River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-05-06
THE COMTESSE DE CHAM
BOARD.


THE COMTESSE DE CHAM
BOARD.
The Comtesse de Chamboard. writes
a Paris correspondent of the New York
Tribune, has yielded to the common
lot at the age of 90. She died
after three days illness of heart-dis-
ease. Until the death of her husband
she had been IN fairly good health, al
though her lungs were never strong
enough to bear the terrible winds
which sweep over Vienna in winter
All interest in the world ceased from
the time he passed away. He was new
er a worshiping lover of his wife, for
the simple reason that ne married her
for her fortune. She had $2,600,000,
and with what she has since inherited
from her brother and the late Empress
Mary Anne of Austria, her aunt, she
must have died worth $1,000, 900.
The Comte de ChambOrd was first en-
amored of the beautiful Archduchess
BeatriX, his wife's sister, VINO was in
love with Don Juan of Spain, father of
Don Carlos. The Archduchess Maria
Theresa fell in love at first sight with
the French Legitimist Pretender when
he was on visit at the Court of Wen
ma. He was nam of singular beauty
in his youth, albeit lame She resolved
if he married her to devote herself en-
tirely to him. Her aunt, the Empress
Mary Anne, made up the match in spite
of the intrigues of Louis Philippe, who
got the late Prince Metternich round
TO his side. The Archduchess Maria
Theresa was in 1876 q years old, of a
Caunt figure, and masculine appear
ance. Her face was unsymmetrical,
the left cheek having been crushed in
and her upper ip badly disffgured.
But she had a luxuriant head of silken
and wavy hair, line eyes, a noble pro-
file when the undistigured side of her
face was turned, and singularly sweet
smile.
There was also in her general APP
pearance the stamp of a noble DISPOSE
ton. From the day she married until
the last illness of the COmte de Cham
bord her life was singularly happy
one He revered her, held her
in cordial affection, was knightly in his
courtesy toward her, and he and she
were loyal and sympathiZing compan-
ions. As she was immensely wealthy
she determined that his word should
be a law to her. Though, as | have
said, she was extremely plain, there
was such firmness of aracteT and
loftiness of sentiment expressed in her
face as to give her in her old age a sort
of beauty. She had very noble fore
head. Her strongly acquline profile
showed a constancy of purpose which
was main feature of her life. Her
hair was generally arranged in the
broad Madonna bands which were the
fashion in 1916, the year in which she
was married.
The Comtesse de Chambord was a
Stanch friend and such a good hater
that her Christian charity could never
bring her to forgive the d'Orleans for
their treachery to the elder Bourbons
since the time that Philippe Egalite be-
gan to blacken the reputation of Marie
Antoinette up to the year 1877, when
they and their partisans tried to set up
a legitimate monarchy with the Due
q 'Aumale for Northumberland of
the Kingdom. Though by no means
an ariful woman the COmtesse de Cham /
bord showed terrible ingenuity in lead |
ing the Orleans Princess a FOOLS dance /
and bringing them to humiliate them |
selves by going to demand pardon of |
the Comte de Chambord for the sins of |
Louis Philippe against him and Charles |
Charles Y. Louis Philippe left no dip !
lomatic stone unturned in 1916 to pre-
nj tho GnDntn do ffban horde
riage with the Duke of Modena's eld- |
est daughter.
Brigands were hired to stop the car
riage in which she was to travel from
Modena to Bruck in Syria, where the /
bridegroom was to meet her incOgnito. |
Her Journey was of the most romantic |
order. She descended from the chaise |
in which she posted to be married in
Lady Chapel. Both bride and bride /
groom wore their travelling dresses at /
the hymeneal altar. The Spanish /
marriage had taken place a few /
months earlier and seemed to place the |
throne of Spain in the grasp of Louis /
Philippe. The romantic match of the /
Comte de Chambord gave a powerful /
stimulus to the Legitimist party in /
France. inasmuch as it placed an. i'm |
menSe fortune at the ulspOSal OF JdelT {
leader. 1t also led to the marriage of 4
the Archduchess Beatrix and the Legit- /
imist Spanish Pretender. The Com /
Jesse de ChamboTd ever acted as a .
mother to the children of her sisteN
Beatrix and of her sister-in-law the /
Duchess of Parma. She also founded /
many schools and orphanages. Her /
life was intensely religious. Plus TX. |
authorized her to belong to the Order OF I
the Carmelites on a lay footing. Since /
her husband S death she has altogether 1
resided at the converts at Gratz and |
GOritz. At the latter place she spent /
hours daily in prayer in the vault in /
which lie the remains of Charles X, I
the Duke and Duchesse 'Angouleme I
daughter of Louis XVL) and Marie I
AntOinette, and of him whom the Lee /
gitimist called Henri V. Her body will /
doubtless be placed there too. Although /
she hated the present Pope, she regu- /
larry sent him $4,000 a yeal Her ha- /.
tired was due to his Orleansism and TO 4
his never having celebrated a mass for /
the repOse of her late husbands soul /