St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-22
ROMANCE of A PALACE.
The Late King of Holland and
Nine. MusaPd.


The Late King of Holland and
Nine. Musard.
Lucy ii. Hooper's Paris Letter.
1t is dismal ending to the male line
of the glorious race of Orange Nassau,
the life and history of its latest repre-
sentative. William LII. of the Neither
lands may have been fairly good king,
but he was all uncOmmOnly vicious man
in private life. He had not even the
good qualities of his defects, being
neither genial nor goOd-humored. In
fact, he was royal masculine prototype
OF the celebrated little girl who ''hated
everybody and wished that everybody
was dead" He hated his first wife, the
high-Spirited and intellectual Sophia of
Wurtemberg- He hated both of his
sons, and it is. indeed, said that the
tagrantly immoral life and premature
death of his eldest son and heir was
owing to his fathers ill-treatment no
less than to his fathers example.
The prince was made unutterably
wretched at home, owing to the kings
jealousy of him, and so he took refuge
in Paris and plunged over head and ears
III the designations of the gay city, dying
finally. a broken-d0wn debauche, while
still in the prime of life. His second
son, Alexander. inherited diseased
brain from his mad grandfather, the
Emperor Paul of RuSsia,so it was rather
comfort for his family, as we'll as for
his possible future subjects. when he
took his departure from world which
his wits had left before he did.
Old King William, during his long. dis
graceful career, INDUCED in innumer-
able love affairs more or less serious,
but OF all the five females that he set at
the left side of his throne, tine most re-
markable was an American woman, the
celebrated Nine. Musard. She was a
realization of the well-known line
Byron, Born in garnet, in kitchen
bred" Yet, notwithstanding the Oh
security OF her origin and her lack of
education and breeding, she blOomed
forth into one of the most elegant women
in Europe. She was New Highlander
by birth, and began life in some mental
capacity in a hotel in Boston. She is
said to have been extremely beautiful in
her youth in graceful Spanish style,
her figure being at once slender and
shapely. and perfect enough in its con-
tours to have driven any sculptor to de-
spalr who might have tried to repro
duce it.
Her eyes were large and dark, her
head small and finely formed. and her
features of piQuant delicacy of out
line. Her vast fortune came TO her from
her royal adOrer in very singular way.
de flew into passion with her on one
occasion, and. catching up the nearest
object that came handy, he hurled it at
her head. The lady cleverly lodged the
missile, which was a bulky package of
papers, but, taking possession of it, she
carried it off in triumph. 1t was made
up OF shares in certain unproductive oil
wells in Galicia. A few years later the
company ''struck OIL" and that quarrel
with King William made of Nine. Mu-
sard one of the richest women in Eu-
rope.
Like Nine. Dubarry, who in her child
hood peddled pins and staylaceS about
the streets OF Paris, and who began life
as a dresSmaker's apprentice, the ex-
hotel drudge of Boston became nuted
for the extreme elegance of her sur
roundingS and the perfect propriety of
her demeanOr. Her taste In dress was
faultless, her hotel, her equipages, her
jewels were all renowned for their
splendOr. She came to reside in Paris,
and was muniticent patroness of all
artistic or charitable enterprises. A
stroke of paralysis. which brought about
an incurable droop of one of her eye
lids, deprived her of her beauty before
she had attained middle age. She al
ways sat. when at the theater or opera,
in proscenium box. with the disfgured
side of her face turned away from the
audience.
Covered with magnificent Jewels, her
slender waist encircled with girdle of
gems that matched the rest of her
parure, and shielding her eyes from the
light with an antique fan, painted by
Vatican or Boucher, and worth in itself
fortune, her dark hair decked with
roses, and her still exquisite figure set
OFF by the best efforts of the Partisan
dressmakers, she was noted and a
noteworthy figure to the last. Will it be
believed that the last years of her mag
nliicent existence were embittered by a
vain craving to be received in respect
able society? She did everything that
tact and intelligence and lavish liber-
atty could suggest to bring about that
end, but all to no purpose
She subscribed to all fashionable char
tiles: She patronized all tine relief funds
and benefits, the bdZaarS, and the balls,
making munificent gifts to each of
them. She always engaged the most
expensive box III the house whenever a
new operate enterprise was started.
Her life, from the hour that she Quilted
Holland, was entirely sans reproehe.
But none of the fashionable ladies of
Partisan society would receive her or
invite her to any entertainments. Once
she offered to certain philantbropic
duchess a subscription of $4,000 for that
lady's pet charity i'll return for an invi-
tation to dinner. The offer was courte-
Ously declined.
Finally she fell victim to the insid-
ious effects of the malady that had
robbed her of her beauty. She went
mad and died. The sale of her effects,
at her sumptu0us hotel near the Arc de
Triomphe, was one of the most extra
ordinary scenes that l have ever wit
messed. Her choice laces filled a huge
Saratoga trunk. Her silk stockings were
brought outS)y the clotbesbasket full.
The diSplaySf her fans took up half
dozen glass cases. Her tiny gloves and
miniature slippers were the admiration
of all the beholders. Nobody was sad,
anu nobody was specially interested.
Perhaps far away at his palace at The
Hague, old William of Orange, CHANGING
over the Partisan papers of the day,
may have given sigh to the memory
of the woman he had once adored. But
l doubt very much if he did.