Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-08
a WOMAN OF POWER.
The Career of Miss Lee, Now the Petted
Wife of Count Yaldersee.


The Career OF Miss Lee. Now the Petted
Wife of Count Waldersee.
The Countess Won Walderses. who
is now the most powerful woman in
Europe, began life as grocer's
daughter Her father was the late
David B. Lee, head of the old grocery
house of Lee, Dater & Miller. Mary
was the only child and was beautiful,
ambitious and clever. She was sent to
school to the famous Bolton priory on
the Sound, which was then the most
elegant and exclusive of young ladies'
seminaries. Immediately upon leaving
school she went abroad and in a short
time sent cards home to her school,
mates announcing her marriage to
Prince Frederick Emile August of
Schleswig-H olstein, cousin of Queen
Victoria. He was not in very good re-
pair, this Prince. He was decidedly
damaged in fact, being old and being
on the point of putting his second foot
in the grave, one having been there
some time.
She took this dilapidated scion Of
royalty to the East in hopes Of restor-
ing him, but to quote the sorrowful
phrase of the Misses Bolton, who had
been her instructress. He only
reached Beyrout to die" Then the
widowed Princess, with her beauty and
her millions, was pursued by every for
tune hunter in Europe and had beside
some of the proudest positions and
titles offered her. When she re-
linquished her high rank to marry a
Prussian Count her friends began to
think that they were mistaken regard
ing her overweening ambition, but to
one of these gossips at Tuxedo, who
was in Europe at the time, she said:
lyon WalderSee is only a Count now,
but wait-with his talents and my
money and encouragement he will be
something more" The young Count
soon became marked in Berlin as man
who knew his business thoroughly. He
distinguished himself in the Franco
Prussian war, and was German Charge
d'Affaires during the occupation Of
Paris. Meantime the grocer's daughter
was not idle. She warmly espoused
Bismarck's party as opposed to that OF
the Crown Princess, and when the for
mer began to foment discord between
young William and his mother she was
Williams confdant and sympathizer.
Then William married, and the spirited,
intellectual and liberal-minded Crown
Princes, who would be second Eliza
beth were she allowed to come to the
English throne instead of her fat and
dissipated brother, discovered that her
daughter-in-law was dull-witted Ger
man haus frau, from whom she could
expect no sympathy, and was disposed
to rather contemporary pass her over.
This the Countess Won Waldersee saw
and used. Williams wife deeply re-
sented her brilliant mother-in-law'
contempt and fell back on the Countess
for advice, and allowed her to manage
her salon as she pleased and for her
own uses. When Frederick came to
the throne the Won Waldersees were
promptly sent into political exile at
Vienna, but departed cheerfully, know
ing the hour of their triumphal return
would not be long delayed. Now Won
Waldersee, not yet fifty years old, has
succeeded the great Won Moltke, as
commander of all the Imperial forces.
The Countess is a pet and trusted en-
ploye of Bismarck. The Emperor is
deeply attached to her and the Empress
is her most intimate friend. so that all
things considered the New York gro
GERS daughter is to-day the most pow
erful woman in Europe.-Brooktyn
Gillian