein, gray hair and gray |
side-whiskers, who said that the admi-
ration which his American cOuntrymen
entertained for Nine. Muhlbaellis works
had made him desirous of forming her 4
acquaintance. In the course OF the con- \
versation, be mentioned that he believed
he had seen Nine. Muhlbach during one
Of his rides in the Thiergarten with his
fdnce, Mile. Ida Meyerbeer.
Nine. Aiuhlbach and her two friends,
who bad no doubt whatever that theirl
visitor was the veritable Minister Of the
United States, and no imposter con-
graduated him warmly upon his i'm
pending union with the accomplished
daughter of the immortal composer. The
stranger next inquired where the elder
daughter Of Mime. MuhIbaeh, TheodO-
"a, the actress, was. Hesaid hehad seen
and admired her at the Victoria The
ater in Berlin, and upon being informed
that she was playing at the Royal The
ater in Cassel, be said that he was on
his way 10 that city, and when Nine.
Muhlbach asked him TO call upon her
daughter there, replied that he would
gladly DO 50 If Nine. Muhlbach would
give him letter Of introduction to her
daughter. After receiving this letter, he
took leave Of Nine. Muhlbach and her
This was All the information which
Nine. Muhlbach was able to give to Mr..
Bancroft and the Austrian Baron. She
expressed profound regret at having un-
done 80 much mischief and
heaped maledictiOns upon the head Of
the imp0ster who had deceived her.
But who was this impOster, and what
had been bis object in passing himself
off for Mr.. George Bancroft All IN
quiries made to ascertain anything about 4
him were utterly fruitless. Gradually
the matter dropped out Of sight. Mile.
was married to the Baron
Teller. RIr. Bancroft recovered his equa-
nimity. and Mime. Muhlbach went on
writing historical novels in many vol
ames.
A DIsCOvERY FIvR YEARS LATER
But last month, five years after the
LII. IL. -, t--.-la alra