The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-09
A ROYAL ROMANCE.
Story of Empress Augustus First
and Only Love.
HE WAS A GALLANT FRENCHMAN
And was killed in Il Duel by the Court Cham
berlin of the Duke of SAKE Weimar-
The Dying Scene.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch.l
BERLIN, Jan. Spy cable 10 the New
York Sun. "A member of the suit of one
of the best known among our princes, tells
romantic story concerning the dead EN-
dress Augusta, and it is believed that it
has never before been given to the pub
lic
Augusta was a princess in the petty
court of Weimar, where she was hedged
about with all the straight-laced etiquette
small German pripcipalities affect.
When she was seventeen she was roman
tic girl and had learned by heart the stories
of the previous half century. the gallan-
tries at the court of Louis XIV, and so
well had she read that she was prepared to
fall in love with any man who might first
appeal to her sense of beauty, but the rigid
surveillance of her ducal father and
mother made male acquaintance almost i'm
possible.
Before this romantic spirit had lived long
enough to die, young French noble scion,
of more or less long lineage, stepped at the
court of Weimar in his progress of plea
sure launt from Auvergne. He remained
for some weeks at this place and became
favorite OF the Duke. He was accomplished,
handsome, and dare devil. At a court
ball shortly following his arrival, the
F'renchman met the Princess. They were
permitted to become partr ers This love
soon developed into indiscretion, which
took the form of secret meetings in the
palace grounds. The only people aware of
these trusts were the maid and valet Of the
principals, who served as the medium
through which a correspondence was car
ried on and meetings arranged.
The maid, whether through carelessness
or spite, lost one of the letters intrusted to
her and it was picked up by the Duchess,
the mother of Augusta, before the maid
could recover it. The letter was impas-
stoned and eloquent, ahd burning with a
love song of the smitten Partisan and filled
with all those pretty words that came in
with the Grand Monarch. This was all
very well for the two were young but il
led up to the suggestion of an elopement
1t implored fight and pictured an ideal life
Of love on the PASTORAL lands of New
America. The Duke and Duchess
were consumed with rage at this
discovery and poured forth their
Indignation in unstinted volume So
high did feeling run in the court that
the ducal chamberlain challenged the
F'renchman to duel, and the lover fell
mortally wounded. AS he fell the French
man tore open his tunic and there, pressed
longing to the Princess. Toward it his
hand. feebly moved and he died at the
moment he had seized the lace, and was
struggling to carry it to his lips. the
Duchess was so affected by the incident
that she silently placed the handkerchief
on the breast of the young man as he Law
in his coffin and it was buried with him.
His body was covered with roses strewn
upon him by the devoted Augusta, and she
from swooms and sobs became historical
and almost crazed.
For weeks the princess sobbed about the
place until her parents were convinced
that her sorrow must have some relief or
she would become insane. They suggested
a marriage with Prince William, OF Prus-
STA, and the Princess gave her Indifferent
consent, careless and thoughtleSs of what
might become of her. With William it
was matter of equal unimportance, for
he had first been crossed in love affair
and he was heartbroken as well. There
was no misunderstanding between them
on the object of their marriage. 1t was an
affair exclusively of parents and of all
obedient but discOnsolate youth and
maiden during their life. But Emperor
William and Empress Augusta maintained
toward each other the most perfect and Sc
we're politeness. They were friends, they
respected each other. but that was all
They were not lovers as they could not
tear from their hearts the memory of their
early love and their early disappointment.
The Empress always preferred French
books, ideas, dress and sentiment. and it
was her favorite language. The influence
of that unhappy loss remained with her
until the last moment and she doubtless
carried sweet regrets to the grave Years
have effaced remembrance of the affair and
it is safe to say that less than dozen great
personages know of it to-day.