New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-06-26
THE PEASANT BRIDE.
Romantic story Of Rich and FrIg1d
Russian Prince, and His Marriage.


The late Prince Peter SAW Wittgen-
stein, says the Paris correspondent of
The Ne0 York Tribune. though his
title and his grandfather, Marshal Witt
genstein, were German, as were also
his father and alf-brothers, was born
and remained Russian. He was an
officer of the cars guard, and for
many years military attache al the
Russian embassy here. He was fab
ulously rich. His mother was the
heiress of the richest branch Of the
Radziwil family, and was seized Of es-
tates in Russia on which there were
altogether $4,000 serfs. After MI
nority in which she was plundered BY a
commission of trustees and guardians,
there remained to her only S22, 500 a
year. Her hus band, the son of Mar
shall Wittgenstein, undertook series
OF lawsuits to make the plunderers dis
gorge. He got out of them $40, 500, 900
cash, and the enormous estates which
her son has enjoyed ever since his in
fancy. They were chiefly in Russia,
but there was a Polish estate bringing
in yearly income Of s1s7, 800, which
ne came into jointly with the
Princess Hohenlohe, now Statthel-
term Of Alsace-Lorraine, his full
sister. 1t was whispered that the late
prince of Sayn Wittgenstein was the
sor Of the Gar Nicholas, who, when he
was grand duke, made up to Princess
Stephanie and was not discouraged. A
consciousness on the part Of Nicholas
OF the "legar' father having discover
ed that this was so was the cause of the
bitter and undying hatred which he
manifested toward the injured husband,
and which obliged the latter to out
Russia and settle in Germany with his
second wife, nee Princess Bariatinsky,.
who in her husbands lifetime began a
love affair with List the composer. At
any rate. Prince Peter Sayn Wittgen-
stein, who has just died, was the i'm
age OF the most naughty and unbend-
ing OF the Russian czars, and had that
peculiar stare of Nicholas which Queen
Victoria in writing of him mentions.
The blue iris of the large and widely
opened eye was small, and whenever
the lid was not down appeared encir-
cled with white. This was an unpleas-
ant ugliness. But otherwise he was a
very fine-looking man with correct,
pseudo-Greek profile At review in
the full-dress uniform of the Russian
guard, the prince was really an impos-
ing parsonage He was brought up at
the court of St. Petersburg, which, be-
fore the nihilists sobered it little was.
as his legal father said in his will. the
most frivolous and corrupt in the
world.
Well, Prince Peter had great con-
tempt for women; so much SO that
twenty years ago he was regarded as
confirmed bachelor. The Princess
Metcherski, who became the wife of
Prince Paul Demidoff, and the. Princess
Iroubetskoi, who succeeded her as that
millionaire's second spouse, were
among those who were thrown at his
head by ambitious mothers. He was
talked of in connection with various
beauties of the imperial court; but his
alleged relations with them were not to
their honor, and though he went to
the dinners and suppers of the brilliant
cocottes who cut such dash in the
time OF the second empire, they never
seemed to exercise any fascination upon
him. He was called s'the northern
ic. cle' by the princess Metternch, and
king Frost" Yet this cold, stately.
man, who despised nearly every woman
whom he knew and passed for being
misogynist was capable of burning
and a romantic and an enduring pas
sion and may be said to have died Of a
broken heart, because his wife went to
the grave before him after union
for a long time secret-of nearly TWEEN.
ty years.
She was a servant in Breton inn
when he first saw her. He had gone
to Brittany to see one Of those pictu-
rescue religious meetings. half pagan,
half Christian, and wholly Breton,
known at Pardons. I saw his bride in
Paris good many years ago She was
staying with Breton woman, of hum
bic extraction like herself, who had led
a rather curious sort of life. Princess
Peter had the neatest features eonceiv-
able, jet black hair, penciled brows,
bright black eyes expressing health,
vitality. and quick perceptions, and
cleaning, even teeth that lit up the
well-lighted face whenever she laughed.
She was fisher daughter at Karlion,
and her father, grandfather, four I'M
cles. and three brothers had persisted
at sea. Whenever she heard high
WIND she crossed herself and offere d up