The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-10
Female Gamblers at The (ierman Spas

the leading nations Of Europe. They
compose, indeed, some OF the best known
habituees; can be met, while they are
alive, in the Diohtenthal avenue, the
Wilhelmstrasse, or on the SIahlbery-
Kopf with as much certainty us the tail.
leur with his simperturbable face, frigidly
polite manners, and perpetual "Faites
yOtre ieu, messieurs.
One Of the most noted players OF rank
is the famous Countess KiSselef, whom
all frequenters Of Hamburg must remem-
ber rs large gray haired woman hob
bling about with n crutch, and often
carried by her servants in an invalid
chair to the gaming table, which she
seldom quits, She must be seventy-five
now, and has been reported dead again
and again. Her portly and crippled
figure was conspicuous in the Cursaal
Inst season, and will I've ngain this, |
am sure. She could hardly forego the
pleasure Of occupying her accustomed
seat during thelast gambling year, when
she has for nearly quarter Of a century
breathed the genial summer air Of the
Taunas Mountains. She is, or rather
was, the wife OF the former Russian
minister to Rome, and all kind OF stories
are told about her. She is said TO have
separated from her husband because he
Insisted that she should give him up or
give up gaming, and size adhered to the
Inter as the more attractive Of the two.
The gossips declare that up to her fortieth
year she was a beautiful basilisk OF fas-
cination, and her figure (who ever saw n
very fat old woman that had not once
been o modal OF lissome grace =? so light
and y sSmmctrical that st. Petersburg aud
Moscow followed 1t with adoring eyes.
III this be 80, it is Only another cOrrobo-
ration Of my aesthetic theory concerning
the tendency Of rank to awkwardness
and avoirdupois.) The hour of begin.
ming the game is almost invariably an
ticipated by the countess. She is at the
table before the croupicrs, day night,
", ek.days aud Sundays, find her glncd
to her familiar chair. Roulette is her life,
and her last words, MS the ball Of death
goes swinging round the circle Of her
being, will be, no doubt, "Le jeu est
fat rieu ne va plus"
Her losses at Hamburg are stated 10
have been enormous-nOt less during the
last twelve or thirteen years than eight
or ten millions OF ilorins. She has done
much to improve the little town, has
built many OF its best houses and opened
a street, which is named in her honor.
But all her property has been mortgaged,
and 1t Is questionable if she now has left,
out Of colossal fortune, more than u
modest independence. She no louger
bets with her former audacity, stalking
roulcaux OF napoleons upon simple
chance, but limits her mise to few
forms, in consequence Of her compare
lively Straitened circumstances. 70 her
more than to any other one person the
Direction is indebted for the large divi.
dends, averaging about twenty per cen.
tum per annum, which 1t pays 10 its
stockholders, after delucting its very
liberal expenses. All the tables nt the
springs are owned in this manner, though,
rs may be presumed, the companies are
npremely close corporations, and tue
shares are no more pnrchasable tlinn tho
correct biography OF Prester John. As
divided.paying stocks they probably
have no rivals in all Europe.
A lionn0 ut Baden is the Princess
Suyarrow, Russian lady Of distinction,
who deyotes herself almost us ZealOusly
to rouge.etnoir in the Conyersationshaus
as the Countess Kissclof docs to roulette
in the Cursaal She must have been ex.
ceedingiy pretty indeed, she is very
good-looking now, although full fiye-and-
forty, il 1t Oe allowable to conjecture n
woman's age, and she still has fine
presence and engaging manners. AL.
ways dressed richly-yollow silk, trim.
med with black lace, is her fayorite CO.'S
tune, setting of her brunette beauty TO
advnntage-and having q really grand
air, she draws the fire Of many glances.
According to general report, she has
played as sad havoc with the funds Of
the Baden bank as she has with the
hearts OF men all the way from Paris to
81. Petersburg, from Constantinople to
Antwerp. She is said to have won rs
much as her notorious country woman
has lost, and she bears tie credit OF hav-
ing again and again exhausted the trea-
sury Of the tailleur. Her reputation us
q lucky player ia dlffused throughout the
grand duchy, aud she is often implored
to make bets for others, as persons be
lieyed fortunate are apt to be. Full Of
bonhomie, she generally yields to per.
suasion, albeit she AYERS she has little
leisure to look iiter other stakes than
her own. She is deemed the best All,
thority on systems in the entire valley Of
0el-bach, and appears to have studied
them to some purpose. L have beenim-
formed that she has thousands Of the
little pricked cards (having noted the
course Of the game for many years. care
fully arranged in her archives according
to date, and that she gives the late hours
Of the night TO their diligent investiga-
ton. She must be q feminine Anastasius,
ifall the on dts conct rning her are to be
trusted. She has been everything and
done everything speaks all languages !
has travelled all over the worlds, in a
word, paragon Of imprudence and en-.
chantmGnt, Of folly and generosity, Of
wickedness and charity, OF tenderness
and temptation. She Is q Greek, n Rus.
sian, IN Italian, Spaniard, and u
French woman; the much fathered
daughter Of q Grand Yizier, Of the Pope
Of Rome, Of tue Emperor William, Of a
Russian admirnl, Of a Spanish grandeo,
aud oI a French geperll. Everybody at
Baden knows something about her no.
body else knows and what each knows
Is altogether different from the general
knowledge OF this singular woman, who
seems pleased with the mystery sur
rounding her, and nowise ayene TO deep.
ening It by continuation Of eccentric