The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-06
POOR "CARNiEN SYLVIA"
Tho Poct Queen of Roumanin in Her Exile
- mt Vsnlcp

hcsitatcd to hint that she has been
guilty OF all sorts OF crimes, and the de-
lay OF tho king in joining her in Venice
encouraged them to further fcats OF in
yention. Tho real cause OF tho kings
delay in joining his wife was the pres
cnce there Of Mile. Nacarcsco, who,
until recently, would listen to no in
dncomcnt to leave her royal mistress.
The most conflicting statements are
Printed about the queens health. and
only undisputed fact appears to be that
she Is very hystercal and in 4 wrctched
condition, caused partly by anxiety,
partly by some kind OF spinal trouble.
Both she and her husband arc the cen
ter OF y great variety OF selfish and un-
scrupuIous intrigue, which, it is
thought, may yet result in the kings
resignation.
Could cbe in Vcnczia these autumn
days, twisting and turning through her
narrow canals or gliding over the blue
waters OF tho Adriatic. ono might meet
now and again solitary gondola,
black, tho curtains half drawn, slowly
making its way among the crowds OF
other boats.
Inside there might DO seen reclining
on the cushions, resting her head on
her hand, and looking out to an un-
quiet past and perhaps still more
troubled future,a palc-faced woman,
with an indomitablc spirit looking out
OF her rather cold eyes, and yet with
just a hint OF despair in the lines
around her mouth. She seems to see
nothing, and yet to know everythin.
that is passing around her. She is
beautiful with the kind OF beauty that
rcpels. .,.
The interior OF the gondola is dark
and dim, but il one see in far enough
another person will appear. This
woman is tall and also pale. She is
strikingiy handsome and distinguished
looking. Albeit Il little languid in man.
ncr, she pays assiduous attention to the
woman OH the cushions, and anticipates
her slightest desire.
Here and there the gondola stops be-
fore some old curiosity shop, and the
two aligktins and entering shortly come
out laden with old china or moth-eaten
tapestry, or with some OF the thousand
and one things dear to the bric-a-brac
lover. Then the woman with the lines
OF despair about her mouth settles down
again upon the cushions and looks
again lar away.
This woman is Elizabeth OF Roumania.
This is Carmen sylvia, the poetcss OF
whom all Europe has been talking, and
whose quarrel with her husband,
coupled with its romance, has stirred
up royalty generally. The woman with
her is none other than Mile. Vacarcsco,
her maid OF honor, and who was the
innocent cause OF the trouble between
the king and queen OF Roumania.
The story OF this affair has been to
some extent told, and is rather romantic.
When Ferdinand, the heir to the
throne OF Roumania and distant rela-
tive OF King Charles, fell in love with
the queens maid OF honor, and when
the maid OF honor fell in lovc with
Ferdinand, Carmen Sylvia forgot that
policy rules royal marriages MS we'll rs
royal politics and constantly famed tho
flames OF love. So successful were her
efforts that, though Cupid hardly needed
them, the story OF the courtship spread
all through Europe. Then tho kings
advisers took IN oar and speedily
stored the frail love boat upon the
rocks. Mover" said they, must this
marriage take place" So Ferdinand
was sent on journey to find another
bride and his course was rough, indeed.
Then the cables began to whisper stories
OF the queens insanity. Nothing so
definite MS that was ever openly alleged,
but the hints We're enough to show that
she was mentally unbalanced. The
courtiers and ministers OF King Charles
openly advised him to divorce his wife,
but this he emplatically refused to do.
II will not" said he, 'do such dis
honorable thing as that. She will still
remain my wife"
Tho poetess queen has always had n
will and temper OF her own. As 4
royal poetess, too, she may have been
little spoiled. At any rate she was less
considerate OF the feelings OF her royal
spouse than he had been OF hers. She
threatened that ii she could not have
her way she would leave her husband,
and she did leave him, and that is why
she is sulkine i'll Venczia. The stories
now are that King Charles is himself to
20 to Vcnezia and take his truant wife
home, the beautiful maid OF honor be-
ing willing to leave the poe,css queen
and so aid in solving the difficulty.
[She has since been taken from Ven
ice by her husband.
There is no probability that she is
insane. Always Of an exci,able and
imaginative nature, she has simply
Worn out her nervous system. Iler
brain is still unaffected. The wide
spread craze over her poems has also
had its effect. No one supposed that
they would have attracted extraordinary
attention, but for the name attached to
them and the personality behind the
name. The Juror they occasioned was
the Juror OF any fad, and it is dying
away.
Tic play recently produced in vcnczia
anonymously, but which was really
from the pen OF Carmen Sylvia, fell fiat.
There was nothing in it. The echoes
OF the plaudits which tho Queen re-
.coivcd in Wales are dying away. One
will not be likely to hear OF Carmen