Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-07-02
POOR OARLOTTA.

The long tragedy of Macmillan and Car
lotta, of Mexico, the most picturesque an(
pathetic story in it's way in our times
has not yet reached its close. 1t was ru
mored year ago that the unhappy Car
lotta was at the point Of death, and for a
long time, indeed, her life lowered in the
balance. Those who hold to the Chris
tians hope of another and better life be-
You'd the grave will hardly think it mer-
clful dispensation by which her weary
spirit was denied its rest. The health of
the ex-Empress is now perfect, but her
mental condition 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 converses.
She never utters word to any of her
servants or attendants, and the presence
| of any human being throws her into a
fever OF e1aaaui and vexation Her sister
ln-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 physician
asks after her health, II am very WE'LL"
she replies, and turning away, walks out OF
the room. She manages her whole estab-
lishment, 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 regl-
lar hour and attended to. She draws up
every day the menu for her table, compos-
hight with gastronomic Judgment. and
dimes with a good appetite. If by accident
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 aud
dresses with all her old taste and distinc-
ton, dressing her own hair and dressing
it in the flat ba,adeaaec which were fashion,
able when she last saw her husband and
was with him in the dark hours that pre-
coded the bloody eclipse and midn light Of
Queretaro. Her femme de c5anbre is never
admitted to her toilette; but after pre-
polling uOI UftUll t6uu JGI QICoSGS lGctVOo UIC
room to come back only in the morn
ing. When the weather is fine she walks
in the park-always at II O'clock
always along the same path, and
with d very rapid step. OF course she is
carefully watched by invisible sentinels,
but she has never manifested any DISPOSE
ton to suicide. She plays exquisitely on
the piano, and passes hours in that way.
She paints and draws also extremely well,
and still keeps up this art. The marked
feature Of her case is the absolute horror
which she shows of all company but that
of her visions and her memories. One is
reminded by it of the curiously similar ex-
perience of a very clever German writer,
Justinus Kerner, the author of the ssSeeress
of Prevorst," who used to live absolutely
with what he called 'shis ghosts.'' One of
his friends describes him standing at the
doorway Of a ball room, with detected
face, and saying softly to himself, s:Oh,
me, oh, me! why are not all these pleasant
ghosts?' To this widowed, childless wife,
this exiled and discrowned Empress, what
society OF the living, indeed, could bring
happiness, or peace. or hope?