The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-08-17
The Baroness Jewel Box.
FROM THE GERMAN.

The Baroness Rukavina Eltz was the
most splendid and dashing parsonage in
the Er valley. Her castle near Somlyo
was the finest specimen of great resi-
dence in all that shadow of the Ermel-
lex, and she, Roumanian by birth,
and Hungarian by marriage, seemed
to unite all the brilliant characteristics
of both these picturesque races.
She was widow to begin with, and
since the animal, man, has speculateo
upon the varieties o. the angel, woman.
a widow has been pronounced the most
amiable variety ot the species. Sh,
was very beautiful, tall, hlue-eyed,
black haired. piquant, red and white
with the most scornful little mouth ano
the most delicate profile; her hand and
foot were models, although the latter
was frequently stamped when she war
not pleased. She was in the third
andlast place, as the preachers say
very rich, and had fallen heiress to two
collections of jewels which were almost
fabulously valuable. A brilliant crea-
ture, the baroness. She owned villages
and vineyards, and made large income
every" year from her sale of ruster, a
wine of pale golden hue, which had
as full and peculiar flavor as she had
herself. The baroness sent her wine TO
Vienna, where it was considered almost
equal to Tokay. OF course she had
suitors, the beautiful, sharp baroness.
They came from Pennsylvania and Rus
sia, from Roumania and all Hungary,
from Austria and from the German
municipalities, and as for the unlucky
wretches about Puspoki, and the Behar
settlement, and the country gentlemen
of Erdiozegh, they knelt and worshiped
in vain as she dashed past them ON her
feet thoroughbred, for she was Diana,
as a huntress, and the queen of the
amazons; also her black horse Tetenyer
was said to emit fire from his nostrils
when he stopped to breathe.
This grand lady was afraid of nobody,
loved nobody, had no friends save the
nuns at the foot of the Rez Gebirge and
one old priest who seemed to be deeply
in her confidence. Every year she made
q grand visit somewhere - Vienna
Paris, Rome, London or st. Petersburg
She spent money like water, made
everybody talk, wonder and admire, and
her splendid jewels we're the envy of all
the court ladies.
Yes she was afraid of one man, and
that was her steward, Neusiedler, he
who for years had managed her vast es-
tates, her vineyards and her wheat fields
her fields and fisheries.
Neusiedler was a crouehing, cross
eyed, mean-looking man, married to &
bold, black-eyed, large-nosed woman
who was twice his size, and who lived
in the village, near the castle, and who
spent her time envying and hating the
baroness. Madame Pasteur, the French
companion, and AIatilde, the French
maid, who never left the baroness
thought that Neusiedler and his wife
had the evil eye, and that they would
some day wilt the baroness. But Ruka
vina Eltz laughed at this fear, and KEEP
on her course exultant. Still when the
yearly payday came round, and she haC
to look over accounts with Neusiedler
she did show what she never had showI
before-fear.
Among her jewels was a splendit
rope of pearl-colored pearls, the rares
thing in the whole world, neither blacl
nor white, but pearl color, with three
great emerald pendants, each as large
as a small pear. Inc emperor Away
noticed this jewel with a smile and I
compliment when the Baroness Ruka
vina Eltz went to a court ball at Vienna
He told her that the empress had moth
ing half as handsome, and it is to b,
feared that the emperor spoke also o
the white neck on which the necklac'
rested, for Rukavina Eltz was apt t.
blush and look magnihcently we'll a
such moments. Then she had grea
chains of sapphires as blue as her eyes
and some big rubies which the baroi
had given her (the old baron, twice he
age, who went down into Roumania 70
her when she was ffteen); and she ha'
diamonds, of course-every rich lad,
has diamonds-and a grand boxful O
engraved amethysts and antique gems
Some, that Cardinal Antonelh gave he