The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-04-24
PRINCESS BARNABAS.
Why She Changed Her Mind and
Did Not Commit Suicide.


Did Not Commit Suicide.
The Princess Barnabas was in skate
of the most profound perplexity. She
could not for the dainty little life of her
make up her mind on the important
question as to whether she should or
should not commit suicide at the close
of the season. 1t was not very easy for
the Princess many admirers to under
stand why she should perturb her mind
with such problem at all, but perturb
it she did W th 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 sensational seasons. She was
not yet four and twenty. She bore the
title of great Russian Prince who had
married her just before she came of age,
at time when he himself was old
enough to be her grandfather, and who
had cons derately d ed within two years
of the ceremony, leaving her the abso-
Lutte mistress of his fortune and his ter
ritories, as she had been during life the
absolute mistress of his heart for the
short time in which he swayed it. She
was id to be fabulously wealthy. But
her Jewels were the wonder of the world,
and she delighted in wearing them in
season and out of season, with semi
barbaric enjoyment of their glitter and
splendor which was, like everything
else about her, partly Oriental and
partly childish. Some time after her
husbands death she had come to Paris
and got tired of it, and then she crossed
the Channel and conquered London.
During one Respondent session little
else was talked about but the Princess
Barnnbas, Society journals raw
about her delicate beauty, which
seemed to belong to the can
vases of the last century, which
ought to have been immortalized on
pate teadre and hymned in madrigals.
Men adored her. Women envied her
marvellous dress and her matchleSs jew
els. The dying ashes of seasons
scandal tlarcd up into marvellous activ-
ity around her pretty personality. She
was enormously 1.-THE thing" Enor-
mously "the thing" she remained dur
ing second season, after an interval
of absolute disappearance into the do
minions of the Gar. Enormously 1.-THE
thing" she still appeared to be now II
her third season, in spite of the rival
attractions of an American actress who
had not married an English duke, and
an American grl with millions who had
married the bluest blood and the oldest
came in Europe, 1t would have been
absurd for any one to contest the point
that the Princess Barnabas was the very
most interesting figure of that phantas-
NAL dance of shadows which is called
London society.
Nevertheless the Princess Barnabas
was weary, positively bored. Ifshe had
been less of a success, life might not
have appeared so desolate. There
would have been piquancy in tte pos
sibility of rivalry which would have
lent q new interest to the tasteless
feast. AS it was, however, London life
at the height of its maddest activity ap.
peared 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 Bar.
nabaS. 1t was during this fit of de-
preston when the Princess Barnabas
was graciously pleased to agree with
the author of "Ecclesiastes, that life
was vanity, that it occurred to her that
in all her strange experiences she had
never yet committed suicide. She i'm.
mediately gave up her mind to the i'm.
portant problem, whether she should
gain this ultimate experience at once,
or postpone it indefinitely.
1t was in this frame of mind that the
Princess went to the great ball at the
Russ an Embassy. AS she nestled
among her furs in the dim, luxurious
warmth of her carriage, her mind was
running entirely upon the various forms
of self-destruction which had been made
famous by celebrated pecsouS at differ
ent stages of the worlds history. and
she could find none thatwere sufficient,
ly attractive or remarkable to please
her. "Good heavensM she thought tt
herself, with little shudder which ever
the warmth of her surroundings coulC
not represS, lis it impossible to be
bGnGle even in thatp" and she gave .
little groan as she stepped out of hel
carriage and up the Embassy steps
The thought was still on her mind ant
tracing the least suggestion of a frow1
upon her exquisite girlish face as she
entered the great room and took the
hand of the AmbassadreSs, The thrill
of interest, of excitement, of admira
ton, which as matter of course at
tended upon her entrance did not give
her any answering thrill of qualification
She appeared to listen with the mos
gracious attention to the compl ment;
Of the Ambassador. She answered Will
the daintiest little ar of infantile obei
sance the Old World courtesy of :
haired Minister who would hav,
been as much at home as she herself il
a salon of the Regent of Orleans. Sh,
sondescended to entangle in q network
of fascination particularly obdurat,
and impassive Secretary of State. Sh,
patronlzed q Prince of the blood roya
and was exceedingly frank and friend
ly with the young painter Lepell, wht
knew exactly how much her fam liarit'
meant, but was at once amused and de
lighted by the envy it aroused in others
Yet all the while the Princess Barpabas
was not devoting a single serious
thought to one of her admirers. Ever,