The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18

francs, viii so 10 the hOiy See "iiS'ie'
she marries the marquis or not, and as none
of it is invested in servia, Alexander is
powerless to forestan the shattering of his
fondest hopes.
SENSATION IN SERVIA.
"And TO think that this terrible news
should come at the moment when We were
all in a fiutter of joyous excitement over
the invitation TO visit the Car and his
family" walled Alexander's special am
bassador, queen Draga and her ladies
were Just trying on some Of their grand
court costumes and robes of state intended
for the reception at Lvadia, when the tele-
gram announcing her Majestys conversion
arrived at the palace. The news struck US
dumb. and anyhow no one dared open his
mouth, for the King was terrible 10 look
upon, being the last 10 imagine that has
mother would take such revenge for the
wrongs heaped upon her for years and
years by her husband. himself and the
Servian church and government"
The nature of these wrongs and the i'm
preston they made on this unhappiest of
nineteenth century queens, may best be
gathered from the advance sheets OF her
Majestys memoirs. soon to be issued In
Paris This book is written in the third per
son. the royal authoress not wishing TO
obtrude her personality moro than neces-
sary. Here are some telling extracts:
''Of all the queens and princesses of Eu-
rope. nay. the universe. none suffered
more cruel fate than Natalie of SerNia,
nor did any other crowned woman have so
much cause to despise men and politics as
she During twelve long years she endured
sorrows and indignities without number,
while love for her son, respect for the
throne, sealed her lips. Foreign ambassa-
doris, the nation, saw Natalie gay and smil-
ing-that her smile hid an ocean OF tears,
God alone could see.
Natalie daughter of the old Bojar
family of Kechl1o, was eXtolled for her
beauty and grace, when, i'm 1873, she gave
her hand in marriage to the then Prince of
Servia. She was young. highly educated
and rich, very rich, and her husband, who,
before marriage, had been a protege OF the
Vienna Cabinet, was able to draw his first
free breath. Natalie banished the spectre
of poverty from the palace and her mil
lions enabled the Belgrade court to rival
others in stately splendor."
The memoirs tell of the disappointment
of the pure young girl experienced as she
became more intimately acquainted with
Milan, 1.-THE son of an adultrous mother
and Prince Kusa of Roumania." Russia
had given one of her richest daughters TO
the ruler of the land Of pigs and prunes,
in the expectation of drawing him over to
her side but Vienna being so much nearer
TO Belgrade than ST. Petersburg, Milan,
asked
tanned Austrian brides as Of old.
Natalie might have gained some infiu-
ence over him if she had been his mistress
instead of his wife, say the memoirs but
the very legitimacy of her claims TO love
and confidence made her husband turn from
her. whom all the world acknowledged to
be one of the most beautiful and intelligent
of women She had not been three months
i'm Belgrade when her misfortune was COM
plete The prince hated and maltreated her;
political affairs did not exist for her.
..After the birth of her first and only son,
the present King Alexander, the young
couple virtually separated. The princess,
afterwards Queen, lived up to the dignity
of her position in all outward respects, but
Milan was a stranger TO her. In July, 1883,
Milan threatened to divorce his wife,
whereupon she answered back: Your letter
has not frightened me very much. am not
a mistress liable to be discharged at pleas
ure. I will never give my consent TO di-
-vorce as such a course is against my re-
ligious principles. At the same time 1 am
sorry for you and pray to God that lie may
have mercy upon you
PROTEST AGAINST DIVORCE.
4,
lished documents, showing that on Oct. =
1883, Milan, in a long personal letter, or
dered the metropolitan of Belgrade to pro-
nounce divorce" The decree was granted
the same day by the accommodating arch
bishop, who had then on his desk letter
from Natalie, saying: do not forget your
gray hair; it cannot be long ere you stand
before the highest judge. l pray you, not
to besmirch your soul with new sim
Another letter from her TO the metropOli-
tan said: II protest most energetically
against your sinful and unlawful undertake
ing, namely, to grant King Milan divorce
You are not competent in such matters and
you know it, and every step you have here
tofore taken in obedience to my husbands
demands was unlawful .
THE first consequence of this unlawful
divorce" according TO the memoirs, was
Milan's differentiation" The dispatch an
nouncing the fact is signed by King Alex
ander's then governor, DR.. DOhtsch, and
addressed TO Madame Natalie Kechko,
Yalta," but the very next official COM
munication greets her again Her Ma
jesty, Queen of Servia."
In reply to the news of Milan's abdication,
Natalie sends her regrets. at the same time
demanding that the young King either visit
her at the Yalta or that she be allowed to
see him in Belgrade. When the new metro
politan, Michael. sends her his blessings
she makes haste to thank him and TO as
sure him that she is tired of hearing moth
ing but fine phrases. lies and contradic-
tons
The regents informed Natalie that they
had no wish to keep her away from Bel
grade but that King Milan was sure TO
kick up a row If she came, whereupon Ma
talie announced that she would arrive in
Belgrade on Aug. IL, causing a very Veri-
table whirlwind OF kilograms from the
regents, alternately begging and ordering
her to keep away from the Servian capital.
The memoirs publish a categorical letter
from Queen Natalie to the Holy Synod. in
Belgrade, under date OF June II. 1890, pro-
testing against the fraudulent divorce pro-
nounced by Theodosius. 1t took the new
metropolitan and his associate bishops just
five days TO find that the divorce granted
TO King Milan was unlawful and improper
being against existing laws and having no