The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-05

has engaged Il private "a'Shth"' w
against sticil visitations in the future.
TIC Bogus George Bancroft a'tamc
nuhIbnch's Exclusive News for her
Correspondents I'm New Korlk--Stir I'm
Court Circles.
BERLIN, June 15.-In the summer Of 1867
Louisa MuhIbacb, the German novelist, was
at the height Of her popularity in the United
States. The English TRANSACTIONS OF her his
toricaI novels were published by a leading
publishing firm of New York in the most
rapid succession. and yet the American read
ipy public seemed never to tire of pcr'slng
the works of the fertile and entertaining
German autlorcSs.
OF one OF her novels, "Joseph the Second
and His Court no fewer than thirty-niIc
thousand copies were sold. This unprcce-
dentcd success, which will seem very strange
10 our readers, now that the popularity of
Nine. Muhlbach has almost entirely died
away, encouraged the German authoress so
much tlllt she requested one of our htcrdtf
10 act as her agent in this country and to
negotiate the sale of her new manuscripts
with American publishers. She correspondent
with her agent in the United States by nj
most every steamer, and i'll her letters ire.
uucnily gave him bits of social AMI political
Berlin gossip, which were the more welcome
To him, as he was IL regular contributor to
one Of the leading western dallies. r~.
GEORGE BANCROFT IN LOVE. ,.
In one of her letters to her American
agent she mentioned the interesting fact that
the Hon. George Bancroft, the ambassador
OF the United States to the Court of Berlin,
was dead in love with Mile. Ida Mcyerbeer,
the youngest daughter of the ilitstrlous
composer Of "Robcrt IL Diablc ~; that they
were engaged to be married. and that their.
Wedding was to be solemnzcd at an early
day. This was certainly interesting news,
and Nine. Muhlbacl's agent lost no time in
communicating it to his newspaper. The
item soon made the rounds of the American
press. fortnight atterward it reached
Germany, and was extensively copied by the
newspapers of the Fathcrland. The Ger
man illustrated periodicals even went so far
rs to publish Mile. Mcyerbcer's portrait. and
to mention in the biographical sketch accom-
panying the engraving that she was engaged
to be married to the Hon. George Bancroft.
the American Minister to the Court OF Bcr-
lin.
GEORGE BANCROFT NOT IN LOVE.
Unfortunately there was no foundation
whatever to the story Mile. Ida Meyer
beer had been betrothcd the year before to
a Young Austrian officer, Baron Won Teller.
When she first read the rumor about her
self and Mr.. Bancroft she was both puzzled
aud amused; for she had never met Mr..
Bancroft, and she did not know whether he
was old or young, ugly or handsome. This
frame of her mind, however, gave way to Il
feeling of intense ycNation when letters of
congratuiation upon her impending union
with the American ambassador began pour
ing in, and when she could not ride out in
The Berlin Thcirgdrten without being stop
ped BY friends and even casual acquaintance
who congratulated her and inquired about
the health Of her supposed tanc&. Her
modification rose to tue highest point
when her real betrothed, Baron Teller.
seemed distracted and threatened to wrcak
vengeance upon the head of the mischievous
person who started the story.
J TIfE GREAT HISTORIANS ANNOYANCE.
The Hon. George Bancroft was hardly less
excited. He did not know anything about
it. He had never seen Mile Mcyerbeer. lie
did not know whether she was homcv or
pretty, dull or accomplished. He was at a
loss to know what to do under the crcum.
stances. But one day Baron Teller called
upon him, and then the two wrouged gen
tlelnen resolved to sift the story to the bot
tom. They called upon the editor of one of
the Berlin journals that had published it.
The editor said he had taken the item from
Il New York newspaper. Mr.. Bancroft there.
upon ascertaincd through his friends in New
York that the item lIad originated i'll west
ern daily newspaper, and the editor thereof,
after consulting his correspondent, gave the
n;lmc of Nine. Muhlbach as the author OF
the mischief.
When Mr.. Bancroft and Baron Teller had
obtained this information they sent note to
Nine. Muhlbach. who lived at IL Bchrcn
krasse, Berlin, inquiring when it would suit
her convenience to receive them. Now,
Nine. Muhlbach has a weakness for the great
Of this world, and a visit from an anlbassa-
dor Of II great Power fills her with delight.
So She wrote back that it would afford her
unboundcd pleasure to see Mr.. Bancroft and
the Baron Teller on the following day. At
the appointed time tue two gentlemen were
conducted into her sumptuolls parlors,
where the popular author received them
in the most tiattering manner. Her smiling
face heightened when she found out what
had brought them to her house. In answer
to their inquiries, she admitted that she had
written all about the engagement of Mr..
Bancroft to Mile. Meyerbeer to her agent in
the United States. She then said:
THE SPURIOUS GEORGE BANCROFT.
In June, 1867, she had been at the. fash
ionablc watering-place of Pyrmont, and one
day when she had been in her room with
Beuhoid Auerbsch and the venerable Prince
Pucklef-MuSkau stranger had sent up
card bearing the inscription, -,
.Ha.- Hon. GEORGE BANCROFT, s.. r,.,rs.
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 distinguished mien.
gray hair aud gray side-wbiskers. who said
that the admiration which his American
countrymen entertained for Nine. Null
bach's works had made him DESTROYS Of form
ing her acquaintance. In the course Of The
conversation he mentioned that he believed |
he had seen Nine. Muhbach during one of |
his rides IN the Thiergartcn with his fiance, |
Mile. Ida Mcyerbeer.
Nine. Muhibach and her two friends, who |
had no doubt whatever that their visitor
was the yeritable Minister OF the United
States! and no impostor, congratulated him
warmly upon his impending union with the