Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-26

writer's OF his time. OF late
years the hand Of death
and misfortune has been heavy
on the family. The duke Of Chew.
reuse was killed by q fall from his
borre In 1864. His elder son, who
served In the Pontifcial Kousves, was
killed while leading q battalion Of
Mobiles In the war Of 1871 The
| younger son, whose widow has jusi
died, never recovered from the effect,
OF the same severe campaign In which
he wal wounded. Their sister died
suddenly. Their mother, the duchss,
OF O~hevreuse, who still survives, Il IN
energetic, ambitious and ~implioabl.
little woman, . devotee Ia religion,
and perhaps alno slightly deranged
through her misfortunes. Her son'i
marriage with the beautiful and dash.
ings Sophie Galitiztn, . daughter Of
the Prince Augustin, who sacrificed
an estate Of $140, 900 o year by abjur.
Ing the Greek faith for the Catholic,
was o sore trial for the duchess Two
women could not very we'll be I'm
sgined who we're less likely to get on
together. The bride WAS gay-almost
wild-hiIh tempered, fond Of society
and hunting; the mother.in.law austere
and impatient of opposition. As for
the husband, the last spark Of his
ancestral energy seems to have burned
itself out during the campaign against
the Prussisns, and he has been repre-
scented as 30 lazy that he took his meals
and was shaved In bed, and only
abandoned the blankets to 20 to
chapel under his mothers watchful
eye.
1t Is not quite q year since tho
''duel Of the duchesses" scandalized
French society. Had they been fsh.
wives instead Of representatives Of
two of tho great families of France
and Russia they could not have abused
each other more %virulently, and,
whichever side was to be believed,
the revelations Of aristocratic life were
even less savory than those that crosn-
actions FOR assault aad battery are
accustomed to provoke In q police
court In . disreputable neighborhood,
The duke sof Chaulnes had died and
the custody Of his children had been
lntrusted to their grandmother; for
their possession his widow commended,
alleging q ssries Of prosecutions and
outrages that did not yield In theiu
romantic and thrilling character to
anything recorded In the literature Of
the inquisition. The young duchess
alleged that she was shut up In . ooun-
try mansion and nsgged p~erpetuslly;
that when sick 1t was not her mother.
in.law's fault II she recovered, and
that the elder lady, maddsnsd at hsr
sons marriage, infamed his mind With
suspicious and did her utmost to oom-
promise her daughter. in-law. The
duke was induced to. depart on the
alleged voyage, which has furnished
an incident for tho plots Of how many
novels and dramas, and re.
turning unexpectedly at night
proceeded to "draw" his
wife's apartments, accompanied
by all the Inmates OF the chateau,
guests and servants, afterwards com
polling her to appear In the hall and
upon her knees confess her in6delity
and plead for the forgiveness of which
she was unworthy. On another COCA
sion the young duchess was awakened
from her beauty. sleep to behold tho
alarming spectacle Of n priest at the
head Of her bed and a second ut Its
foot. They duly prayed over It's
startled occupant, and stood aside
while the old duchess produced q pS.
por and babe her sign or die. Nine
de Chauines sprapg from her . couch
and fled towards the door, but her
husband appeared at the portal to cut
off her retreat with o cooked revolver,
and she had to sign the document and
declare herself unworthy to have the
charge of her children. Aud when her
husband Was dying, despite his
wiahes and her frel zied ploaaings,
she was refused the last sorrowful
priviledge of closing his eyes, and
thrust from the gates psnniless and
friendless. The young duchess did
not deny having signed the oompro'
missing documents, but insisted tina,
her will had been forced by threats oi
death, and she gave the final romantic
touch to her case by attempting the
abduction Of her children. Aided BY
= gentleman who was said to have de
clared his passion for her and to hav,
received the promise of her hand Ant
heart - soon a. he had comprised th,
rescue Of the little ones from theil
gorgon grandmother, and provided
faithful maid servant and . retainer
ahrouded In an ample cloak, to stea
the children, q closed carriage with re
lays Of horses being In readiuenss, ant
a fishing. smack awaiting the party
arrival at the sesshore. The plot
However, m~ircarried.
, One story is prcverbially good unit
another hos been told, and when tn,
duchess Of Chevreuse came to put II
her evidence she alleged the existenct
OF an altogether different state c
things. She insisted that the youn,
duchess was too much occupied will
her numerous lovers to pay any atten
ton to her children, and that one o
these lovers had been chased by tn
servants, but had escaped through hi
teetness OF foot. He was q pruden
swain, as appeared from the fact tina
he rugged a rope to the window Of tn
chateau so as to escape the NOR
readily, and that he put on a pair O
rustic boots that his footsteps on tn
snow might not betray him. Hi
i gloves, handkerchief and love letter,
however, remained AZ trophies. TIL
young duchess was describe,
as knocking her children about,
and ven turning them out Of bed /
make room for her dogs; she was &C
'cused of consuming great quantitie