The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-11-21
THE RUIN OF ! QUEEN.
Her Own Mother Prepared Maria An.
toinettc for the Fate that Brfeii Her.

Her Own Mother Prepared Maria An.
| toinettc for the Fat" that Brfeii Her.
Never was a character more sadly
| and Systematically ruined than was
| that Of Maria Anioinette. Born of II
mother whose genius had made the
world to wonder, whose ability had
mad" secure her naiion III "A first IN
stead of an inferior rank. the child
was destined to sorrow from the very
beginning. Her mother had decided
| th" chiId-her Youngest daughter
should marry the Frenci crown prince
| and that she should one day sit on the
| throne of the Bourbons. With that
| idea in view the mother gave the girl
what education sac thought would be
best suited TO court life in the French
capital. Not frivolous grace. not "A
| coqucttish manner, not lrlling nc.
cOmDlishment was omitted in her
training. She was Taught to dance. t0
dawdle, To gamble and to act the
coquette AT all times. Nothing that
was really good or noble or worthy
| aside from personal virlue-was I'M
pressed upon her. The ba;ter to make
| the plan Of education sue ceed. the girl
was supplied with tutors from Paris.
| and ia more than one case they were
| totally without character.
Why so talented woman rs Maria
| Theresa should have taken such "A
| course no one will ever he able to tell
She was possessed of the souudest
| Judgment herself and always conduct
| eel her court in the most commenda BILE
fashion. But hers had been Il hard
race aud ii may be she wanted her
| layurltc daughter TO miss somewhat of
thc au>icrIllrS of life. Instead she iu-
| sured her the completest depths of
deso.atiOu aud "A death on the most
| >avH"" of >catrolds. One thing in the
beautiful Young queens life was very
| curious. Although taught at home by
nothing but French tutors. she was al
ways accused 10y the French of being
Austrian III heart. She never for "A
moment touched the popular pulse of
| the nation over which she had been
called 10 rule. Ii may be she felt her
Youth robbed of the home love that is
dear to the hearts of Us all. and that
she took sad revenge when she became
! woman aud queen by reverting
with even dangerous frequency TO what
she mad been compelled AS Il child to
neglect. She certainly does seem to
have favored Austrians even more than
French.
But the gayelies of her youth clung
/ to her alAays. She would indulge in
gambling. and would lose immense
sums when the people were starving.
She was extravagaut To- fault not
| easily equaled, aud at "A time when
popular complaint was growing into
| revolution. She would attend masked
balls IN the wIckedest of capitals. uu-
attended by those who should have
been her proper guardians and re-
turning III hours when the demi- -mo ode
| returned. That she mingled with
them and knew it. and that she would
| not desist even when warned and adj
advised 10, there can be no manner of
doubt. Time aud again she led her
| good-natured husband TO adopt the
most unpopular of acts. never for "A
moment believing the revolution could
come. That she was unfaithiul to him
has been charged aud repeated so
often that the world will always wish
her defense could have been better es-
tabIlshed. For no queen that ever
lived has exposed herself to so many
compromising situations
One French countess whom the
queen bad especially favored and who
was unqueslionably courtcsan in
volved Maria Antoinette in Il scandal
which did more than any other one
thing to bring about her ears the ruins
| OF royalty and upon her nation the
| curses of internal war. lhi- countess
induced "A serving woman WHO Ir-
| scGbled Maria AntUi.eitc "a p"r-ou'-e
tie queen la the request i"r diamond
necklace, the property ol the royal
family OF Fraucc aud of fabulous
worth. 1t was delivered Ia the count.
ess and by hcr sold in London. The
fraud was afterward discovered. but
the pcopi" OF Fari-, wnu easily con-
trolIcd France. would never beiicve
their queen innocent. aud when she
rode To her execution IN 1892 she Was
hooted as thief Of jewclrv.
But one thing Americans may re-
member in connection with her sad
fate is the fact that she was one 81 the
iirmest friends of these colonies in
their struggle for Independence ani
that great sums of money went from
the French treasury to our assistance
service that we have never repaid.
The common people We're opposed 10
so generous n help and the fated queen
paid dearly enough for it when the
shock OF ruin came.