Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-13
Schneider and Bionne.
The Grand Duehsss' Troubles With Her
Hush band.


Husband.
Paris Correspondence New, Orleans Picsyune.l
Speaking of singing reminds me of the n.y.
meneal troubles of tia Grande Duchesse de
Gerolstein,' of the ''Bslle Helene" or, to
come down from the comic creations of Of
fenbach, of Hortsnss Schneider that was.
One fine morning two years ago Hortense
was married Her ''Blue Beard" was Mr..
Bionne and all tho world was astonished.
The honeymoon rose and set, and a year
after the marriage the courts of Florence pro-
nouneed separation do corps" between
Boulette and Barbe Bleue. But the decision
not being in Schneider's favor she has ap-
pealed from this transalpine judgment to
French justice, and her reasons for doing so
are best told in her own words 'tIt has
been three years." she said, "since had the
sorrow of losing my Sister. I was alone in
the world, and no longer having the consola-
tions of the stage, went to pay a visit to an
old friend Of my family living at ,Mslakof
near Vanves. Fatality ordered that M. BIZ
onne, who was also in morning for his bro
Their, should come to Malakoff, and our COM
mon grief attracted us to each other. It has
been said love Is the exchange of swo fancies;
it is more frequently the exchange of two
griefs. A time came when felt most cruel
ly the terrors of being alone in the world,
and was seized with an inVincible longing for
a protector. Mr.. Bionne offered me his hand.
accepted it, and We we're married at the
Marie of Vanvea Mr.. Bionne was charm
ing gentleman, member of the Paris Bar,
and he served as a volunteer in 1870. had
the certainty that in asking for my hand he
was not prompted by any interested motives,
for it was he himself who suggested that We
should get married under the regime of sop
A1I Thn Prk~
seemed to promise every happiness. After
the wedding We took the traditional bridal
trip like pair of good bourgeois, going to
Italy, whore q most singular practical joke
awaited me. The moment We crossed the
frontier Mr.. Bionne became the Count
de Bionne and .he 'Countessina.' A COM
moner on this side of Alps, he was a noble
man on the other. Everywhere we vert we
were magnifcently received. At Bionne, In
the province of Brescia, the receptions
sumed the proportions of an apotheosis.
There was q procession in our honor and the
natives gave to my husband, his mother, his
ancesto rs the most ponpous titles All this
greatly Rstonishsd me and could not help
wondering how it Was that my husband, born
at Naples of French parents. had become a
Count and lord of q village. This was the
first cloud in the blue sky of our married life
and when we returned to France had some
discussion with M. Bionns, to whom refused
to give the snnobling particle, on the sub
ject of his aristocratic claims. He wanted
the servants to call me Countess and pro-
tested vigorously. II am Grand Duchess,
l used to say jokingly, land do not wish
to go down to the lower rank" One day he
informed me that he was going back to Italy
Without thinking that anything was wrong
asked him in a jestipg tone it he WAS going
to get his family parchmsnts. That sort of
joking is out of place" he answered, dryly.
"If you are a nobleman and the Count de
Bionnc,'' retorted, why don't you prove
il ? If you can't do SO don't bother me with
your nobility The discussion grew warm,
and the last thing he said was, 81 forgive
you," to which I replied, laughingly; ~ am
waiting for ths proofs" Two months later
read in the newspapers that ths courts of
Florence had pronounced separation de
corps between me and the Count de Bionne.
[ was thunderstruck, for 1 did not even know
that such a suit had been commenced by my
noble husband. l investigated the matter,
and discovered that had been condemned
by default as having deserted the conjugal
bed. 1t seems that the necessary papers
were served on me at my legal donicile in
Italy, that is at the residence of Mr.. Bionne
and here was all the time in France, and
with the consent of my lord and master SUI
perintending the building of country house
at Versailles. AS I don't understand how it
is my husband should have become a count
but also an italian, and because I wish to
know what Is my own nat1onanEy, nave ap-
piled to the French courts. 1 am the child
of German parents born in France, my hus-
band is the child of French parents born in
Italy. The only thing L am certain Of is that
I am the Grand Duchess of Geroldstine. AS
for my husband, there ought to be no doubt
as to his nationality. He has served in the
French army and is a member of the Paris
Bar. hope that the court will admit that
my protests are well founded, will set aside
the claim of the Italian Count and will pro-
Eounce the separation in my favor, which
will deprive the count of the allowance of
800 francs a month the italian Judges have
ordered me to pay him. If the French court
decide against me will pay this allowances,
but will do 30 in my own way and 1 will
send my OK husband 10 francs every morning
by carrier pigeon which am training for
the purnose -