The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-11-05
WHY SHE LEFT.


Husbands Practical Jokes.
All the way from Marienbad comes
at last the story of the real inwardness
of that mysterious quarrel between the
Grand Duke and Grand Duchess OF
Hesse. A few weeks ago it was an
nounced that the grand duchess had sud
denly left Darmstadt and had travel d
with a single attendant to Bucharest to
visit her sister, the crown princess OF
Roumania Other paragraphs mention
I'd that the queen of England and the
Duke and Duchess Of Coburg did not
countenance the Grand Duchess OF
Hesse in her quarrel with her husband,
but nobody seemed to know or have any
idea what the quarrel was about. All
sorts Of stories were soon circulated.
One in particular suggested jealousy on
the part of the grand duke of hand
some young officer of one of his cavalry
regiments.
Another person who knew everything
insisted that it was owing to the con-
duct of the grand duke and lady of
opera bouffe fame, and now 1t turns out
that it is all on account of a weakness
the grand duke has for playing practical
jokes 1t must not be forgotten that he
and Che grand duchess are first cousins
and both grandchildren of Queen Vic
toria They have known each other all
their lives and so their marriage was
more matter of fact than romantic.
Both are still almost in the boy and girl
STAGE as far as age is concerned, and 1T
is said that the grand duke began his
married life by treating his wife more
as male boon companion than as
delicately reared and exceptionally
naughty princess, with the imperial
blood of Russia as we'll as the royal
blood of England coursing through her
veins He invented ghost for her es-
pecial benefit at Schloss Heiligenberg
and nearly frightened her out of her
wits at a time when she was entitled to
his very deepest consideration. On an
other occasion he placed nest Of mice
in her embroidery basket, and he in
dulged in conspicuous, although, as it
proved. entirely harmless, firtations
with the ladies Of the court. Finally at
one particular festivity the grand duke
suddenly ordered all the lights to be
turned out and then he and a couple of
young noblemen who are his closest
friends kissed every woman that they
could come across in the great chamber.
1t is even whispered that the grand
duchess herself was kissed in the dark,
and she insists that it was not by her
husband, or she would have recognized
the perfume he is in the habit of wear
ing on his mustache. The result was
the flight next morning of the indignant
princess to Roumania.
1t needed no little persuasion on the
part Of illustrious relatives to bring the
young couple together again, and it was
on the distinct understanding that the
matter was finally arranged that in flu
ture the duke should refrain from con-
Meeting his practical joking in any way
with his wife. The brother of the grand
duchess, Prince Alfred of Coburg, seems
to be just as lively a young man as his
brother-in-law. He point blank refuses
to marry until, as he explains it, he has
'enjoyed himself bit, " and at every
he paints the capital of his
fathers little duchy as brilliant red
as he can possibly manage. AS he is an
only son it would be rather a dreadful
thing if he contracted one Of those mes
alliances which seem so popular among
young royalties Of the present day, and
a little army of detectives is constantly
in watching Prince Alfred
and hence the knowledge which exists
Of all his various escapades. London
Letter in New York Mail and Express.