Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10
Xxx,
Villa Bertola, Winter.

-->N'S OSSii idppS, Happy, IN a simple,
human way? 1t is almost two months now
since have been welded to my lovely
| child. We dwell in white villa on the
blue Mediterranean, and are happy, blessed
| Gebhardt. who accompanies me as my cav
| alier, picked out this spot for US.
Below us lie the Hesperides. Orange
| groves, palms and bananas. Rosy gera-
NUNS. fiery salvias, violet heliotropes. pale
blue jasmines form hedges and cover the
walls. Wherever there is a foot of room
| there grow roses. pinks. violets; heaven
and sky are azure, and the golden sun of
| Province shine for us.
| Our villa is the only house on this happy
shore. 1t lies above the road that leads
to Nizza
| While my little Judica marvels at earth
| and sky here, try more and more to es-
cape from my old self. I strive to throw
/, off integument after integument and to
, be nothing except happy, thoughtlessly, If
possible stupidity, happy.
Since we have gray day today-even
here there are gray days-and Judica has
| gone out with Gebhardt instead of me, be-
| cause 1 do not care for a walk on account
of the rain, l must write few pages of
unnecessary words. AS if l could not tell
| my wife myself-tell her what? AS If my
| wife not sweet child that shall laugh
| and pick flowers, and lead fiower-life her
self in the sunshine
| L wrote nothing OF our wedding. II was
| different from the way we had planned it..
| 1t was not on the Alpine farm l had for
| gotten, when we decided it so, that l was
| a royal prince after ALL The king desired
| had to obey. His desire was not a COM
mand but request, so l had to obey all
| the more.
Therefore, went to the palace in o. in
| the most strict incognito. In equally strict
incognito came his eXcellency the minister
of state with another high court official.
| In strict incogn!to arrived Judica and her
| aunt on the wedding day.
| 1t was raining in streams, and In the
| park the leaves were beginning to turn. His
excellency performed the civil wedding most
solemnly in the white room. My count and
| the high official made most solemn wit
| nesses the count being almost tragic. Miss
| Fritz, dressed in stiff gray silk and looking
| like countess" needed all her determine
| ton not to look funereal, my child, in sim
| pie white silk, in hat decorated with pale
red crocus, smiled at me.
| After we had signed we received the con-
| gratulat ions of his excellency. the high
| court official. the count with his tragic
| mien) and Miss Fritz. His excellency adj
dressed my little Judica most ceremonious-
| ly as most gracious countess and the
| most gracious countess looked frightened
| to death, then looked at me and smiled.
| Then the high court official handed my
| wife with crushing formality, the presents
of their majesties-a magnificent set of jew
els from the king. grand string of pearls
| from tHe QueeH, anu 1lOll lily lAolHcl d
| little golden cross.
During all this time 1t rained as In
deluge 1t became so dark that candles had
to be lit.
| kissed her hand and took off her pretty
flower trimmed hat, and Miss Fritz crowned
| the beautiful head with myrtle wreath and
veil.
1t lasted long while. Surely. the hands
that dressed my child trembled too much to
do their work.
| "A sacrifice! sacrificed" 1t sounded
within me while 1 waited and conversed
with his excellency the minister of state
| about-the weather.
| At last Judica appeared, smiling no more,
but yelled by the pale bridal veil in SHIN
| mering mystery. We stepped slowly into
| the chapel of the castle, that looked ofke a
| white grotto Of flowers. We knelt before
| the altar, and our united hands received the
| blessing.
| 1 cannot remember the words Of the
priest 1 kneeled beside Judica, and while l
| kneeled 1 remembered that when l signed
the marriage papers 1 had thought of an
other signature.
The priest said solemn words. Judica on
my side wept softly. The rain beat against
the panes The autumn storm came in so
that the candles f.ckered and a chill shook
me.
| After a silent mass there followed a POM
pous wedding dinner, at which the two Off
Gals spoke much. They even made speeches.
| His excellency the minister of state spoke
| of the bridal pair. and the high court OFF,
cial toasted Miss Fritz.
The first toast was proposed by my little
| ness. 1t was the health of his majesty the
king-of Denmark 1 had almost said
| After this pleasant dinner the two officials
departed Miss Fritz too. said farewell,
| and Gebhardt accompanied her to her AL
pine farm. We two remained behind. The
rain streamed the storm roared the first
dead leaves began to fall. We stood at the
window listening to rain and wind, looked
at the witherea leaves falling. falling.
| But now the sun Of the south shines for
US. poisoning without end as a beauty
| without end woos as. There must be a
happiness without end, too. as there surely
is love without end.
1t must be beautiful now on the Sea-Alp
| in the winter. We will spend a good part
| of the year there, as soon as the new house
| is finished. The old one was torn down in
the autumn and myself made the plans OF
the new kings house." that will, however.
| be more like princes hut" My phantasy
once piled up a Grail Burg there. but that
| will remain castle in the air
While the Sea-Alp is hidden In snow, the
interior of Solitude is being changed for us
I am not glad. 1 have horror of it, like
my child though she does not confess it
for fear that it might make me sad.
AS the Christmas time approached my
child became homesick And she told MS
most charmingly of the Christmas on the
| farm.
Last year I baked the Christmas cake
out TOOK FAR too much of raisins, figs and
other sweets and was scolded. Why did
take too much of everything? Because
was In love and wished to send the most
magnificent cake to my prince decked
wondrously with gold and satin ribbons
This year my aunt must bake the Christ
mas cake herself. She will not let one of
the girls do 1t, for she might be in love. too.
and use too many raisins, figs and other
sweets.
1.-The whole house is cleaned, the win
dows fash. the floors are strewn with
white sand. and the big room is strewn with
juniper. How 1t smells!
II wonder, is 1t a fine Christmas eve a,
home? The moon does not shine. but the
snow CLEANS. The stars flicker and
sparkle. At 10 o'clock they start for the
church. for 1t Is two good hours marching.
when the roads are well broken MY aunt
is dressed in her best, and all the time she