The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-10
qhe gerald and 0ep5.
HELENE YAcARESCO.
A Story Of high Romance as Great as Due
mass Tales of the French Court.
fNew York Sun. !

fNew York SUM-
The presence>in London Of the heir
presumptive of the Roumanian. throne
aud bis engagement to the very young
and charming Princess Marie of Ecln-
burg has revived the contradictory ru-
mors respecting the young mans past
ENHANCEMENT with Mile. Helene Va
eareseo. Many of those now circulated
are apocryphal, although there is little |!
doubt that the discarded lady is aveng-
ing herself by sending atshort intervals
the letters or copies Of them which she
had received from Prince Ferdinand OF
Hohenzollern, selecting those when
throw the most damaging light ntheir
relations.
The facts, the authentic facts, are
briefly as I will now relate:
sonie ten years age d Rounlanian
lady and her two daughters arrived in
Paris; their name was Vscaresco, and
although having somewhat the man
ners and appearance of adventuresses,
they belonged in reality to a good fam
lily of the Roumanian bourgeoise, and
had zone but respectable antecedents.
One Of the girls was rather pretty; the
other, Helene, was not; she was short,
plarnp, possessed Of neither grace nor
charn, and her sole beauty was a pair
of large, black eyes.
The prettier sister had a wish to i1n-
prove herself in painting, and this was
the motive of the visit to Paris. She
soon became a pupil in the studio OF
Nine. de Chatlllon, who, lady by
birth and mazriage, had, owing to re-
verse Of fortune, taken up art as q pro-
fession, while retaining her place in the
aristocracy. Shortly after the lessons
had begun, Nine. Vacaresco had COM
planned to Mime. do Chatiilon that she.
was inexpressibly bored in Paris, as she
had as yet been ui.succussiulin making
acquaintance, and she begged the lady
to help her in the matter, adding that
her daughter Helene was gifted with a
fine poetical alentwhieh would make
her an Invaluable acquisition in fash
ionable drawing rooms as a reciter OF
her own verses. The young lady GER
fainly wrote French poetry of q kind
that would have passed absolutely un-
noticed had if come from French
pen, but there m,is q charm in the sln-
gularity of q foreigner starting as
French muse and declainins her verses
with slightly exotic accent. Nine. de
Chattillon having heard her at the
studio, promised to present. her in sew
eral good houses, notably in one where
an Academician, q celebrated poet, NJ.
Sully Prudhomme, was an habitue.
An appointment was made; Vacaresco
showed due gratitude and enthusiasm
at meeting the aged poet, recited some
of her best compositions, was kindly
complimedted on them, and extrated
half promise from Sul!y Prudhomme
that if her verses were published in
book form he would recommend them
for academical honors. Helene Vaca-
reseo could have had no better adver-
tisement; she made the most of it and
achieve enough notoriety in certain
circles to awaken her ambition 32o to
change her hitherto modest pretentions
into aspirations for high and unprece-
dented fortune.
However, in Paris spurious celebrity
soon wanes, and pretty face with
large dowry has a better chance of
making good marriage than mere po-
etical fame. The Vacarescos, becoming
unpleasantly aware of this fact, deter
mined to make capital out of their lit
erary auccess in Roumania, whittier
they returned preceded by skilful!y
prepared reputation. The Queen, al
ways enthusiastic about anything per-
>taining. to art or literature received the
young girl gracefully and complimented
her warmly. Presently she conceived
so great a sympathy for the young
muse that she appointed her maid OF
honor, and very soon refused to let her
out of her sight. Mile. Facaresco
promptly ayailed herself of the advan-
tages secured by the royal friendshipto
promote the welfare of her family. Her
father, former Roumanian Colonel,
received an important diplomatic post,
and she herself conceived plan which |
would raise her to the highest destiny.
The heir of the throne, the nephew OF |
King CHARLES, the constant companion
of the Queen, was thrown on all coca
sions into into her society; there is no |
doubt that he was at that time attracted
by the young girl, and she adroitly
famed his liking, which, on the other
hand, was far from being discouraged
by the Queen. Carmen Sylvia, blinded
and carried away by her affection for
her fsvorite, seems to have forgotten
the duty she owed to her consort and
the country, and if she did not actually
propose marriage, she at least encour-
aged the idea when once broached. The
impYudence of her attitude was obvious,
for if the few important families Of
Roumania had abandoned their pre-
tensions and rivalry to accept the rule
of foreign prince, it was not to see one
of their compatriots, girl of the bour-
geoisie, raised to the throne. The con-
templated marriage would have caused
great discomfort, p~ssibly brought
about revolution. and certainly the
disoualificai. y of Prince Ferdinand as