The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-10-14
The Princess Philippine.
BY MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.

aASAouts gray, SCOle CdSClo SCauuluS Oh
the banks of a small river that divided
a 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 a
peasants or a 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 sheltering noun
vtains.
With such charming surroundings
it would seem as if the young princess
ought to have been a very happy little
maiden, but I 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 Justified crannies of a 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 a girl?
9he>Prince Basil asked the princess
Aething Of the kind on the occasion
bne of the frequent calls he made at
castle. accompanied by his lady
Pther. The Princess Philippine was
ceedingly angry at this question,
ying that he had no regard whatever
II her fine sensibilities, aud she was
hrprised to see that his mother sat by
nd smiled at him instead of Gliding
IN for his rudeness. So, sad to say,
pe young couple had their first quar-
!, and the young prince rode home in
Ugh dudgeon, declaring there was no
sason in a spirited young fellow being
TIED to a 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 sven 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.
II have danced attendance upon a
ghost as long as 1 can endure it," he
said, "and now 1 am going away to
see the world" And so he went.
The parents of the young Prince Ba-
sill were greatly chagrined at this es-
arrangement, for in Germany betrothal
has always been held almost as sacred
as a marriage, and they said: 1--WE
will leave her entirely to herself for a
season and see. Perhaps she will
come to her senses enough to realize
how foolish it is for her to set herself
up as being different from all the rest
of the world" So with one accord all
her neighbors and friends declared,
1--WE will leave her alone with her
morbid fears"
Philippine now shut herself up with
her attendants in her own apart
ments, that were all hung with pale
blue satin, and passed her time in max
ing sure no spider of any kind inva-
ded her premises. Naturally enough,
now that there was no supervision by
her friends and guardians, everything
went at loose ends about the castle
and tho estate, and the news Thereof
went abroad, no one can tell how, into
the world.
One morning there came riding up
to the castle drawbridge a knight in
armor mounted upon a milk-white
charger and followed by an attendant
whose steed was as black as coal. The
knight demanded to see the Princes IS
Philippine, and when after much de-
lay he was shown to her presence he
informed her he was her cousin, six
times removed, and proposed paying
her q long visit. :
Every WELL" she said, II never have
heard Of you, but that may not be
strange. Pray make yourself comfort.
.bie and give orders that the rooms
von may choose for vour ovn mav he