Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-18
"THE FELIOW's1 LOVE STORY.
BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY.

'No, don't care so much for staying in
/ Germany, now," said my friend Lyndsay
RoundelI to me the other day, as We sat
after dinner, we two alone, in the window
of little hotel overlooking the Thames.
We had not met for some years, and now
having CHANGED to meet in London, he on
returning from the Italian port where he
had been British Consul, and having Just
come back from the United States, we eel
ebrated our reunion by a quiet dinner to-
gether. When we used to meet more often
and were a little younger, we were both
passionate lovers of German literature,
music, philosophy, scenery and wines
Naturally, then, we had been talking Of
Germany.
mo- he repeated, 81 don't care so
much about staying in Germany any more
l always hurry through. l know all about
United Germany, and its greatness, and IFS
victories, and that sort Of thing, and it's
splendid, Of course. am glad of it, you
know; but it's little like a fellow who is
glad that some girl he loved when he was
young had grown a grand lady and mar
ried an earl. Delighted. Of course, and all
that; but she isn't our Lizette any more. /
spent night or two in Berlin lately, and
went to an evening party-had to. 1t was
given by friend, a mo1es- professor. l
tell you there was as much show and sham,
as much jewelry and rustling silks, and
bare shoulders, and footmen, and airs and
tOmfoolery, as If it were in Paris under the
empire.
q fear-I fear that years are telling on
you, Rounded. You are becoming an old
fogy."
Il suppose so. But these people used
to be so simple, so sweet, and hOmely,
when l used to visit Berlin first. Tell you
what, l used to like the little courts Of the
tiny princess. It's shame, l suppose, but
l used to like them. Say what you will,
these little courts had flavor of antique
chivalry and old romance about them"
g Had they? l confess l never could see
it. l thought them ridiculous little hum
bugs"
-"Well, and you are right enough, from
the point of view taken by the journalist
and the practical politician. But why
don't you take a look at them from the
romancist's stand pointY
+" Because l can't imagine any romance
clinging around such formal, dry, and
dusty pedantries Did you ever hear of
the romance of the Master Of the Ceremo-
nies? Can you imagine Gold Stick in
Waiting the hero Of thrilling love storyT
Roundell only sent a column of smoke
over his head into the blue ether, and was
silent. After a silence of moment or two
he said: Did you see in the papers the
death of the Grand Duchess of Liebesheimp
"No, l didn't observe. The old Grand
Duchess?"
'Oh, no, the young one-the wife of the
Grand Duke-l mean the fellow who was
Grand Duke until Bismarck sponged him
off the slate"
O. didn't see. Where did she def"
die?"
'' Young to die-yes. But she was not
exactly chicken, you know. Let me see.
When was it we saw her at Liebesheim
at her marriage festivals? In '52, wasn't it?
Well, you see, twenty years"
- Yes, yes, Of course; but | always think
of her as young. How beautiful she looked
then!"
"She did. She seemed charming
woman. l only saw her twice-the day
when her husband brought her out into the
balcony TO bow to the crowd, and once at
the court ball, for which some good natured
functionary-I forget who it was-kindly
got me ticket"
''She is dead-so soon," my friend re-
marked, thoughtfully.
uld not quite understand his emotion.
was sorry the Grand Duchess should be
dead, II she particularly wished to live; but
one must be great devotee Of royalty to feel
profound grief at the death Of princess
Whom ne saw twice, in q crowd, and at q
distance, twenty years ago. 1t surprised
me, 10 md my friend so deeply concerned
for the extinction Of any royalty, seeing