The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-03-01
A Romance In Real Life

To Louisiana, in the beginning Of
the last century, came an old German
emigrant, with his only daughter, and
settled there. She was young and
very beautiful, and attracted much
attention, especially that of one Dau-
band, all officer of the colony, who so
ingratiated himself with her father
that, after a time, they kept house
together. This officer had been in
Russia; and what first struck him,
upon seeing the young lady, was the
very remarkable eseInblance which
she bore to the late wife of the Gar
owitz Alexis, son of Peter the Great
The history Of this princess had been
q very sad one. Though high born
lady, and sister-in-law to the Emper-
or Charles VI, she had been treated
by her husband with as much brutal
ity as though she had been his slave.
He had attempted OH more than one
occasion to make way with her by
poison and at last he had struck her
with such violence, when far. gone
with child, that he had caused the
death Of both herself and her infant.
All the courts had gone into mourning
for her, and everybody but her hus-
band lrad pitied her unhappy fate.
After great lapse of time the Caro-
witz himself died and to Dauband's
watchful eyes it seemed that the in
telligence of that princes decease was
received by his fair fellow lodger with
such suspicious interest and excite
ment that he taxed her with being
that exalted, but unhappy lady, whom
all The world held to be dead and
buried. If such were the case, he
declared himself devoted to her SER
vice, and prepared to at once sacrifice
his prospects in the colony, in order
to escort her to Russia.
Then Charlotte Christina Sophia de
Woolfenbuttel (for such had been her
maiden name) narrated her pitiful
story. She was, indeed, the person
age he had imagined her to be, and
had made use Of q pious fraud to es-
cape from the cruelties 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 of the Russias, whom.
she carried with her), but she had, in
truth, recovered from it. By the help
of Countess konigsmark, mother of
Marshall SAKE, she gained over the
woman of her bed chamber, SO that it
was given out that she was no more,
and funeral was arranged accord
ingly. Then, being conveyed to a
secret place, she was carefully tended,
and when strong enough removed, Ill
TIC gnise Of y sersant girl, to Paris,
under the guardianship Of a trnsty
German servant, who passed as her
father and finally from France to Lou
isiana.
Having heard her story, Dauband
renewed his devoted offer to furnish
the means Of her return to that sphere
from which she had fled under such
piti1ble circumstances; 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, and CON-
duet himself toward her exactly as he
had hitherto done for the future. He
endeavored to obey her in both re-
speets, but his affection for her was
stronger than his loyalty; he was
young and handsome, as well as inn
pressionablc, and perhaps the ex-Prln-
cess, on her part, was not sorry when,
her pretended father dying, and it be-
ing NO longer possible for Dauband
and herself to he under the same roof
without reproach. he offered himself
to her as IL husband. If she had re-
ally renouncel all thoughts Of resum-
ing her rank, he argued, why should
she not wed an honest man, who loved
her7 Though not Il queen, in him sfie
should ever have a devoted subject.
She consented; and i'll doing so at
forded one of the strangest examples
Of vicissitude of fortune that history
has recorded-the marriage with an
humble officer of infantry to one who
had been destined for the throne of
Russia. and whose sister was actually
occupying that Of Austria. The mar
riage was a happy one, and bore fruit
in an only daughter.
After ten years Dauband, being
troubled with. some disorders which
the practitioners in Louisiana could
not cure. removed with his family to
Paris to get the best medical advice,
and on his recovery solicited and OBJ
tained from the government an APP
pointment in the Isle Of Bourbon.
While in Paris the wife and daughter
went to walk in the Tuileries, and
conversipg in German, were over
heard by Marshal SAKE, who stopped
to consider them. Nine. Dauband's
embarrassment confirmed his suspic-
ions, and his recognition of her was
complete. She drew him aside, and
persuaded him to promise secrecy.
He called OH her, however, the next
day and often afterward, and when
she had departed for Bourbon in
formed the King, his master, OF what
he had discovered. Orders were sent
off to the island that the greatest re-
spect should be paid to her, and the
r Il l.