The Indianapolis journal., 1894-01-08
DIARY OF A PRINCESS
Secret Love and Ambitions of
Young Elizabeth, of Bavaria.
Clandestine Marriage to Lieutenant
Seefried of the PrecOciOus Grand
daughter of the Austrian Emperor.

MUNICH, Jan. THE local correspond
to have special connection in court cir
cles here, published recently Leaves from
the Diary of Princess Elizabeth of Ba-
varia,' who secretly married a poor lieu
tenant, Baron Seefried, some time in Au
gust, the ceremony being repeated early in
December in Genoa Princess EliZabeths
memoranda referring to her present hus-
band date back to 1883, when she was
scarcely fourteen years old. In the light
OF the published pages of the diary the
love affair between Elizabeth and her bar
on was one of first sight Here follow
the most interesting extracts:
MUNICH, Jan s, 1SSS.-We were very
happy to-day. Very. 1 could not sleep
last night, and lay awake thinking If in
the morning L would not be quite a differ
ent person. 1t is rather comical TO reflect
that yesterday / was but thirteen, a mere
child, while to-day / am a lady fourteen
years old and becoming older every day.
1t all came about suddenly. What
pleased me most was the letter which his
Majesty, my dear grandpa, sent me from
Vienna He is such a dear old man. Sister
Augusta is right when she says: The
Hapsburgers are all perfect gallants.' You
are now a little lady, my grandfather
wrote. So 1 am 1 put my first long
dress to-day, dress with a long train to
it. l never guessed that such thing could
make one so happy Augusta was very
jealous of me. She will have to wait for
such good luck for entire year. / am
now to enter the dancing school, where
will meet real gentlemen, although they
are only pages and cadets. The grand
mistress of Germany tells me that l must
treat them in a naughty manner-full OF
superiority she styled it, This morning
when they came to congratulate me l
tried TO follow her advice. Only once did
l lose my composure when young Seefried
made his bow to me. All, such eyes as he
has. If / had my will / would have fallen
on his neck. They say that can never be.
Well, / must content myself with embrac-
ing my dear grandpa in my dreams.
wish he were here.
ELIZABETH AND SEEFRIED.
FEB. II, 1SsS.-I danced last night with
real gentlemen, though none of them had
mustache. They were all young men, or
dered to come to the castle by the master
of the pages 'Ordered'-that doesn't sound
nice 1 can't imagine that anybody likes
to do a thing when he has been ordered
to do so. 1 would be too proud. They are
all talking about me and young Seefried;
they are making fun of uS-Of me, at least.
1t is annoying, especially when / may
truthfully Say-but rather | will not say 1t
/ really would like TO know why Augusta
thinks that Otto-but / shouldn't call him
by his first name. Il makes me angry that
L gave way so often. They must stop their
chatting. 1 know what 1 will do; will tell
papa.
FEB. 15 1851 thought better Of it. l
will not complain on Otto's account. Poor
young fellow! He would become the victim
of my intligues. They would send him
away to another cadet school, where he
will never have an opportunity to appear
in court, and that would be too bad. He
is indeed the only one of the young men
with whom L like to talk. 1t is much bet
ter that / suffer my sisters chan than he.
No | won't think of complaining TO papa.
.March 49, 1SSS.-I wonder what his Maj
esty my dear grandpa, at Vienna, would
say if he knew that there is somebody in
the world whom ! love as much a as himself nh sell
such n thing could happen, l would have
laughed at the very thought. but nobody
shall know it, not even guess it, and L
will not tell Augusta, from whom l have
FEB. is. 1SSS-Ah, this infamous, this
valentinei Picturing me sitting in an open
barrel, which is being carried up the
mountains! 1t is a pun on Otto's second
name. Buttenheim Cbarrel home). have
cried a good deal over this cruel joke, as
they cali it, Why am l a princess? / am
forbidden even to look at a man But, real
ly If they knew how much L love him,
they would not be so cruel.
FIVE YEARS LATER.
I have not seen Otto. but did / forget
him? No. No! And he has become man
meanwhile 1t struck me as very comical,
when 1 had to give orders that he be form
ally introduced to me- Yes ! am Royal
Highness, and l must order people about;
it is my duty as well as my prerogative
/ 1T as if / was going TO cry. Won
d !, feeling overcame me when 1 saw
hi appear before RE, him whom thought
lost God is good to me.
March 10, lS93-How it frightened me
when we met without announcement He
looked at me long and with emotion, and
when 1 read in his true eyes what / had
expected to find there / felt SO happy
And as / smiled on him his face assumed
an earnest look. He seemed Inanlier then,
most perfect, almost as If i had offended
him. Offended? Who told him TO fail In
love with princess? All. wish l were
entirely sure that he were in love with
me. The fact that he is living opposite the
palace and that his windows look into
those OF my boudoir is almost too good TO
bslieve. 1t reminds one of the stories in
the childrens picture books. But in the
books it would be written that the poor
lieutenant who dared to live opposite a
princess and dared to correspond with her
by way Of his eyes across the street must
die. Fin de steele love affairs are much
nicer. L love to remember how he squeezed
my hand, how he looked at me- how he
has worn the ribbon he stole from my
breast during the dance on his heart ever
since. But then we were children. What
a conversation TO enter into for princess
Should a Royal Highness act in such a
that question, me dear grandpa, his
Majesty.
AFTER the court ball. June, 1s93.-Long
live dame etiquette. | am much pleased
with her How astonshed the master of
ceremony looked when ordered him TO
Order Lieut.. Otto Won Seefried to dance
with me- And then 1 ordered Otto again,
and again did ] order him to attend me-
and all around L felt that they were eying
us and talking about US. Some of them
probably remembered that her Royal High
ness Princess Elizabeth. five years ago
was desperately in love with the little page
Otto Won Seefried. But we were talking
and laughing, and We waltzed through
the room l myself. and ] believe he too,
forgot momentarly the difference in our
rank and station. I ordered him again to
attend me, but l did not order him to love
me- There was no necessity for that If
] were the poorest woman in Bavaria
could not be more unhappy than now. when
/ am confronted with unlimited happiness
when i feel thy love, Otto. oh. Otto, why
am 1 not allowed to love thee? l cannot
sleep, for / see no way out of it, no way
TO save us. Why is it crime for a roval
princess to love a poor ,nobleman? Why
should we not be allowed TO marry? My
dear grandpa, / will ask thee for advice
Thou hast seen many sorrows in late years
and thy heart is good. | will throw my
self at thy feet, and l am sure thou wilt
Ill,