New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-06
THE GOSSIP OF PARIS.

THE STORY OF HER STEPMOTHEK'
PRINCESS N-wITTGENsTEIN
A TITLED sHOPKEEPER-
ANOTHER BOURBON
PRETENDER.
Paris December 2S
While press and public alike have been raining
acaingt Germany in connection with the captain
Dreyfus scandal to an extent tnat mas cai'e'
forth a greater degree Of resentment on the part
of the Berlin Government than has been ex-
messed at any time since the war the wife OIL
the German Chancellor. Princess CLOVIS Hohen-
Iohc has been quietly living here in the Rue de
TI-nIverslt6 unknown TO the general pubic. She
has been staving with her stepmother. the aged
Princess of Sayn- Wlttgensten. who Is some six
or seven years older than Queen Victoria and
almost as many tines Il eatgrandmother as
that august lady. Tho Chancelors wife was
only five years old when her father married the
beautiful Leonlc Bariatnski. and the latter has
b. her always been considered as mother. The
old Princess Is one OF those numerous Russian
arlstocrats who spend their entire existence
abroad and do not think that she has ever set
foot in Russia since she forfeited her place as
maid Of honor to the consort Of Car Nicholas.
some sixty years ago. by becoming a convert 70
Catholicism. Her marriage to the widowed
Prince Wittgenstein cannot be regarded
as having been an altogether happy union. as she
soon lcf' him and they lived apart. the Princess
retaining the charge. however. of his children by
his first wife including Princess Clovis Hohen-
lohe Princess Chigi Abani. Count Alien
kirchcn. and that Prince Louis Sayn-Wittgen-
stein VINO died at Rome and whose bourgeois
born widow. now married 10 Baron Hans
Roischach. spent So many years In sensational
litigation with her husbands relatives. endeavor-
ing o. obtain recognition of her rights to his Ute
and e. the inheritance ~ his fortune. Instead of
being treated merely as a morganatic spouse
Passionate!y devoted 10 music Princess Le0nille
soon became the chief OF that cohort OF blue
biooded ladies who constituted themselves into
a sort Of court II the great composer List
first Of all at Weimar and subsequently at
Rome. It was thoroughly understood that as
soon as her husband departed for another world
she would become LISTS wife. ard when In 1865
tho Prince died. she at once announced her readi-
ncss 20 become Nine List. Unfortunately. the
composer had made a similar promise OF mar
rage 10 the Comtesse dAgOult. who had even
far greater claims upon him than tn" Princess.
since not only had she secured divorce from
the Count IN order to mnrIy tho composer. ou'
,,,s olso tho mother oi w, Of his chdren. one
,f whom berarue tho wife OF the great French
statesman Emile Olivier. Prime Minister Of
NAPOLEON III. at the outbreak of the war. while
the other il now the widow Of Richard Wagner.
the composer Of "Lohengrin' and OF the
"Nicbolungen" Countess d'Agouit by-the-bye.
was quite celebrated as an author. her pen name
h.lnr Daniel Stern: and II was by her. too.
that Nine Adam. tho rroprletress and editrees
81 81, Nouvele Revue" was brought up. List
H.. Of
and in his despair appealed for advice 10 his
gr.a, frIend and patron Cardinal Prince iohen-
ohc brother Of tho present Chancellor The
Cardinal being only too glad to find n means ~
preventing a tnesalllance on the part 81 lady So
closely related TO his house suggested that lAszt
should enter holy orders the only means to
extrica,. himself from the difficulty The Com
t,ssc dAgoult never forsave the composer Tor
following the advice Of the pfeate. but Princess
Nittgenstcn did and actually went go far as 10
establish her residence permanently at Rome. so
~ TO be able 10 offer him home and centre
where she might assemble his friends Her
salon in the Eternal city soon became one OF the
most famous in Europe. statesmen. diplomats.
roval visitors and church digntaries gathering
almost every night throughout the season TO dis
cuss politics art. literature and gossip. which
vas every now and again interrupted in ORDER 10
listen 10 LISTS performances on the piano Like
Mezzofanti she is a perfect Babel OF tongues ana
while slipping her Russian tea and puffins away
AZ n large Havana cigar which she has always
been in the habit OF smoking she would chatter
away with ease in Polish. German. Russian.
French. English Italian or Spanish. Conversant
with theology and metaphysics. she was won't IN
those DAYS 10 transmit many Of her casuistical
dsquisltons and dogmatica pamphlets to Pope
Plus who in return would send her bouquets
from the gardens Of the Vatican to marx MS
satisfaction at her religious zeal. 1t Is doubtful
however whether he took the trouble TO
read any OF her writings. and IL is certain that
he never recommended them as textbooks 10
the students Of the various theological coheses
al Rome.
When Iiszt died 1t was found 'hat ne
had appointed the Princess execu'riN VI Ms
Will and since then she has divided her eA'S'-
ence between her villa at Oucny, near l'ausah"e'
on the shores Of the Lake of Geneva anu her
mansion in the Rue de rt'niverslte mere where
she is lying so seriously i'll as To nave neces-
stated the presence ot her s'ep-uaus"'er'
p,,rooss uohenIohe She lives surrounded by
relics and souvenirs of that Ilustrious composer
who may be said to have constituted the romance
Of her entire life and It is believed that she has
IN her possession many unpublished scores OF
bis which will probably be placed within reach
Of the general public when she dies. She has
beer an invalid for several years. being almost
entirely bed ridden and among her idiosyn-
craces is her horror OF the light OF day, her
windows always remaining Closely suffered and
the blinds drawn until darkness sets in.
Another once famous beauty who manifests
similar aversion 70 daylight is the Comtesse de
Castiglione. who played so important role dur
ing the reign Of Napoleon ILL., and who remains
on record as the most perfect type OF feminine
loneliness Of the present century
Following the example OF many OF the ladies OF