The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-02-20
A BE6GAR'S HISTORY.
The Queer Tale Told by q Female
Organ-Grinder.
she Claims to re a Descendant OF a cSoble
Russian Famiiy-fier Descent In
tho Social scale Due TO
Eomrntic Attachment.


The old woman who plays the hand
organ at the corner OF Ninth and Vine
streets has a history, according TO tho
Philadelphia correspondent OF tIe Chi
cago Times. Il was born she said, ''on
the 4th day OF August, 1917, in Werin-
land. sweden, and am now. you see.
scvcaty-thrce years OF age. Ny name
is Anna Svcnson. That is not my fUlI
name, but is enough and win do. Our
family name was wen known - Sweden.
and also in Russia; in fact, our family is
Russian.
In the time Of Catherine our family
estates were OF the largest held by the
nobility. My mother was direct de-
scendant OF the Nasa dynasty. / never
know her, as she died when I was born.
You see that on my mothers side am
OF royal lineage. and on my fathers side
l descended from the proudcst OF Rus
sian aristocracy. Ny father was proud
man, morosc and stern in the extreme.
The soldiers IN their summer camp at
Nisby y hOm he commanded. would often
be fo-gcd by his orders for some triling
offcn>c
u remember little Of Werinland, Tor
as child my time was passed in the
school at Stockholm. and as q young
lady was ar court more clcn anvw hr-c
else. When ! was twenty years old we
were Al our stockholm home. and daily
in attendance at the palace. or At Drott-
ninEholm. / was the especial fayori
of Princess Eugunie. l was constantly
her companion. She loved mo and spoke
. me as ! think my mother would have
done There was At court - tEot riuna
nJblcuas named Baron BhcEseu. Ctill-..
rank, bat IS poor as = be- -ar- iia had b.
son Carl, Captain IN the navy. whom ]
had met al court balls aud receptions.
Carl and ! during that summer met very
often. We walked and talked and
rowed together until l found that ]
loved him.
Princess Eugene said TO me one day:
'Ah, my dear. this love OF Casl's VIII
give you trouble some day ] smiled at
her, but thought nothing Of 1t. BaJ ou-
day ~ Drgrtninghoim Carl told rae thae
lie would Ut once speak 10 mT father. ]
hated that, but / said: Yes. do So and
he went away happy. Poor Carl. don't
know what passed between hiu and my
father but on the next evening ny
father sent for me 70 come in the libra
~. l went there; he was tall. cold,
stern; man OF iron. so, 50. my little
NN'A44AAN77r a. IT, H.aA -''f. l a-'
you? Wen. wcll, III soon stop that
and then he BEGAN to tell Iac how poor
Carl was, that he wanted Iuulv my
money, that Lc was a drinking man.
bad man Oh. how that night comes
back to me.
Il never said a word in nswcr:
simply stood there trembling from head
10 foot. At lcngth my father stopped
and putting his hand heavily on my
shoulder he said: Go % your room:
you shall never marry Carl Irhceren.
never Carl met me the next DAY in
the garden. lie was La-~-rl and pale.
You know al, he said. and ,lan, With
out waiting Tor 81 answer. l- urged me
10 leave S-cden-to so with him ID
America 20 build a little home there in
the land Of the free. I would not !
could not. I respected my father. /
did not want him 10 curse me. Then
Carl left me and l never saw him ar.-in.
4 fc9v days afterward they found him ou
the beach ~ Waxholm dead. with q
bullet in his heart. They never knew
whether he killed himself or was MUIR
dered.
II lived on ] was alone, that was
all. One day father told me l was 10
refused to obey him: then, in his
passion. he struck me, and as 1 Law on
the ground he told mo he would Kill nee
as lie diu Carl. DE stopped as he said
that and then quietly, With a white,
drawn face, he leftIac alone.
My father was a murderer.
Il left the house that night and
Sweden shortly afterward; first / went
TO London and then I came 10 this
country. / saw notices about my strange
disappearance in the papers, but !
wanted only 70 die. / went through
your rebellion as nurse in the South.
Then / wandered from one place 70 an
ther. and / descended still lower and
lower IN the social scale, until now l am
what you see me.
Little do the people who give me a
cent for my poor organ music think that
once ! was q belle Of the old worlds
nobility; that ! danced with Kings. and
that the blood OF Vasa Is running in