The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-04

tsrial for anfavsliingi and Q gallant. when
betting WITH fair damsel. no longer stakod %
many louis d'ors. bat 90 many gold
tassels for picking" Against tho thread
pickers the relatively sensible Mme. de Genlis
waged successful war. and pdyJqIdoe went out OF
fashion In Franco as early A. 1882 But 1t was
imported into England by the French Sni0rss
after the revolution. whore II received the name
OF n" DRILLING" and Fraulein Bauer's professed
danc6 taught her TO her horror and dlsmay that
the industrious unravelling Of gold and silver
threads continued to be practised In England q
generation later. Two points. however. may
be noted. viz. that In France drizzling had been
mainly confined to the softer sox. and that no.
body In England chung to IL SO obstinately As
Prince Leopold. to whose tom permanent and In.
teect 1t may have been peculiarly congenial.
From the manner In which her sutton chose
to pass the fervid hours which precedo tho
contamination OF longed-for nuptials. one
might easily forcmeasure the ecstasy OF the
honeymoon. To that event. nevertheless. the
young actress and her mother now looked for
ward with anxiety. some ugly rumors having
got abroad respecting tho character OF her re-
latons to the Prince. From the lattors stu
dous avoidance OF any definite allusion to the
date OF tho marriage arranged at Coburg VIC
can hardly resist the inference that. after
placing Stockmar's kinswomen In most com.
promising predicamont, ho desired to evado.
II possible. even the protence Of fulfilling
his obligations. That Stockmar had no very
strong wish to balk the thrifty inclinations OF
his master seems evident from the fact that he
was only prevailed upon to hasten an ostensibe
compliance with the stipulation by tho angry
reproaches OF his deluded relatives and
their threat to expose tho whole transaction.
How vigilantly he watched over the family
honor may BIO Judged by the extraordinary per-
Torrance which was made to do duty for we'd
ding. 1t fs only by severe stretch OF charity
and euphui that the proceeding could DO clas-
SHED evon with morganatic marriages. We find
It thus described in these memoirs. which. for
obvious reasons. essay to mako 1t look as seri-
Gus and Legitimate Ms possible: On the I'd OF
July. 1929 there took place kind Of marriage
ceremony In our little house In Regents Park.
but so drearily desolate that my heart auakes
even to- day. and the pen trembes in my hand
when think Of it," Here she interjects with
unconscious hApor. What wrotched no.
tions the Princosand Stockmar had OF mat.
rimony and domestctyl No clergyman"
she continues. placed his hand on my
head to invoke n blessing. no bridal wreath
adorned my locks. Christian Stockmar had
drawn up the marriage contract. He. his
brother Charles. who looked after the Princes
money matters and afterward undertook also
many u confidential diplomatic mission. and
another witness. whom dare not name even
to-day. signed tho contract. In 1t received
the title OF the Countess Montgomery. and a
modest annual allowance Was settled on mo-"
The munificont apranage which was to pro-
vidc for the brides whole family had dwindled
down to an inconsidorable stipend, which
proved quito Inadequate to afford her scape-
grace brother material assistance. There Is
ronson to think. also that. cheap as titles are
In Germany. this OF Countess Montgomery WAS
purely apocryphal. Prince Leopold as merely
ayounger brother OF tho Duke of Coburg boing
unqualified to confer ono. and these memoirs
observing significant reticence with regard
to the quarter from which the patent issued.
But. worst OF all. the performance which Frau
lein Bauer portrays apoiogetically as "a kind
OF marriage ceremony" had really not trace
Of matrimonial renlity. Tho contract bound
Prince Leopold to nothing but the annual pay
mont OF IL certain sum OF money in return for
which tho exemplary Stock mar turned over his
young cousin. AS 30 much merchandise. OF
which his master would retain possession Just
30 long as 1t might suit his convenience.
Tho anomalous and cruel situation to which
the loyal Stockmar condemned his trusting
relative lasted about ak months. but the faint
Of 1t clung to her whole life On pain OF losing
her pension. the pretended Countess Mont
ROmoTy WAS IorDluuen TO contradict any OF the
rumors which blackened her reputation. and
she presently discovered that before the sorry
honeymoon was over. her supposed bridegroom
had made overtures for the hand Of the Du-
cbesse do Berry. 1t is we'll known that not long
aiterward he married n daughter of King Louis
Philippe. During the whole period OF this
strange connection the future King Of tho Bel
aiinK indifference to her charms which prompt
y followed tho flashing Of = weak carries. may
have boon partly chargeable with the final vo-
lent outbreak In which She berated tn. Coburg
Prince, and stoekmar with q vigor seldom OK
hibited on the stage. and told them more home
truths than the former. Mt all events had ever
listened to before. The resuit was an immediate
and irrevocable separation and the return OF
tho cheated actress to tho theatre. She never
saw either Of them again but. in her old age
observing the species of venerution with which
the lucky uncle Of Quoen Victoria had como to
be regarded, and the respect commanded by
her cousin. Baron Stock mar. ii occurred to her
that the knowledge Of those estimahle persons
acquired by u too ambitious hut unsuspicious
and conllding girl might contribute something
to the vcracity OF history.