The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-12-16
THE POOR EX-EMPRESS.
THE SAD LIFE CARLOTTA LEACI5 IN
BELGIAN CHATEAU.
Her Imaginary Isecep t.In5 Empress
OF AIexico-Strange DelusioRs and
Manias-An improvement said
to Have Taken Place.
brussels Cor. Paris Gaulois.l


Macmillan, has recovered her reason, IS,
unhappily not true. The empress is still at
the royal castle of Bouch0Ut, near Laeken,
the summer residence of the king of the
Belgians. The chateau fol merly belonged
to the count de Beaufort, who sold it to
King Leopold II It was built i'll 1l3O, is Of
Gothic style AM reveals architectural beau
ties of the highest order. The carved oak
and woodwork of the interior is rally mar.
velous, but its somt--e cast is not calculated
to dissipate the sadness Of its illustriou5
hostess.
The castle is surrounded by a park and
garden in English fashion, with centurel
trees and shaded walks. It is q delightful
habitation, q splendid E len if smile but
broke on the lips of the empress or tho sor-
rowing little court by which she Is attended
But every thing is dark and melancholy and
the beauties of nature pass unperceiyed.
HER RECEPTIONS.
Eighteen years have gone by since the
empire $ lost her husband AMI her reason at
the same time. At first she preserved her
court as usual and her receptions took
place as regularly as in the old Iturbide
palace in Mexico. All those who were
moved by her great misfortune went to lay
their respectful homage at her feet. The
empress received them exactly q ii tbs role
she was acting was a real one. When she
saw a certain number Of persons in her pres
ence she thanked them as follows: lyon
have come, mes seigueurs to salute the
great empress of Mexico. l thank you.
You desire, doubtless, to lay at the feet OF
his majesty the emperor the proofs Of your
devotion. Very well, l viii so AMI acqu3iHt
him Of it." And then she would De 'ceni
from her mock throne and search all tho
rooms for her august husband. After her
al, ,l,.,
~ do not know where the emperor is, but as
soon as he arrives he will come ami see
you"
Then she woull wander into an int2rmina-
be discourse on the brilliant position of the
emperor, AMI the grant future il s. )r5 for
him. And Selling portrait of Nix milan
she would beg ana suppliclte him not t. b.
cUntentel with his title OF emperor OF Mex
leo, but to aspire higher. "You mast nj )unt
higher" she W Juld exclajm; always higher
1t is not one crown you de erve, or that l
insist on your wearing, but ten, tW3nty, all
the crowns of the worlI.' She w0ull con-
tinue in this strain till she was in a state Of
ecstasy, when the visitors, frequently novel
to tears, would depart unobservod by her
majesty. Then. after ordering her isnagiu-
airy pages to take up her train, she would
march cut Of the reception-room with
queenly step
STRANGE DELUSiONS.
When promeaadiu5 in the park. if she
CHANGED to see birl flying III the air, her
proud and naughty mion Immediately dis
appeared, to be succeeded by look of IN
uttarable sweetness and tenderness This
was because the inhabitant OF the air repre-
sented t. her the realization of all her de.
sires, joys, happiness and grandeur. II, at the
the time, any OF her ma .sty' sservants were
bo hoe |,+
the belief that the bird she had seen had de-
scended in the plrl1 AMI was Transformed
The servants would divert her mini to some
other object and the subject was then for
gotten.
One of her majestys manias q short time
ago was the ordering of numerous and beau
tiful dresses and costumes. These she would
order herself. AMI the conturiers should
mover bring her less than six a. q time She
followed tho fashions that prevailed in Paris
during the empire, and the dresses prepared
in accordance with her orders had such
numberless plaits and folds that they usu-
ally contained from twenty-five to thirty
yards of material Whom these luxurious
costumes were brought to her she would
regard them with quiet disdain and then
turn abruptly away. murmuring: Il doa't
want them; they arc not fine enough for the
great empress of Mexico" These costumes,
which we're of course paid for, were bou ght
by the rich ladies Of Brussels and the danes
of the court, soma of whom preserve them
as souvenir.
A QUIETER EXISTENCE.
Since the arrival Of her majesty at the
castle of Bouchout, after the burning of
Ternueren. a decided improvement has
taken placke, and she leads quieter exist
ence than before. She holds no more recep-
tions. She always presides at dinner; but
she is now attended only by her ladies Of
honor, who belong to the aristocracy of
Brussels, and whose attend ance on tho en-
press lasts only q week at a time. These
ladies arc, Is a rule, excellent musicians,
and as the empress herself is an excellent
artistic, they pass great part of their time
playing from the works OF the best masters.
When they are fatiguei with their musical
recreation they occupy themselves with
tapestry work. The empress plies the needle
with fairy-lke dexterity; the embroideries
that leave her hands can not be surpassed
by the finest work of the kind produced IT,
Paris.
While they are engaged in their musical
performances, or at their tapestry work,
The empress does not speak q word. Some
times her mind seems to be seeking some
recollection or imparceptible thread that
binds her to the past. Twice a day she
promenadr- With her maids in the park, and
the W. I c orally made in silence The
empress attends religious services on Sun
days AMI hoii lays and at the sound of the
or-an her sadness disappears and she seems
wholly traastisGT ].
Groceries and Dry Goods,