Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-21
The Wife Of Two Husbands.

Chicago Tribune.I
Empress Eugene, the matchmaker
OF two hemispheres, persuaded Countess
Valentine de Chimsy, beautiful, good
and rich, to marry tie Prince de Beauf-
fremont, handsome, bad and poor. The
! only points on which the two agreed
were good looks and youth. These
proved insufficient to keep them to-
gether. The prince went on the Next
can expedition; the princess stayed at
home, led sIO.less life, and wrote him
long letters which he did not take the
trouble to answer. When he returned,
she went to BTest to meet him. But he
had already started for Paris. She par-
sued him there, only to fluid that ne had
left for his chateau. He wrote thence
his first latter to her, after an absence of
two years. 1t was composed of these
touching words:
Madame: What have yoa done with my
shirts? don't find them in the drmoire.
When the two fiaally met in Paris, 1t
was only to separate. The prince began
q scandalou3 life. The princess sued
for q separation. JC took her seven
years to gain it. The French law DOES
not recognizes divorces, go that neither
party could legally marry again, even
after the separation de corps had been
decreed. But meanwhile the princess
had fallen ia love with Prince George
Bibesco, of Moldavis Wallachia, and
was bound to marry him. Having the
will, she found the way. A very devious
way it was. She moved to Dresden
and had herself nsturalized as Saxon.
Then she got an absolute divorce from a
Dresden court. There was now no OBJ
stecle to- her civil marriage, outside of
France. But a religious difficulty re-
manned. The Catholic church repudi-
atts divorce. The pope would not sane
ton a remarriage. The Princess de
Beauffremont received the news calm
ly, abjuIed Romanism forthwith, and
became member Of the Greek church.
The Greek priest at Dresden, a native
Russian, baptized her, and said he
would perform the marriage service for
her, provided the emperor of the Russias
would give his consent. That pOtentste
had the case laid before him and made
no objection. Everything was legal, as
far az Russian laws and Greek Catholic
rules were concerned. The. religious
marriage was promptly performed in
Dresden, and the civil marriage followed
it at the Wsllachian legation in Paris.
The Russian minister attended the cere-
mony and signed the contract. And yet
the Princess Bibesco is still the Princess
Besufffemont in France. French law
and Catholic lay give her one husband;
the Greek church and the rest Of Europe
give her another. She is the wife of two
men. Her position in France is unique.
She is liable to prosecution for higamy,
and can be, it il said, extrsdicted from
any other civilized country to which
she may fles. Her first husband can
take possession OF their two children,
even if the latter should wish to remain
with their mother. If she has any
children by her second husband, they
will be legally known by the name of
De Beauffremont, not Btbesco. II the
courts should grant them the latter
name, it would make them illegitimate
and incapable Of inheriting any part of
their mothers immense fortune.
Finally, if Madame BIB. should ever
decide ID go back to the first B the
second would be helpless. So this wife
has the choice, in France, Of her two |
husbands. Possible pOlyandry is intro
duced upOn the soil of Europe