Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-03-13

the papers the death of the Grand
Duchess of Libesheim
No, / didn't observe. The old Grand
Duchess P
oh, no, the young one-the wife OF
the Grand Duke-I mean the fellow
who was Grand Duke until Bismarck
sponged him off the slate.
4 don see. Where did she died ?
In Florence. She was very young
to die
Young to die-yes. But she was not
exactly chicken, you know. Let me
see. When was it we saw her in Liebs-
helm at her marriage festivals a? In so,
wasn't it, Well, you see, twenty
years.
Yes, yes, Of course but I always
think of her as young. How beautiful
she looked then =
She did; she seemed a charming
woman. l only saw her twice-the day
when her husband brought her out into
the balcony to bow to the crowd, and
once at the court ball, for which some
good natured functionary-I forgot who
it was-kindly got me ticket
She is dcad-so soon, my frienu
repeated, thoughtfully.
did not quite understand his emo
tion. was sorry the Grand Duchess
should be dead, if she particularly
wished TO live but one must be great
devotee of royalty to feel profound griet
at the death Of a princess whom he saw
twice, in a crowd and at a distance,
twenty years ag,. 1t surprised me too
to find my friend SO deeply concerned
for the extinction of any royalty. seeing
that he used to be rather Of the stern
republican school. 10 be sure since he
and were III Germany together he had
received consulshlp from the govern
ment Of her Majesty Queen Victoria.
"Thcy said her husband Was d worthless
scamp sald | for want OF any thing
else or better to say.
They did ; I believe it was only too
true replied Roundell, rather gloom-
lily.
She didn't care about him, suppose?'
| asked.
No How could she? He wac
brute, and the marriage was mere
political arrangement.
4 suppose these royal or semi.roval
marriages always are
He didn't answer directly. But he
sent I'D another pillar Of smoke, and
murmured. Dead $50 young and 50
beautiful y
"You grow quite sentimental about
the Grand Duchess. Did you know
her?'
I never saw her, as you haye said, for
twenty years.
Then why are you 80 greatly con-
cerued about her death ?
We'll, vo" see, her memory belongs
to the old time, when we were Young
and | can see her face now before me,
sad and beautiful. | know she was
very unhappy. remember nearing a
story dou't know whether it $ worth
telling, though.
by all means Go ahead. | shall
be delighted to hear it,
said this because Roundell spoke in
that halfeager and halt-apoIogetlc tone
which shows that man wants to tell
you something but is afraid you will
not care to listen to it.
1T isn't much. There was fellow
knew at the time we were in Lebeshelm
--an English fellow. l don't think you
knew him. He was studying something
or other there. and he liked to read in
the mornings. lie used to get up with
the lark and stroll out into the park.
You remember the park-pretty, wasn't
it7 And he found out quiet place
where hardly any people ever went
even in the day, and he used to read
there. | remember the spot, every
stone and leaf of it-he showed it to
me-and used to lounge there some
times after he had gone. 1t was little
bit Of clearing in rather thick part
of the woods, and there was little
stream there. used to spout Goethe's
poem to the Bachein there
You used to spout, or the fellow you
are telling me Of 2
oh, | used to-when he had gone,
you know. Perhaps he used to spout
it too it doesn matter. There We're
a couple of statues there, a nymph and
a faun-that sort of thiug-all grown
over with moss. Well, sir, one lovely
summer morning, when this fellow WAS
reading there, declaiming out Ioud--he