The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-05-21
Whitehall Reviewl
THE PRINCESS BARNARAs.

| Whitehall Review
THE PRINCESS BARNABAN.
The Princess Barnabas was in state
OF the most profound perplexity. She
could not for the dainty little life of her
make up her mind on the important ques-
tion as to whether she should or should
not commit suicide at the close of the
season. 1t was not very easy for the
Princess's many admirers to understand
why she should perturb her mind
with such a problem at all, but per-
turb it she did with that very problem,
whether wisely or unwisely.
The Princess Barnabas was very re-
markable young woman, who had proved
the puzzle, the pride, and the passion of
London society for three whole sensa-
tional seasons. She was not yet four and
twenty. She bore the title of a great
Russian Prince who had married her just
before she came Of age, at a time when
he himself was old enough to be her
grandfather, and who had considerably
died within two years of the ceremony,
leaving her the absolute mistress of his
fortune and his territories, as she had
been during life the absolute mistress of
his heart for the short time in which she
swayed it. She was said to be fabulous
ly wealthy. Her jewels were the wonder
of the world, and she delighted in wear
ing them in season and out of season,
with a semi-barbaric enjoyment of their
glitter and splendor which was, like every
thing else about her, partly Oriental and
partly childish. Some time after her hus-
bands death she had come to Paris and
got tired of it, and then she crossed the
Channel and conquered London. During
one resplendent season little else was
talked about but the Princess Barnabas.
Society journals raved about her delicate
beauty, which seemed to belong to the
canvases of the last century which ought
to have been lmmortalized on pate te,.dre,
and hymned in madrigals. Men adored
and her matchless jewels. The dying
ashes Of seasons scandal fiared up into
marvellous activity around her pretty
personality. She was enormously "the
thing" Enormously "the thing" she
remained during a second season, after
an interval of absolute disappearance into
the dominions of the Car Enormously
"the thing" she still appeared to be now
in her third season, in spite of the rival
attractions of an American actress who
had not married an English Duke, and an
American girl with millions who had
married the bluest blood and the oldest
name in Europe. 1t would have been alb
surd for any one to contest the point that
the Princess Barnabas was the very most
interesting figure of that fantasmal dance
of shadows which is called London So
ciety.
Nevertheless the Princess Barnabas
was weary, positively bored If she had
been less of success, life might not have
appeared 80 desolate. There would have
been piquancy in the possibility of rival
| ry which would have lent a new interest
to the tasteless feast. AS it was, how
ever, London life at the height of its mad
dest activity appeared to her as drear and
gray as those vast stretches of steppes
which lay like great sea around one of
the Russian castles of the late Prince
| Barnabas. 1t was during this fit of de-
preston when the Princess Barnabas was
| graciously pleased to agree with the au-
thor Of Ecclesiastes," that life was van
| ity, that it occurred to her that in all her
strange experiences she had never yet
committed suicide. She Immediately
gave up her mind to the important prob
lem, whether she should gain this ulti-
mate human experience at once, or post
pone it indefinitely.
1t was in this frame Of mind that the
Princess went to the great ball at the
Russian Embassy. AS she nestled among
her furs in the dim, luxurious warmth of
her carriage, her mind was running en-
tirely upon the various forms of self-de-
struction which had been made famous
by celebrated persons at different stages
Of the worlds history, and she could find
none that were sufficiently attractive or
remarkable to please her. "Good heav-
ems :" she thought to herself, with q lit
tie shudder which even the warmth OF
her surroundings could not repress, sis
| it impossible to be bendte even in that p
| and she gave o little groan a. she stepped
out Of her carriage aud up the embassy
steps The thought was still on her mind
and tracing the least suggestion Of a
frown upon her exquisite girlish face a.
she entered the great room and took the
hand ii the embassadresa The thrill oi
inser~si, excitement, Of admiration, which
~ o matter Of course attended upon hes
entrance did not give her any answering
thrill oT qualification. she appeared q
listen with the mos. gracious sssensios
to the compliments ef the Ambassador
she aaswered with the dainssess little ai
II iniansile oAeisAaee ths Old Wovl.
eeass~sy of whise-Asised Minister wh.
wsald have h@~a - mneh o. homs m sh,
h~s~~lG ia . salsa II The Isegsas eflslesas
shs esasls~essAsd - sasaagls inse . me-
work of fnsuinaaiea psrticalsrly oAsla
| "a. i..s.e~~iw~ mnewmasww ~ aans. a.