Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-11-17
HOW KAISER WILHELM'S SISTER
WAS WON.

The betrothal and marriage of the Prin-
cess Charlotte of Prussia with Nicholas,
who was then only grand duke, but be-
came afterWard Emperor of Russia, forms
one Of the sweetest and most romantic love
episodes in the world of European courts,
which is usually SO devoid of love and ro-
nance, and would, on that account alone,
deserve being remembered, quite regardless
of the historical interest which will hence
forth adhere to all the members of the fam
lily of the conqueror Of France.
Princess Charlotte was born in the year
1898, and was the second daughter of King
Frederick William the Third sof Prussia,
and his beautiful and accomplished wife,
Queen Louisa. Her early childhood elaps-
ed amidst scenes of terror and humiliation
for the royal family of Prussia, and nobody
would at that time have ventured to pre-
dict for her the brilliant career which Prov
idenee kept in store for this child, born and
brought up under such fatal auspices. We
might, indeed, make an exception in favor
of her mother, who, with that prophetic
intuition which seems to have been the dis
tinguishing feature of that high-minded
woman, wrote one day to her father, the
Duke of Mechlenburg, the following lines
about her daughter:
Charlotte is given to silence and re-
serve, but under her apparent GOODNESS she
conceals warm and loving heart. Her
Indifference and pride are but the dull out
side of diamond of the purest water,
which some day viii shine forth in its bril-
liant iustre. Her bearing and manners are
noble and dignifed. She has but few
friends, but these few are warmly attached
to her. know her value, and predict for
her a brilliant future, if She lives long
enough"
The young princess was, indeed, a very
frail and delicate creature-one of those
tender flowers that seem to wait for the
kind hand of the gardner TO transplant
them into a warmer cline. She was charm
ing and handsome; but her beauty was
rather that of pale lily than that of
blooming rose.
Charlotte was Just sixteen when, in the
year 1914, the Grand Duke Nicholas, on
his way to the camp of the allied armies in
France, passed through Berlin, and was
warmly welcomed as an honored guest at
the royal palace.
The description which those who saw
and knew the grand duke at that time,
have given of the Incompatible graces of
his person and mind, makes it easy for US
to imagine that the feart of a young girl
just budding into womanhOod was capti-
yated and charmed by him almost at first
sight. Well he might have said, like Caesar,
81 came, ] saw, conquered The prin-
cess fell in love with him. and fortunately
for her the young grand duke returned her
love fully as passionately. -
The Grand Duke Nicholas had the repu-
tation OF being one of the handsomest, if
not the very handsomest man of his times:
and his majestic and stately form. which
measured no less than six feet and two
inches, was considered uneuualled in beau
ty, not only in Russia, but in all Europe.
He was vigorous, strong, full of life and
health, with broad shoulders and chest,
while his small hands and feet were of the
most anstocratic elegance; his whole fig
ure realized the perfect model of manly
and commanding beauty, which the divine
art OF q sculptor OF antiquity has immor-
tallzed under the features of the Apollo
Belvidere, His features were of the Gre
oiap cast-forehead and. nose formed a
straight Ape-and his large, blue, sincere
eyes showed q singular combination of COM
posure, sternnsss, self-Pelianoe and pride,
among which 1t would have hesn difficult
for the observer to name the predominant
expression Those who would have looked
closely and RttePaVely into those remarka-
bic eyes would have easily believed that
their threateRing glances would suffice to
murderer, or to frighten aWsy a suppli-
CANT; but there would have been but few
to believe that the sternness Of these eyes
could be so entirely softened as to beam
forth nothing but love and kindness
Among these few was, however, the young
Prusslan princess, who had drank deep in
their intoxicating ferYor. It Is true that
she was the only person in the world in
whose presence the Olympian gravity of his
features gave way to q radiant cheerful
meas, which made his manly beauty per-
fectly irresistible.
In sueh moments his magnificent brow,
always the seat Of meditation and thought,
exhibited the Serene beauty and Attic grace
OF young Athenian; the serious Pericles
seemed, Dy The invisible wand Of a magi-
clan, TO have been transformed into the
youthful Aleibiades.
Such Is the tlattering picture which his
eoTemporaries have drawn Of the personal
appearance of the Grand Duke Nicholas at
the time OF his arrival in Berlin.
AT that time, however, the matchless
personal Charms Of the grand duke were not
enhanced by political prospects of the most
exalted Character. He was not even even
tuaily Considered an heir to the Imperial
crown OF Russia. 1t is true, Alexander the
First, his brother, had no children, but in
the case Of his death, which could not be
expected soon, the Grand Duke Constan-
tine was to inherit the throne of Peter the
Great, and to leave to Nicholas vt best but
tne Position of prince of the first blood,
Nevertheless, Frederick William, charmed
alike by the beauty and intellect Of his
guest, and by the hope of uniting the SOW
erelgn houses of Rrussia and Prussia by the
close ties of family union. greeted the pros
peot OF marriage between the grand duke
and his daughter with enthusiasm, espe-