The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-24
THE RUSSIAN PRINCESS.
a Poor Li:tlo OrshoNs of Royalty Ec-
ouced to AbJoct Poverty.

tocratic littlo lady, q triflo too fair, with
curly white hair, palo blue Dyes, and q
beautiful, clear complexion. Some
people said sho was Russian spy, but
she maintained that she was n Russian
Princess, and insisted on being nd
dressed as Your Excollcncy.'" Thus
writes Paris correspondent of the Pail
Mall Gazette. 1--WE havo q notion at
home that Russian Princessos abound
like blackberries in the month of Sep
tember. 1t appears that Russians hold
a different opinion; but that is detail.
So our aristocratio littlo lady had no
difficulty in getting herself addressed
as Your Exccllency,' and spoken of
seriously as the Russian Princess, yet
doubt If any OF us believed in her higher
rank. She was very extrayagant and
generous, had lady's maid, man of
affairs, and lady's companion, and she
occupied fiat on the first floor. This
means a considerable income.
"Onc day she announced her intention
of visiting st. Petersburg. 1t was
whispered that she was connected mys-
teriously with an august person in that
capital. This Was accepted in the same
slleptical spirit as we did her rank Of
Princess and her limited assertion that
high quarters in st. Petersburg would
DO iluttered by her appearance. The
fact is that we had grown into tho way
OF disbclicving her pretty ard romantic
fairy tales, wherein sovercigns and
courticrs and diplomats, courts and pal
aces and embassies figured largely.
$50 We continued to wink and smile,
and watt her wishes for bon voyage
and 4 pleasant return as She drove away
from tho Hotel Bristol with her COM
.panion, her maid and her hommo
d'atTaires, followed by the very sincere
regrets Of all tho menials of that aristo-
cratic establishment. Judge, then, our
complete dismay to learn III couple of
months that our charming little Russian
lady had been flung into n mad-house-
yes, Il mad-housc she and her poor
lady's companion. She might have had
q few harmless ccccntricitics and de-
lusions upon her birth. But if we are
all to suffer imprisonment for the sake
of an innocent dclusion, good gracious!
would the world hold together? Wo
made inquiries at tho Russian Embassy,
for VIC were honestly attached to tho
pretty little creature. No were either
met by mysterious silence by naughty
refusal to listen to us. At last VIC be
thought ourselves of tho English En-
bassy, remembering tho English COM
panion. And hero we learned that our
curly-hcadcd Princess was not so much
agtray as wo had imagined. Unfortu-
natcly for herself the claim was oblique
She was the daughter of late august
person, during whose life she had hcen
brought up at court; hcncc her glib
mention OF courtiers and ambassadors.
Upon his death the next august person
allowed her Z splendid pension rs sort
OF recognition of her rs n step-sistcr,
but csiled her to Paris. Her father in
the worlds oycs was m illustrious Rus
sian General who had lately died, lcav-
ing her Il largo fortune.
Now, just at that moment the pow
crful person to whom she owed her pen
sion was prcmaturcly called away to a
land where pensions of different sort
are settled. His sudden withdrawal
caused sensation we al can yet recall.
1t hardly subsidized when our poor little
Princess placed her foot on her native
ground, to be atoncc captured and flung
into IN asylum. They could not on the
spur of the moment cast her into pris-
on. SO they dec:lcl She was mad, Asa
pcicautio:i they locked tip the English
companion, and some months elapsed
before she was ablo to got the
car of tho English Embassy
The English Ambassador rescued her
and paid her fare down 70 Paris. and
that was how We learned tho story.
Through tho English Government, or,
as my littlo Princess will have it. the
personal friendly efforts of very Illus
trious parsonage, she was ct the end of
nine awful months liberated, cnfccblcd
in health and deprived OF her pension.
Sho was conducted to Brussels, thence
forcibly conveyed to Paris, and, as pre-
vcntivc against further voyage, the poor
lady has been deprived of her fathers
fortune left to her, as we'll us her pen
sion.
"Sho is dressed in rags almost, is in
delicate health, unable In sickness to
have a doctor to attend her because she
can not afford the fec, to have food,
wines or medicines, or any comforts.
She lives in q cheap pension on the
fifth floor in most dcsolatc circumstances
an inoffcnsivc, gentle, wcll-born lady,
used all her lifo to luxury and unlimited
attendance. Hating Paris, she is forced
to remain here, and, not willing to be-
ncve that it is her own country that has
done her this vile wrong because of her
birth, she persists in Following that the
President Of the French Republic re-
ccivcs her pension and pockets it to keep
the Republic going"
Tho Bonnet Wouldn't BudGc.
While waiting for train at Yokoha