Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-06-11
Poor Carlotta.

The long tragedy of Maxlmlilan and Chaf-
lotte of Mexico, the most picturesque and
pathetic story in its way of our times. has
not yet reached it's close. 1t was rumoryd
"a year ago. that the unhappy Chszlotta xaarnz
the point of death, and fCf q long fi111s
her life hovered in the balance. Those wh0
hold to the Christians hope Of another and :
better life beyond the grave will hardly think
it a merciful dspensaton by which her weary
spirit was denied its rest. The health OF the
ex-Empress if now perfect; but her mental con-
dition is inexpressibly strange and sad. She
is in the world, but not of it. She believes
herself to be continually surrounded by beings
Of another sphere, with whom she alone COR
verses.
She never utters a word to any of her SER
wants or attendants, and the presence of any
human being throws her into fever OF ennsi
and vexaton. Her sister-in-law, the Queen Of
the BelgianS comes once more to visit her, in
company with her physician. The ex-Empress
receives them with cold courtesy. The physi-
clan asks after her health. 81 am very WELL"
she replies, and turning away, walks out Of the
room. She manages her whole establishment,
which is worthy of her exalted rank, at the
palace of Lacken, by letter. There is a Mosaic
table in one of the grand saloons on which
every day she lays down her commands in
writing. These notes are taken by the servants
at regular hour and duly attended to. She
composing it with good gastronomic Judgment,
and dimes with good appetite. If by acci-
dent any dish which she orders is not served,
she makes a note of the fact the next day, but
never with one word of complaint She is very
careful with her toilette and dresses with all
her old taste and distinction, dressing her own
hair and dressing it in the fiat bandeauz which
were fashionable when she last saw her husband
and was with him in the dark hours that pre-
ceded the bloody eclipse and midnight of Quer-
etaro Her femme de chdmJre is never admitted
to her toilette but after preparing her bath
and her dresses leaves the room to come back
only in the morning. When the weather is
| fine she walks in the park-always at ii clock,
always along the same path, and with very
rapid step. OF course she is carefully watched
by invisible sentinels, but she has never mani-
| tested any disposition to suicide. She plays
exquisitely on the piano, and passes hours in
| in that way. She paints and draws also ex-
tremely well, and still keeps up this art. The
mark ed feature of her case is the absolute horror
which she shows of ali company but that of
her visions and her memories. One is remind
ed by it of the curiously similar experience of
a very clever German writer, Justinus kerner,
the author of the "Sceress of Prevorst," who
used to live absolutely with what he called Ibis
ghosts One of his friends describes him
standing at the doorway of ball room, with
detected face, and saying softly to himself,
| 'Oh me, oh me! Why are not all these pleas
| ant ghosts?' To this widowed, childless wife,
this exiled and discrowned Empress, what soci-
ETY. of the living, indeed, could bring happiness,
or peace, or hope?