Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-11-18
ROCKED BY A QUEEN.

ROCKED BY A QUEEN.
Her majesty the queen of Bohemia-for
story tellers there is always a kingdom of
Bohemia-was travelling in the most strict
end modest incognito under the title of
the Countess of Septchateaux, accompa-
MED only by old Baroness Georgenthal, her
lady in waiting, and General Korschowitz,
her gentleman in attendance.
In spite of furs and foot warmers the cold
in the saloon carriage was intense, and
when the queen, tired of her English novel,
wished to look out on the snow covered
landscape she had first to wipe with her
handkerchief the carriage window in
crusted with sparkling mica and delicate
ice ferns.
The journey had proved trying one.
The whole of Europe was covered with
snow, and they had traversed the half of
it, with many delays and difficulties, on
railways where the seventies of the season
had disorganized the service.
At night, although the foot warmers
were nearly cold and large snowfakes were
falling in the darkness outside, the baron
ess and the general were both fast asleep
under furs and rugs.
But the queen was not asleep Feverish
and shivering in her cloak of silver fox,
with her large eyes wide open in the
Shadows she was listening mechanically
to the vague and faraway music that
seems ever present to the ears of weary
travellers in the rustling speed of an ex-
press.
She passed in review the whole of her
short life, poor young queen! and thought
herself most unhappy.
She saw first a little princess with red
hands and slim figure side by side with
her twin sister-she who was married I'D
in the north, the sister she loved so fondly
and whom she resembled so closely that
when they wore the same frocks they had
to have bows of different colored ribbon
tied in their hair to distinguish them.
This was before the revolution overthrow
their parents throne. and she loved the
quiet, drowsy atmosphere of the small
court where etiquette was tempered with
simplicity.
Then came her marriage and the grand
presentation ball that July night, when
the murmurs of the throng in the illumi-
mated gardens entered the open palace
windows.
How she trembled when for an instant
they left her alone in the conservatory with
the young king! But she already loved
him, had loved him from the first moment.
when she saw him coming toward her,
with the white aigrette in his cap, so hand
some and SO distinguished looking in his
blue uniform covered with diamonds and
his gilded spurs clanking at every step.
After the first waltz Ottaker had led her
into the conservatory. and tE,are, standing
before her, he had taken h3E hand with
grace and dignity, and gazing long into
her eyes had said. princess, will you be
my wife?"
Blushing and dropping her eyes she had
pressed one hand to her foolish, throbbing
heart and answered, Eyes, SIRE"
Alas, how short lived had been her happi-
ness! Six months of illusion, barely six
months, and then one day cruel accident
had shown her she was deceived; that the
king did not love her, had never loved her
The queens love died at a single blow,
the timid, tender love she had never ven
tured to avow to her husband. and which
now she ikened to a bird she had once as
child stifled in her hand, on being suddenly
startled by the falling of a vase thrown
down by careless servant.
Often, sitting beside the gilded cradle
decorated with the royal crown. in which
her little Wladisla wrapped in slumber,
the queen would feel an icy pang through
her heart as one gazed at the child of the
man who had treated her so cruelty.
Moreover, she never had him to herself,
never to herself alone. A whole troop of
duennas, ancient danes with high caps and
solemn mien, watched beside the royal
cradle. and when the queen wished to ca
ress her son and know how he was they
would inform her gravely that his royal
highness had coughed a little in the night
his royal highness was suffering with his
teeth.
1t seemed as though the breath of these
women was enough to freeze and kill the
heart of the poor young mother.
Sometimes poor queen! she felt as though
she could endure it no longer. Life was so
hard!
Then, faint and sick with grief, she would
obtain the kings permission to visit the
queen of Moravia, and would escape, as
though from a prison, alone-for custom
would not permit the heir apparent to
travel without his father-and in floods of
tears throw herself into the arms of her
gray haired mother.
But this time she had left suddenly
without waiting to obtain leave of the
king, with hasty kiss on the brow of the
sleeping Wladisla, for she was almost mad
with grief and shame.
The kings dissipation was becoming
every day more and more of q public scan
dial, and satirical couplets were sung about
the streets of Prague, in which he was
compared to the notorious Augustus w.
To defray the expenses of his extrava-
CANT living the king raised money in every
direction. draining the country and run
ming into debt.
The sale of orders especially grew so
Bcandalous chat report said tailor in
Vienna had made Il fortune by selling black
coats, the pockets and buttonholes Of
which held the brevet and ribbon of the
most illustrious military order in Bohemia
one that dated from the thirty years. war.
But what had happened? The train was
moving at snail pace, and then it stopped.
What was the meaning of stoppage in
the open country in the middle of the night?
The general and the baroness awoke and
grew anxious, and the gentleman in attend
ance, having let down the window, leaned
out into the darkness
The guards lantern doomed in sight; he
was running along the train in the snow;
he stopped, and lifting his light lit up the
generals white mustache.
What is the matter? Where are WEI"
Korschowitz inquired.
I'VE can't go on for an hour at least,
monsieur; two feet of snow and no means of
getting through it. The Parisians will
have to drink their coffee without milk to-
morrow morning."
''Must we remain an hour here in this
terrible weather? And the foot warmers
you know, are cold"
"What can we do, monsieur? We have
telegraphed to Tonnerre for navvies, but,
as said before, we must wait an hour at
least"
'sIt is abominable. Your majesty will
take coldr' exclaimed the baroness.
Eyes, indeed, m, very cold," said the
queen, shivcring.
The general perceived that the hour for
heroisn had come. He opened the car
riage door, sprang out, buried himself Il
to his knees in snow and caught the nl:}'