Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-07-29

| onccs Of my life. marvel greatly That
the wofid has forgotten hcr-that there
seems 20 be no heart throb Of human
sympathy 70 respond to the thought
that Tor thlrty-three years she has
been confined In the royal retreat for
an insane empress at Palace Lacken.
In tho outskirts Of Brussels
~ q member lady IN waiting-of
her court In the city OF Mexico. thirty
four years ago. ! take up my pen to in
scribe her story. the parallel OF which
Is not contained In history. certainly
not In modern history.
carlotta. daughter Of Leopold I OF
Belgium, wife Of Macmillan Of Mexi-
co. niece and namcsakc Of the duchess
Of Kent. sister Of the king Of Belgium.
although linked In countless ways 10
the present time has yet been as one
dead for a third Of century. In her
own country her name IL an unHpokcn
one. IN the city Of Mexico many " the
monuments ana decorations of the city
bear tribute 90 her memory. while at
the castle Of Mlramar. In Trieste. the
recent home OF the late unfortunate cm-
press m Austria. are utlll many evil
denccB " Cariottn's residence there.
A QUEEN At TWENTY -FOUR.
Born princess. and educated TO wear
crown, now, although Cnrlutth has
lived but hfty-nlne years. thirty three
OF them have been passed within the
walls Of nm asylum FOR the insane Mar
Red az seventeen, "a queen at twenty
four and lunhtic at twcnty-six,
HNUH 49,. 90
pire and reason In tho short rpace or
eighteen months. and then. BY the irony
OF fate. forever banlHhed from human
memory. Carlottn'H career was almost
microscopic IN the rnpldity OF It's
change promising In its Inception.
magnificent In IT, rise. pathetic, dram
attic, tragic In itH decline ana fall.
Although Cnriottn was more potential
IN Mexican history during her short
reign IN that country than was her im-
pcrinl husband himself. the records of
that time ignore her Efforts, bclittlc
her achievements and refer 10 her en-
dowments Of executive ability, political
angaclty. mental culture and strong
wOmanly character la the most imper-
sohal and incidental manner II was
her regal training, her dominant spirit,
her constant insiatance which pre-
vailed over the weak vucillatlng, easily
Influenced ana almost effcndnate char
acter OF MAMMALIAN
II was Carlottas ambition TO be an
empress that was the cause % their
mlsfortunes Had she waited FOR the
drama OF circumstance 60 unfOrld It,
SELF she would have occupied the Aus
trinn throne. for Macmillan would
have succeeded Francis Joseph. his
brother whose only son, Rudolph. COM
United suicide.
Charlotte Is more In affinity with the
American people than are the other
1uIMhNNYH AZ ENmWa s4Iaa ga
even through misguided enterprise. TO
land whose border 81 our own, and
the study OF her life ana character. her
ambitions, triumpha and utter failure
must hnd sympathetic response In the
heart OF every American woman. II
her star had reached It's zenith later In
the century her memory would have
lived, pcrpetuated By her sisters, not
Tor the ambitious empress. but for the
hlgh principle OF genuine womanhood
evidenced by the good she did and the
charities she dispensed
The childhood OF Carlottn was ren-
dered serious with responsibilities and
tuition beyond her years. Her mother.
whom history has named the Holy
Queen" died when the little girl was
ten years old and Tor several years the
dark cloud Of mourning ovcrHhadowed
the palace. Court etiquette and queen
~ dignity, amounting TO auHterity. We're
constantly instillod Into her brain and
heart and made the deepest and most
lasting Impressions upon CnrlOttn'a
childhood. while yet IA child she knew
thoroughly the inviolatc rules OF court
precedence.
Her father educated her 10 be a
queen. She was prccocluuH. and un-
wisely he forced upon her rcHponsibui-
ties far beyond her years, AZ aeyen-
teen she was far In advance OF her
years In intelligence, and II was then
that 8he met her hero. Archduke Maxi
milan. younger brother Of Francis Jo-
seph, emperor OF Austria. lie was tall
and fair and gentle. OF military bearing
and spotloas character. and eight years
her senior, II was n case OF love at
nrat sight, and In two months they
were married, She. ambitious, cner-
getlc, possessed OF the executive force
OF man; he weak, vacillatlng. trust
ful In the goodness OF men and IDEAL
ized Into her hero.
For nve years they lived at Miramar
oastie,on the outskirts Of Trieste. Maxi
milan having been appointed governor
OF the Lombard Venetian kingdom, and
there Carlotta passed the few untrou-
bled years OF her life.
THE MEXICAN TRAGEDY.
Then. az the very acme OF all that
was beautiful and harmonious In her
life, the Goddess OF Fortune appeared
with her tempting oner OF IA scoptre
and crown II was the story OF the
Garden Of Eden told again In different
phase, and once more Il was Eve who
fell, for II was due to Carlotta'H nmbl-
ton more than to the opportunities OF
the Mexican delegation that Macmillan
finally accepted the golden apple OF
empire, ana thus attuned the instru-
ment which was destined 10 play his
own and his wite's requiem. How.
ever, 10 the credit OF Macmillan be Il
SAID the ilrst offer was unqualinedly
declined, but when the delegation came
the second time bearing what seemed
10 be proofs that a majority OF all the
people OF Mexico Joined with them In
the request, he yielded. aud the first
act OF the tragedy began.
The reception OF the embassy
az the castle OF Mlramnr
Is a tableau which closes the laat
act OF the drama OF CnrlottH life before
the curtain rose upon the Tragedy. IL
presents picture which In rotrospect
seems almost prophetic OF strife, tur-
mon, sadness and despair.
IL " not my Intention to repeat here
history familiar 20 every good Amerl.
can, turlottu was the sacrifice upon
the altar Of nations and she was eN.
hctly twenty-four years OF age, MAXI
millhn thirty-tWO. when their eyes be-
held Tor the hrHt time tho land where
they hoped 10 degenerate milton
Hulry into the city OF Mexico was
a triumphnl one, The splondors OF their
court were unprecedented. CarlottR
10 I.a "a