New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-23
ADOPTED BY SOCIETY.
DISTINGUISHED PERsONAGEs FOUND ON
DOORSTEPS.

A.. moe, exclusive circles Of European society
No matter how jealousy their portals are guard
I'd against intruders-that Is 10 say against per
sons whose claim to admittance does Hol ie''
n, nob,liarv ouarterings and arstocrauc lineage
..o aro alvavs to he found within the pale
certain number Of individuals. sometimes oi one
~ sometimes Of the other who are there merely
nv adoption. BY this mean that society shu'S
~. ayss 70 the shortcomings in connection with
their origin and accepts them as they are without
question conceding TO them identcally the same
s,atus and privileges as II they were porii II ho'
on the steps Of throne. at any rate oenea.n 'ie
,,,bus If q coronet They are remarkably rev IN
,ruher-so few indeed. that they can almost De
counted upon the fingers Of either haho ""i'e
,bev are indebted for their social cu'Ieic!
IN tho main 10 the good nature and Indulgence oil
tho great they owe 1t. too in no small measure 10
~. tact the shrewdness. the diplomacy anu
.horo all 70 the talent which they possess IN max
ing themselves agreeable
prominent among these foster-childreh oil socie-
~ WAS Don Alessandro Sober. who mas just oieu
at Madrid at the age of eighty years iea'i"s
o,or,, naseta of his large fortune to the Queen
Regent with the proviso that on her oei'iSe Il l.
- n,ss 70 her children. He was not grandee
and had therefore. no recognized position a'
court he was not even hidalgo-nothing but a
,,, yat no was an honored and welcome
-. a., oil tho grandest houses of the Spanish
,s,ocracv formed part and parcel OF the most
,.-oaxclusiye coterie. and was "a III et a toi
Itch tho baughtiest descendants OF the ancient
rob,,,,v OF CASTLE and Of Aragon NOBODY not
even he himself knew with any degree OF certain
~ his parentage. although 1t was asser'eu ny
some that he was brother OF the Empress f-u
genie by others that Queen Isabella was MS nan
sister. and still by others that he was bo'h one
,d tho other those In favor OF the latter 'he"'!
bs,ng believers in the story according 10 WHO"
t,rnnress Eugene and her sister the late pucnesS
~ Alba were the offspring OF Queen iSape''a
mother. old Queen Christina by secret ana '''o'
.-.n.,,c marriage with a young English artist
nrtor TO her becoming the consort oil hins re'u'-
,.na q, Sna,n. The Countess de Monujo was the
favorite lady in waiting of Christina from the time
Of her departure from Naples and arrival In SPAN.
o,d,,,s assorted that the Countess was persuaded
a. odont as her own the two little girls OF Her
Majesty the boy being disposed OF as rounding
Tho only pont in favor az this story Is the neon
convertible fact that. according TO the records u
the Spanish law courts In connection with certain
lawsuits In the later part OF the t"enues '"e
Countess de Nont6p's husband died two run years
rrior 70 the dates gwen in the Almanach De COMA
os those Of the birth OF the Empress Eugene anu
~ her sister Moreover. the parish registers S'"'
.d m have contained the entries OF the count ue
Nontiio's death and OF the baptism OF the Two
Young girls who subsequently bore his name nave
heen intentionally mutilated in such manner as
10 preclude all possibility OF comparing ''e N"''
otherwise than above described.
n, .,essandro was found when about year
ia carly one morning In the gateway OF the
.,,,.ce ~ the Duke Of San Fernando ensconced
a. a hammer bearing the name and address OF the
Duke Inasmuch as the latter was 10 be nlarrlcu
three DAYS later 10 of the royal princesses' {
niece of the King. he felt considerably dscohceI'
I'd. well realizing the impression that wonio De
treated in the mind Of his bride II the stofy ever
teached her ears from other lips tnah MS OWL.
Fortunately for the baby. she was kind-hear'eo
woman and chose 70 regard the ht'le reno" az
sasco. destined TO bring happiness 70 her married
NE and decided to adopt him. The union prov
ing childless she and the Duke by degrees came
- ,oop unon the founding their own son. had
rim educated as such at Madrid and at faTls
.,oro with other young Spaniards Of high degree
IA an diving left him their entire fortune, when,
.ove for few legacies TO his servants, he has now
n..sed or almost intact to the Queen Regent ana
her children.
Found on a doorstep too. was that brilliant
leader OF ST. Petersburg society Nine Poio~o"'
x.ife OF the Senator Of that name VINO Is "ecre
sarv-General Of the Empire and one OF the ihos'
wealthy and influential statesmen In Russia
Nine Polotzoff who In her younger Gays Was
xyornan OF rare beauty. was deposited "hel ""'
a few weeks Old in the porch OF the suou'Od"
villa OF Baron Stieg;z the celebrated MuscoN''e
banker. WHO used often to be described as 'he
"pussan Rothschiid." The banker ana MS "he'
being chidess. adopted the little girl ana "he"
she grew up into an exquisiteiy ioVe'y "oi"d'
so,rersa her largely on the occasion Of her mar
1eafh -
.nd y, hts wife il was found that they had left
their entire fortune to their adopte1 oaus"'e''
whose real parentage in spite Ct all their efforts
tbev had never been able 10 discover. Nine TO
,o,zofs was famed when / knew her at ST. Peters
,,,ro .s being the most elegant and perfectly
s.soa ,vornan in the Cars dominiOns. she was
,,Lau,se renorted 10 be the Egeria Of several lead
IN. statesmen and has cxerted in the past. as
Ohio continues 70 do to-day, a considerable '''iu-
.nce unon the conduct Of the Government Inc
poIotzoff palace IS noted for us mashihceH' h''
n,taIity and fetes and entertainments suc'ee"
one another throughout the season almost VIII
ont interruption the late Car ana the "iu""''
|,.,r. tho nresent auiocrat and mis- consort the
unneror of Germany. and In fact almost every
rovaI and imperial parsonage wh0'has visited 'he
Russian capital, having been among those WIN
have heen entertained by the PolotzohS' VINO were
tho hosts Of Lord and Lady Randolph Cnurcn''
.hrouohout their stay on the banks OF the Neva'
Az Vienna know OF only one member OF society
concerning whose ancestry. parentage ana even
history considerable ignorance prevails. ne -
the only man in whose case Austrian aris'ocraos
has made an exception. and has accepted On Ills
own personal merits The name when ne oeaiS
o. that Of Frederick Smart. but whether ne u d"
Austrian or an Englishman 1t Is Impossible 10 say
for he speaks both languages equally wei"
A tall. soldierly-looking man. win snow,"nl's
..,r and mustache and a very courtly hish-ore'
manner. he Is to be met at the houses % ''''
grandest members Of the Austrian noph'y anu -
treated by them as one OF themselves VIM ~
really is no one seems 10 know a'"ous" -,
800 .-o-.ss.s IN have heard different story on