The Indiana State sentinel., 1878-11-13

TIE Unhappy Love and Untimely End
Of Joseph Second OF Austria.

in the magnificent palace of her husband, on
st. Stephens terrace, in Vienna, at an early
hour in the afternoon Of the 18th Of Decem-
Der, 1879, would have witnessed there a tru-
ly starting spectacle. The princess, a most
voluptuous looking woman Of thirty-three,
sat on a crimson velvet diya1. Her lips were
glued to the forehead of q tall, Intellectual
looking gentleman, who was kneeling before
her. He held her beautiful hands In his
own, and was sobbing convulsively.
Joseph! Poor JosephI' she exclaimed,
kissing him again and sgaIn. "Calm your
self"
"Oh, Mary, 1 am so unhappy
"Am happy, Joseph"
"Ah, the whole world adores you, Mary,
but II am detestedr'
No, no, Joseph, you are not. OF course
you have enemies, immortality awaits
you'll"
Immortality" he exclaimed bitterly. "Is
that q consolation for broken hearth"
He rose to his feet, dried his eyes, and,
folding his hands on his back, began pacing
the room. The princess looked half loving
ly, half compasionately at him. For a few
moments he seemed to be buried in profound
thought. Then he said, his splendid eyes
lighting up with the fire of inspiration:
MARY, dearest, let me for once unbosom
myself to you. / loved you tenderly ever
since L saw you, 1 asked my mother to per-
NIT me to marry you"
Dld you, Joseph. sne interrupted, with
glistenIng eyes.
II did; but Maria Theresas pride rebelled
against her eldest son wedding the poor
daughter of Count Lobkowitz. implored
her on my bended knees to comply with the
fondest wish of my heart, but she turned a
deaf ear to my supplications. She married
you off in hot haste to old Prince Lchten-
stein, and left in my heart void that was
never filled"
He sat down by her side. She looked low
ingly up to him.
"Since then," be continued, gloomily,
'my whole life has been a failure"
"You are mistaken"
Mistaken No, am not All my meas
ures have been unsuccessful. / tried to
make my subjects the freest people on earth,
and the reforms inapgurated were spurned
by them. Everybody hates me-the aristoc-
racy, the clergy, the peasantry, all are down
on me. Is 1t a wonder that l am wretched
manP
He drew long sigh.
"The most powerful emperor on earth"
he cried, bitterly, ''and the most wretched
monarch that ever lived"
Joseph" said the Princess Lichtenstein,
"you look at things in too sombre light"
Suddenly she uttered a scream OF terror.
He looked at her in surprise.
What is the NATTER he asked.
Joseph" she cried, passionstely-"Jo-
seph, you are poisoned; you are slowly but
Poisoned Dyingp' he said, in amaze
ment.
'I see it from your eyes DR.. Magnizzi,
the learned Italian physician, told me the
symptoms of slow poisoning. Your eyes are
turning green when you get excited"
You must be mistaken, Mary. True,
have been quite sick, but feel better"
May send DR.. MagnIzzi to you? Pray
let me do so, Joseph" she exclaimed, i'm
ploringly.
For minute he hesitated Then he said: /:
'I dislike to have too much to do with
doctors, but as you ask me to see him you
may send him to me tonight at o'clock.
Tell him to gay that he comes from you.
My valet will then bring him to me at
once"
He embraced her tenderly and then left
the room. The princess burst into tears after
he had left her.
"And this will be the wretched end Of the
great Emperor Joseph the Second?" she
sobbed.
Yes, 1t was this emperor who was too en-
lightened for his age. As he was walking to
the Holberg palace he met crowd who
cursed his reforms. He sighed, and hurried
| on to his apartments.
DR.. Magnizzi, the Italian physician, called
upon him at the appointed time. He exam
ined the emperor a long time, and his face
hSSuIucQ y cOIIONlul cApTcsclOu.
shall tell your majesty the truth?' he
asked at last.
Yes
"Well, then, sire, settle your earthly af
fairs. You have but a few weeks more to
live"
The emperor stared at him incredulously.
"What makes you think so?' he asked.
"a slow poison, subtle, deadly drug has
been administered to you"
"Give me the .proofsl''
'The color of your face, Of your finger
nails, your eyes, show ii, sire."
who could have administered the poison
to me2"
81 can not tell"
sis there no remedy"
The doctor shook his head saying:
THE evil has progressed too far already"
"No chance for me, then"
None"
Joseph drew from his finger a diamond
ring and handed it to the doctor. Here is
your honorarium for your terrible revela-
tion," he said with bitter smile.
May give your majesty one piece OF ad-
yice2'
Speak, doctor"
well, then, sire, eat nothing at this
palace. 1 have been told that you like to
roam about your capital In disguise. Why
not take your meals at some humble restau-
rant? They say that you are no epicure."
The emperor promised this, and dismissed
the doctor Joseph passed wretched night
after what he had heard. Next day he woke
up in feverish condition. He grew worse
and worse during the next few days, and his
death was believed to be imminent. Early
in February, however he rallied and became
apparently so well that he rode out. He
visited the Princess Lichtenstein, and told
her sanguinely that he was about to recover.
But next day he had relapse, and after an
agony of nearly two weeks he died.
His death showed the people of Vienna
what they had lost in him. They focked to
the Hofburg to view his remains. The
Princess Lichtenstein did not leave the bier
until the corpse of him who had loved her
so well had been deposited in the vault of
the Church of the Capuchins.