Connecticut western news., 1885-10-14
The Princess Philippine.
BY MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.

The Princess Philippine dwelt in an ancient. gray, stone castle standing on the banks of a small river that divided beautiful green valley in northern Germany. Broad, fertile fields and green pastures, dotted by herds of the famous black cattle and by Aocks of snowy sheep. with here and there 8 peasants or herdsman's cot, lay each side the stream. On either hand deep forests stretched up the sides of the high mountains that sheltered this fine estate, of which the Princess Philip pine was sole heir, from the rough blasts of winter. The Princess Phil ippine had neither father, mother, brother nor sister, but she had an in- dulgent guardian and when a mere child had been betrothed by her pa rents to his son, the brave, young Prince Basil who lived just on the other side the high sheitering noun taina
 With such charming surroundings it would seem as if the young princess ought to have been very happy little maiden. but am very sorry to relate that she allowed her life to be made miserable by her uncomfortable and unreasonable fear of spiders. Spiders love the dust-illed crannies of vast old castle like that of Castle Philippi, and why should the spiders that had held possession for more than 700 years be put to rout on account of the whim of chit of girlp
 The Prince Basil asked the princess something of the kind on the occasion of one of thesfrequent calls he made at the castle. accompanied by his lady mother. The Princess Philippine was exceedingly angry at this question. saying that he had no regard whatever for her fine sensibilities, aud she was surprised to see that his mother sat by and smiled at him instead of chiding him for his rudeness So, sad to say, the young couple had their first quar- rel, and the young prince rode home in high dudgeon, declaring there was no reason in spirited young fellow being tied to girl who would not walk in the park, sail on the river or ride in the forest on account of her silly dread of spiders, who even would not walk about the saloons and galleries of her own fine castle unless she was envel- oped from head to foot in a sheet-like wrap of glazed white linen.
 "I have danced attendance upon a ghost as long as I can endure it." he said, "and now am going away tc see the world" And so he went.
 The parents of the young Prince Ba sil were greatly chagrined at this es- arrangement, for in Germany betrothal has always been held almost as sacred as marriage, and they said: "Wt will leaye her entirely to herself for { season and see. Perhaps she will come to her senses enough to realize how foolish 1t is for her to set herself up as being different from all the rest of the world" So with one accord al her neighbors and friends declared We will leave her alone with hel morbid fears"
 Philippine now shut herself up witt s her attendants in her own apart. ments, that were all hung with pale blue satin, and passed her time in mak ing sure no spider of any kind inva ded her premises. Naturally enough now that there was no supervision b, her friends and guardians, everything went at loose ends about the castle and tho estate, and the news thero went abroad, no one can tell how, int the world.
 One morning there came riding ul to the castle drawbridge knight il armor mounted upon milk whit charger and followed by an attendan whose steed was as black as coal. Tn knight demanded to see the Princes Philippine, and when after much dc lay he was shown to her presence h informed her he was her cousin, si times removed, and proposed payin her long visit.
 "Very we'll" she said, "I never hay heard of you, but that may not b strange. Pray make yourself comfort able and give orders that the room you may choose for your own may thoroughly swept and dusted an made free from spiders, for I suppos there is not in the world such anothe spider invaded place as this same ol Castle Philippi." ...
 Day by day the knight made hin self at home about the premises, giN ing orders to the servants and man; ging as if the estate was his own, bu when he began to make free with a the secret drawers and papers in th great library, sitting over them unt far into the night, the old servant shook their heads and said, one to ar other, "Ab, his presence here bode no good"