, 1875-07-25
'she suffered so much sorrow. II not that the
impression it msla mon You =

'sha suffered SO much sorrow. Il not that the
impression it made upon you7"
11eplied in tha affirmative, and, apropos to the
Empress mode Of life, I told my visitor strange
and Interesting story l had hesSd that morn
ing, Of lady Who had soms fatal gnef which
had swept away from her ali human hope and
bs'p. She WIS woman OF fortune. high cn1-
ture. learned, indeed she was singularly alone
in life all her near relatives were dead She
was about IS years OF aga, She lived in an eis-
| zal1tIy furnlzhed apartment; ono OF the rooms
| was fine library; all on uue fiat, en- suite 40
| is common in European houses- She dlsmassea
| her servants, for thirty wears refused 10 hoio
auv intercourse with society. and lsd N entlresg
| SOLITARY life Every morning conhdoot1a.
servant came and entered door that was ie't
| unlocked ut certain hour. She went into tue
bedroom aud put 1t in Older. also tue d'nlng~
ROOM removed the dishes OF the rTecealng osy'
and Aeed ON the sable the food for the 6uccceo-
,1enty-four hours. but she never saw hes nils"
treBs. Written orders. made II Tue conc'ses'r
ciearest form, we're left from time to tlmo On the
dining or dresspg-table. Through these orders
all business waB directed ana everything Rno-
yided that was needed by the feeiuse. The
whole suite OF rooms, except the dining, slaep.
ing. and dressing-rooms, renamed strictly closed
for thirty years People talked great dcal at
first. much curiosity and xonder was expressed,
but in time other wonders appeared,
and the laly and her solitary life we're
forgotten. The original confidential ee1vant in
course Of time died, and another roliable person
succeeded to the post, but nothing changed The
habits OF the ladv,-Fhe was never sean BY Auy
morning the serYaut found the bed undistu1bed,
the food untouched! She forced the doors and
searched for her mistress. She passed through
= long succession Of rooms which presented
most strange appearance thick bed OF dust
lay on every article OF furpiturs, sient cover.
HH nj
through the rooms vas narrow. direct path
that led to the end room or library, path swept
clean by the loug trailing garments Of
that solitary woman in her daily wals OF thirty |
wears. It swe1ved neither to tho right nor to
the left The servant followed The strange path |
to the library. There she found her mistress |
seated at reading table in high backed chair; |
her hands were folded peacefully in her lap, her |
head was leaning back. the sad. worn old face |
was calm and still. She bad. At lass, gone to |
Homer and Virgil; they seemed to be The only
books she had re.d, Is the others on the shelves
we're bound with the dust Of years. There WAS
not one written line or word left. The solitary
thirty years had ended, as they had baen
lived, in solemn silence. The sosrowing |
woman At last knew the Great Secret,
xhich told her why she had been called to
suffer fuch keen mortal anguish that had
snapped all bonds between her aud her kind.
When heard this story it affected Jne deeply,
mention Of that long path leading tho ougl soil
ary rooms and which had been kept free from
be silent droprines o: dust through cycles Of
'e.rs by the solemn steps OF the suffering, lone
= wonaa-the ONLY record Of her sotudsi This
eatur6 in the recital WAS as ghostlv baud, |
racing on space rome mysterious aud ineIplica-
lie design Of snrrow.
When had finished this story nv friend said,
rith a tiue sarcastic smile: ''Yes, this is verv
fecting: bu: must bring ourselves back to
arth with stern raalities. All such stories are
ab!es, aud no sl eater fable is there than this
ne published of tho poor Empress OF
ie1sco. 1t is pfous fable, however
reated by her friends in order to throw
round her last days An air Of decorous dignity
bat does not exist. Their LOVING care for her
1am9ry induces them to send foF.h this sbeauti-
nj romance of an imaginary daiIv life, led by
eautiFul, sterply sorroWful and refined wonan.
wish it were true, hnt unhappi}v the reality is
8 revolving as the ROMANCE IS attractive. The
Impress, iustead Of being better in health, is
'orse, and her death. it il believed, is closo at
and. For some timh her insanity has taken
ne most british form. 8he never leaves her
ed, and has all tie nab1.a OF Ri animal. The
oor Queen OF Belgium has been Unable for ito |
ears to bear the disgusting sight OF the unhap-
, CaTlotta, but now. Al she cannot last many
lonths, the Que4n goes constantly to her. This
thA Esd trrth - |