The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-15

x.
press of Mexico, is so dangerously III that
her death is feared at any moment.
The tragedies of royalty contain nc more
pathetic legend than the true story ct the
beautiful and hapless Carlotta. Marri ID at
seventeen to Archduke Macmillan o. Aus
tria, a dream of imperial glory formed
natural part of her young wifehood when
Louis Napoleon, to replenish his depleted
treasury and galvanize his decaying mill
tary power, attempted to erect new
throne on the ancient foundations OF
SPANS richest province in America-Mex-
leo. At twentv-seven the dream was over.
The shot that ended the life of the invader
and usurper darkened the mind of a frail
and fated wife. During the several years
that she reigned in the ancient city of the
Aztecs Carlotta won everybodys admira-
ton and made even to republicans less de-
testable the pretensions and. performances
of the French-Austrian carpetbagger. The
palace at Chepultepec, believed to conceal
the hiding place of Montezuma, became
after she entered it as mistress a veritatble
home in which Mexican ideals of secluded
and stately life were realized with sim
plicity and grace. Visitors who tread in
these days the long avenue Of expresses
within the palace grounds told with
melting eyes by Mexican attendants or the
Presidents family-for 1t became the
poor Carlotta' walk" The long, phantom
like festoons of Spanish moss drop Weirdly
from the sky-piercing trees; dusk relgnS
the greater part of every day through It's
melancholy vistas; few birds chirp in the
great black boughs; but lizards and death-
suggesting things abound In the tree stocks
and dart about in the brown grass. Poor
Carlotta" remains in tender ana pitifuI
memory among kind-hearted ana loyal
people. Her miserable rate is the only re-
greet they feel for the necessary END OF IN
Vasion and usurpation- For her only were
they willing that the decree of death upon
Maximlian should be changed to one of
perpetual Punishment But the desperate
and cruel precedents he had himself set IN
taking the lives of Mexican patriots after
stincts but those of retaliation and exam
ple-making. European monarchs learned
in the fate of Macmillan the folly or pre-
Stunning that totterng thrones in an old
and renown in the new.
Maximilan's history and fate is still fresh
empress was born June z, 1910, the daughter
OF Leopold |, King OF Belgium, ANA ms
wife, the Princess Louise, daughter OF
Louis Philippe. King Of the French; and
she is the only sister Of Leopold II, the
present King of Belgium. Her sad history
is soon told. On July 81, 1857, she was
Austria This unfortunate man was elected
Emperor OF Mexico on July 10, 1863. When,
in consequence of the opposition or the Uni
ted States government, he lost French sup
port the empire collapsed, and July 10,
1867, Macmillan was shot by the Mexican
authorities. The awful shock OF her nus
bands execution robbed Carlotta or her
reason. and for thirty years she has been
hopeessiy insane.
royal castle of Bouchout, near Laeken, the
summer residence of King Leopold, sub
urb of Brussels. Her life has been sad
one, darkened as 1t was, by the cloud
which hung over it, and when, during her
lucid intervals, she remembered her past
misfortunes it was only to be once again
convulsed with her own grief. At first she
used to preserve her court exactly as II
she were in the old Iturbide palace In Mex
leo. When she saw certain number OF
persons in her presence she received them
exactly as if she We're still the Empress,
with her husband. Macmillan, I'm the very
height of his short-lived power.
She would say: You have come, mes
signeurs, to salute the great Empress of
Mexico. / thank you You desire, DOUBT
less, to lay at the feet OF MS MAJESTY. tne
Emperor. the proofs of your devotion:
Very we'll; I will go and acquaint him or
it," And then she would descend from
her mock throne and search all the rooms
for Macmillan. After her vain search she
would come back and say: Il do not know
where the Emperor is, but as soon as he
arrives he will come and see YOU" Then
she would wander into an interminable dis
course on the brilliant position of the EN-
peror and the grand future IN store Tor
him.
She would sometimes seize portrait Of
Macmillan and would beg and suppicate
him not to be content with his title of En-
peror Of Mexico, but to aspire higher stu.
''You must mount higher" she would ex-
claim, always higher 1t is not one crown
you deserve or that insist on your wear
ing. but ten. twenty. all the crowns IN the
world" The ex-Empress would often
continue in this strain until she was in q
state of ecstasy, when the visitors. moved
to tears. would depart unobserved by her
Majesty. Then. after ordering her mag
mary pages to take up her train, she would
march out of the reception room with
Carlotta so far recovered as to no longer
hold these imaginary receptions A state
of dull, leaden apathy came on her, varied
now and then only by paroxysms of grief.
One of her chief occupations was to walk
into the royal gardens attended by her
maids Of honor She walked absolutely
impassive, looking directly ahead as If her
attention We're fixed on some distant OBJ
ject. She took short steps. Most of the
time she did not speak single word. she
took no notice of things around ner; she
never stopped TO pick a flower; she was
absolutely Indifferent TO the many beauties
which her garden possessed.
Carlotta was likewise very fond OF music.
She could only play disjointed airs herself,
but always listened with pleasure to any
pieces played by her attendants. Often
when she was walking in her garden she
would suddenly hear in the distance one OF
her maids playing the piano. she then
terest; she beat time to the tune with her
wan pale hand and was for the moment
happy. one evening AFTER the EilDtt-S
had gone to bed a young Austrian lady Of
considerable musical ability, who had for
some time been acting as one OF her maids
OF honor sat down TO the piano and began
10 play the Mexican national hymn. Just
she was finishing she saw Carlotta APP
pear at the door OF the drawing room in
her nightdress pale as death With the
last chord the Empress gave a piercing cry
of Macmillan and fell on the floor in
an acute nervous attack. She was removed
to her room, and was for long time in a
critical condition. This was the first indi-
any "reminiscences of the terrible catas-
trophe which was the cause OF the loss OF
her reason. Favorable results We're at one
time hoped for from this return OF memory
but all hope was once more abandoned
when no progress was seen In the unfor-
tunate sufferers condition
a curious phase OF her mental alienation