National Republican., 1875-07-23
THE WIDOW OF MAxrMILIAE.
Life Ebbing Away-Hopelsssly Insane

Lie Eoolng AWay-Aopelessly Insane.
Anne Brewster In one of her charming letters
to the Philadelphia Bulletin gives this account of
the present condition Of "Poor Csrlo.ta," late
Empress of Mexico:
"a month or SIX weeks past there appeared In
several Of the European journals an extremely
interesting account Of the poor Empress Car
lotta. II has been reprinted, see, In the Ameri-
can newspapers. was talking OF this account
lately with parsonage who knows q great deal
OF European courts and the private affairs Of
given Of the present life and habits Of he E@,
press leads one to believe that she. is no longer
insane; she may be melancholy, but she has her
reason, and Ia sternly refusing to hold communi-
cation with the outside wOsld, in which she
suffered SO much sorrow. Is not that the impress
sion it made upon your
the Empress's mode Of life, told my visitor a
strange and interesting story had heard that
morning Of lady who had had some fatal grief
and help. She was a woman of fortune, high
culture, learned, indeed; she was singularly
alone in life; all her near relatives were dead.
She was about thirty-hve years Of age. She
lived in an elegantly furnished apartment; oae
Of the rooms was fine library. all on one fat,
dismissed her servants, for thirty years refused
to hold any intercourse with society, and led an
entirely solitary life.
Every morning confidential servant entered
door that was left unlocked at . certain hour,
She went into the bedroom and put It In order.
also the diningroom, removing the dishes Of the
for the succeeding twenty -four hours; but she
never saw her mistress. Written orders made In
the concisest cearest form, were LETT from timet to
time on the dining or dressing table. Through
these orders all business was directed and every
thing was provided that was needed by the re-
eluse; The whole suite OF rooms, except the din
deal at trst bat in time the lady and her solitary
want died, and another person succeeded to the
post, but nothing changed the habits Of the lady;
she was never seen by any one. Thirty years
went BY. Then one morning the servant found
the bed undisturDed, the food untouched. she
forced the doors and searched for her mistress.
She passed through long succession Of rooms.
niture, a silent covering over carpets and floors.
But straight through the rooms was Q narrow, d.
rect path 70 the end room or rliorary-apath swept
tary woman In her daily walk OF thirty yeara II
swerved neither to the right nor to the left. The
TSsrs sbs ounS SsE msls pssn 70
table in high-bscked chair. Her hands were
folded peacefully in her lap, her head was leaning
back. The sad, worn old face was calm and still.
She had. at last, gone to that o.her solitude,
Death.
seemed TO be the only books she had read IS the
others on the shelves were bound with the dust
Of years. There was not one written line or word
len; Ine solitary thirty years had ended, as they
woman at last knew the Great Secret, which told
her why she had been called to suffer such keen
tween her and her kind.
"After had finished this story my friend said,
with Q 1ne, sarcastic, smile: Yes, this is very
affecting; but We must bring ourselves back 70
earth with stern realities. III such stories are
fables and no greater fable is there than this one
published Of the poor Empress Of Mexico. It Is
pious fable, however, invented BY her friends to
throw around her last days an air Of decorous dig
nifty that does not exist Their loving care for her
romance Of an Imaginary daily lie, led By beau.
tiful, sternly sorrowful, and refined woman.
wish II were true, but unhapily the reality Is as
revolving as the romance Is attractive. The En-
press, instead Of being in better health is worse
and her death, 1t fs believed Is at hand. For
some time her insanity has taken the most british
form. She never leaves her bed, and has all the
habits Of an animal. The poor Queen of Belgium
has been uHable, for two years, to bear the dis
gusttng sight OF unhappy Carlotta; but now, as
she cannot live many months, the Queen goes
constantly to her. This Is the sad truth"