Wichita eagle., 1890-01-02
A SCH00LMA'AM ABROAD.
STORY OF A LADY WHO TAUGHT
IN THE GERMAN ROYAL FAMILY.

| STORY OF A LADY WHO TAUGHT
IN THE GERMAN ROYAL FAMILY.
A Small Glass Of Empresses-Beautifu
Princesses in the Rooms Of the Roya
schlosse-The white Lady," Who Al
ways Gave Warning Of Coming Death
Out on Jackson street, in modest LITTLE
cottage, lives Signora Marcucci, teacher Of
languages. who was for five years instrucEres:
| in Italian to the royal family of Germany
She knows all OF the great ones about the
throne of the kaiser, and has many interest
ing recollections Of the days when the present
empress went through the weary conjugatior
Of the verbs and parsed and translated
The instructress heard more than the les
sons Of her royal pupils, and some of the COS
sip Of the cour. and the diplomatic scandal:
that she heard during her stay there she told
the other day to an Examiner reporter, tc
whom she gave the story Of her life in the
family Of the emperor.
when l began giving lessons to Princess
| Frederick Charles, in March, 1873" said Sig
nora Marcucci, Berlin society was talking
about the appearance of the white lady the
specter that warns the house OF Hohenzollern
that one of them is about to die. In this in.
stance the death of Prince Waldemar bore
out the gruesome legend. With my mind
full Of the uncanny mystery presented my
self at the royal schlosse. As passed up the
majestic staircase was startled by the sight
Of what seemed to be the 'Weisse Dame her.
self. A tall female figure, clad entirely in
white, passed me- without taking notice of
my presence So softly did she tread that
not the slightest sound of her footballs could
be heard. 1t was no ghost, however, but the
Princess Frederick Charles herself, wrapped
in long white cloak. The death of her
favorite son, Waldemar, had plunged her
into the deepest grief
TIE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS.
Though nearly forty years of age at that
time, she was still the most beautiful princess
of the Prussian court. She was tall and
dressed with exquisite taste, though very
plainly.
II soon got to know the princess very well
Every one pitied her, for her matrimonial
misfortunes were known to every one in the
empire. She was the daughter of the Duke
of Anhalt, and when she was but 16 years
old she had three suitors, the prince, a Rus
sian grand duke and another young noble
man. She loved the last, but her father
grufny ordered her to marry the prince, and
she had to obey.
'She was kind hearted and almost childish
In character, while he was rough as a wild
beast She made no secret of her nhappi-
ness made worse by her poverty, and often
spoke of it to her friends of which l was
happy to be one. She had no money of her
own, and what she got from the emperor and
her father was wholly inadequate to the
needs of her high position.
Her unkind husband never tried to make
her life bearable. They would have been di-
vorced If old Emperor William had not cut
short their demand by asking them, And
who will divorce mes And SO they went on,
she running away from time to time and al
ways returning until death loosened the chain
in 1885,
MY daughter, the princess of Connaught,
and her husband, are happy she used to say,
her eyes full of tears. They are at the same
time prince and private people. They go to
Paris and amuse themselves when they like
"An her daughters were happy in their
marriages. At that time her son, Prince
Leopold, was still boy 10 years Of age
He used to come to his mother during her
lesson. He was beautiful boy, with tho
features Of his mother. He had just begun
to learn Russian. Many of the officers learn
this language in order TO be prepared for the
war that they have so long waited for The
little fellows visits We're much more agree
able than those of his father. had heard 50
much of his brutality that trembled when
be came in lest he should show his fierceness
then.
Zone of the ladies in waiting had favor
lite lap dog. One day he threw acid over it
just to make the lady angry. Such acts were
common on his part, but he stood alone in his
brutality. The other princes were as kind
and considerable as could be.
''Ths poor princess ran away to her father
once while was teaching her, but he prompt
ly brought her back to her husband
''The old emperor knew Frederick Charles
character, and once remarked in my pres
ence:
IF we had not been princes, l could have
been a tambour major, and my brother q
good teacher
"'And Charlesr asked some one.
ooh, Charles would have before this
reached the gallows.'
TIE TRUE SOvEREIGNS.
Princess Frederick Charles recommended
me to the crown princess, now the widow Of
Emperor Frederick. 'Upser Fritz and his
wife were the true Soverelgns, and the new
place at Wild park and the kronprinzen
palace at Berlin were brilliant with recep-
tons, at which every statesman, poet or ar
fist Of note who entered the empire attended.
Salvini played in the little Rocco theatre, |
at which no actor had appeared since the
days Of Frederick the Great and Roed re- |
cited for the pleasure of the brilliant court. |
But while the great new palace was a |
scene Of almost feudal splendor during the |
afternoon and night, it was more Ike the |
home of a well-to-do English family in the |
The prince and the princess were |
unaffected people, and the young princesses |
played around the palace just like other chill !
iren.
Their favorite romping ground was the |
theatre / spoke Of before It was near the |
atelier of the crown princess in which / gave |
ner her lessons.
Sophia, the just married crown princess |
If Greece, then scarcely 9 years old, was the /
orettiest of the three little girls ALI three |
had large, curly blonde hair.
''The crown princess was painting picture /
~ Hei SHAiAe ca : SpNeiHSe 6HA tue "Aoio
amily was greatly interested in it Often
he kind eyed crown prince would come IN
o watch the progress OF the picture.
Poor fellow The disease that killed him
% soon after his accession to the throne had
lot manifested itself San Francisco Ex-
lminer.
Race Horses and Steamboats,.
do not know which is the most hazardous
,iece Of property TO own, a race horse or
teamboat. Your horse may run mile q
I'D