Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1885-10-16
The Princess Philippine.
BY MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.


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
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 mere
child had been bstrothed by her pa
rents to his son, the brave, young
Prince Basil who lived just on the
other side the high shelteting noun
taina
With such charming surroundings
it would seem as if the young princess
ought to have been a very happy little
maiden, but l 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 vast
old castle like that of Castle Philippi,
and why should the spiders that had
held possession for more than ZOO
years be put to rout on account Of the
within of a chit of a grip
The Prince Basil asked the princess
something of the kind on the occasion
of one of the frequent 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 Gliding
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 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 oil
spiders, who even would not walk
about the saloons and galleries of her
own fue castle unless she was envel-
oped from head to foot in sheet-likt
wrap of glazed white linen.
~ have danced attendance upon
ghost as long as can endure it." hi
said, "and now am going away t
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; "W
will leaI her entirely to herself for
season and see. Perhaps she viii
come to her senses enough to realiz
how foolish it is for her to set hersel
up as being different from all the res
of the world" So with one accord a
her neighbors and friends declared
1--WE will leave her alone with he
morbid fears"
Philippine now shut herself up wit
her attendants in her own apart
ments, that were all hung with pal
blue satin, and passed her timein mah
ing sure no spider of any kind inva
ded her premises. Naturally enougl
now that there was no supervision b
her friends and guardians, everythin
went at loose ends about the cast
and the estate, and the news there
went abroad, no one can tell how, I'M
the world.
One morning there came riding u
to the castle drawbridge a knight
armor mounted upon a milk-whi'
charger and followed by an attendar
whose steed was as black as coal. II
knight demanded to see the Prince
Philippine, and when after much d
lay he was shown to her presence
informed her he was her cousin, S
times removed, and proposed payiI
her long visit.
every well" she said, II never ha
heard Of you. but that may not
strange. Pray make yourself comfOl
able and give orders that the roor
you may choose for your own may
thoroughly swept and busted a
made free from spiders, for I suppc
there is not in the world such anoth
spider-invaded place as this same
Castle PhiIippi."
Day by day the knight made hi
self at home about the premises, q
inc orders to the servants and mar
qIne as If the estate was his own, b
when he began to make free with
the secret drawers and papers in
great library, sitting over them un
, far into the night, the old seryal
shook their heads and said, one to
other. seAh, bis presence here boo
M GOOD"