The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-08-21
THE SHRINE OF PEARLS,
A ROMANCE OF THE STAGE.

|
, Louis, of Bavaria, with the beautiful
Mademoiselle Mendel, the actress, o
Augsburg, gave new aim to the the
atrical ambition Of the ladies of til.
Paris boards. The visit made by thu
Empress Elizabeth to the beautifu
castle of lake Stalmberg, where the
newt married couple resided, became
the talk of every green-room in Europe
1t WAS reported in the cOukisSes of the
theatres that her Austrian majesty was
the great promoter of the marriage, the
story commenced with her brothers
courtship being romantic enough to
excite the strongest interest in her kind
womanly heart, aud making it forgetful
Of all distinction of rank. where an
equal share of love and delicacy had
been displayed by both the lovers.
Mademoiselle Mendel, VINO had pre-
served her reputation unsulIied amid all
the perils and temptations of theatrical
life, was considered the most lovely
woman in Germany, and in her private
circle, as we'll us in her public life, was
the admiration of all who had the pleas
ure of knowing her. Her beauty is of
| the true German type, of the peculiar
| fairness beheld in no other country
| golden hair in soft silky masses, with
| out the smallest tinge of auburn-pure
gold, unburnished a complexion deli
| cate as the inner petals of the rose-pale
pink, scarcely ever seen IN nature, and
almost impossible to produce by arti-
fetal means; lips of deep carnation ::
teeth small and exquisitely white, and
eyebrows of the darkest brown, with
eyes of the deepest blue.
All this made such an impression on
the heart of Duke Louis, that, from the
moment he first beheld her at the
Munich Theatre, he vowed himself to
the worship of this old idol. But Made
moiselle Mendel was valiant in defence
OF her reputation, and, aware of the
responsibility incurred by great talent.
esIsted every overture, even that of
marriage, on the part of the duke, we'll
knowing, as she did. that it was entirely
out OF his power to contract any alliance
OF the kind, as much was expected of
him by his family.
was in the habit of wearing q velvet
collar with clasp, ornamented by
single pearl of great value, which had
been presented to her by the king of
Saxony and in order to quell all hope
of success in the bosom of her royal
admirer, she declared to him one day
that she had made vow to bestow her
heart and hand on him alone who could
match this single pearl with as many
Others as would form the whole neck
lace. The declaration was made laugh
ingly, for the fair creature knew well
enough that the duke, living fully up to
the whole of his income, which was but
mediocre for his rank, could never &C
complish this herculean task !; and she
laughed more merrily still when she
beheld the expression of his counte- |
nance at the announcement she had
made. But soon afterward she heard |
that the duke had sold his horses and
broken up his establishment, and had
gone to live in the strictest retirement |
in quite a small cottage belonging to
his brothers park.
That very night, when about to place |
the velvet band upon her neck, she |
found to her great surprise, that Sec
ond pearl had been added to the clasp. |
She knew well enough whence it came,
and smiled sadly at the loss of labor she |
f"lt sure that Duke Louis was mourning |
for loves sake. -by-aegrees the velvet
band became covered with pearls, all of I
them as fine as the one bestowed by the
king of Saxony, until one evening great
was the rumor in Augsbonrgh. The
fair Mendel had been robbed while on
the stage, Invested of all ornament in
the prison scene, as Bettina Won Arm
stedt, her dressing-room had been en-
tered, and the velvet band, with its row
Of priceless pearls, had disappeared
from the toilet table. The event was SO
and her nerves were SO shaken,
that in spite of the assurance of the
chief polio, magistrate. who happened
TO be in the theatre at the moment, that
ce was sure to find the thief in very
short time, for he had the clue already,
poor Mademoiselle Mendel was SO over i
come by grief that her memory fe;fsd
Ter entirely, SO that returpi-s TO the
tage not word could sLe remember OF !
Ter part.
The audjence waited some time in
at the silence maintained
" their favorite actress the actress
.azed at the audience in piteous en-
'arrassment, until, by sudden in
piration, and almost mechanically in :
Iced, she remembered that she had tie !
ehearsal copy of the play in the pocket 8
f the apron of her costume. She drew :
forth without hesitation, and began to a
cad from it with the greatest self pos +
ession imaginable. At first the audi
nee knew not whether to laugh or be
ngry but presently memory, pathos,
of all but her art, returned
0 her, and, in the utterance of one of
he most impassioned sentiments of her !,
peech, she flung tho rehearsal copy Z
lto the orchestra, and went on with her =
art without pause or hesitation until 1
he conclusion of the piece, the prompt :,
RS aid even not being once required. :,
The applause was SO tremendous on !.
er recovering her memory, that the .
reat monster chandelier i'll the centre
L.
on. But on her return to her dress
lg-room the excitement proved too .
luch, and sue tainted away, On COM
lg back to consciousness it was to find
'nke Louis of her feet, and the chief
fficer of police standing at her side, .
iddipg her take courage, for the pre-
ous pearls had been found.
"Where are they?" she exclaimed. !:
Are you sure that ncue are missing =? II
lave none been stolen p
Dake Louis then clasped around her -
eek the string of pearls, complete at Ii
lst, no longer sewn on the velvet band,
ut strung with symmetry and fastened
18th a diamond clasp. What more
Duld be done by the devoted lover
[e had spared neither pains nor sacri- l,
ce to attain his end, and Mademoiselle
[endel consented to become his wife.
he empress of Austria appears to have
cen SO much moved by the story, that o
le suggested the nomination of the n
ride elect to the title of Baronesse de y
7allersee, which thus equalized the o
INK of the lovers, and enabled to marry
ithout any difficulty. They live the - !,
ost happy and retired life possible in y
leir pretty little chateau on Lake u
where the empress of Austria :,
talv visited Them u
They say the Dnchess Louise of u
avaria never puts off, night or day, the y
ecklace of pearls, the clasp of which
le had riveted the morning after its
by the duke, and that in
of this popularity she is
nown all through the country round by IL
le name of the Fairy Perlina, from u
10 old Gerrlan tale of the Manic Pearl. | 4,