The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-13
NILSSON AS A COUNTESS.
She Married Count Miranda Because
She Admired His Daughter.
New York World.

Christine Missions recent visit to the land
of her birth for the purpose of taking in
the Stockholm exhibition. and the tremen-
douS enthusiasm created by her presence
there, have served to bring once more prom
inently before the public the name OF
songstress whose voice and fame have ri
vailed, and, according to some, risen SUI
perior even to those Of Adelina Patti, and
yet who Is almost unknown to the present
generation, her identity being, so to speak.
concealed by the name of her singularly
ill-favored Spanish husband Count Angel
De Miranda, under secretary of state for.
foreign affairs at Madrid, place which
he owed entirely to the kindness of his
patron CanovaS, and which he will now
probably lose in consequence of the latter
assassination.
Like the dark-haired and dark-eyed
Adelina Patti, Christine Nilsson, Countess
of Miranda, has realized an immense for
tune by means of her glorious voice. Her
mansion at Madrid as well as her villa at
Nice, are equipped with every form of lux
ury. One of the most peculiar apartments
of the blonde and statuesque eX-diva is her
music room at Madrid, which is papered
entirely with the programmes of all the con-
certs at which she has taken part during
her professional career Another depart
ment is papered in similar manner with
old hotel bills relating to the same epoch
of her life.
Count Miranda, who is far too homely and
unattractive for any women to ever fall in
love with. Nilsson merely married him on
account of his daughter. The latter is
lovely girl of the brunette type, and as dark
indeed as the prima donna is blonde. Chris
tine made the girls acquaintance at Nice.
became pasSionately attached to her, and
finally declaring that she could not bear the
idea of a separation, proposed to adopt her.
The penniless Count De Miranda gave his
consent, stipuating, however, that the
singer should likewise adopt him as hus-
band and provide for his financial welfare,
undertaking to remain her husband only
in name This was just the kind of hus-
band that Christine needed, so they were
married
known man. and is probably the only dip
lomatiSt who can boast of having got the
better of Bismarck. During the early stages
of the war of 1870 he managed to scrape
an acquaintance with the German chancel-
lor and to become SO intimate with him as
to be frequently invited to his table, where
Bismarck would discuss at length Ger
manys military operations and projects. 1t
was only two or three weeks after the de-
parture of the count that a chance copy
of French newspaper fell into the hands
of the chancellor and revealed to him the
fact that the count had taken advantage
of his hospitality to communicate every
thing he had heard at his table to the
French civil and military authorities and
even to record the princes confidence in the
French press. This discovery caused i'm
mense satisfaction in German military cir
cles, the members of which were delighted
for once to see Bismarck beaten at his own
game, taken down a diplomatic peg and
shown to have been guilty of indiscretion
and credulity.