The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-06-26
The Story of a Queens
CourtShip as Related
by Herself.
Carmen Sylya's Pretty
and Unique Vengeance
on Her Foes.

OF nearly every royal IaIIlliy
in Europe. AS lady-in-waiting to Queen
Elizabeth of Roumania Carmen SYLVIA.
the author has had exceptional oppor-
tunities for observation. and her style,
If not brilliant, is at least lucid
The first chapter, naturally devoted
to the Queen Of Roumania, contains a
somewhat remarkable contribution to
historical literature-the story of a
Queens courtship, told by herself. The
interest Of the young princess in the
new Prince of Roumania had been
aroused by the circumstances of his ac-
cession to the throne rather than by
his personal qualities. and her story of
the wooing runs in part as follows:
in the small garden OF the Hotel du
Nord, where the beautiful towers of the
cathedral threw their shadows upon US,
/ poured eager questions into his ears
without even casting a glance at his re
fined and regular features, and he pa
tiently answered every one Of my in
quiries.
Royal Couples Wooing.
He told me about his difficult task.
and about the exotic country that had
become his own. its wide plains and
savage mountains, its whitehead peas
antry, frugal. grave. and endowed with
weird powers of untaught eloquence and
poetry. He spoke long and well, while
1 listened breathlessly. rapt in astonish-
rnent and delight. He described the
great masters of the land, those Bay
ards. cultivated yet barbarous in mind
and customs, whose souls were alive
with the blended charm Of the Byzaa-
tine influence and the hot blood Of old
Latin descent. I envied the young Sow
ereign who had taken I'D scepter
whose maintenance required as firm
grasp as e sword, and L said TO him
openly. You are a happy man
And the concertT asked my mother
as we went I'D &c our rooms.
" The concern L repeated in utter
anazement. I had forgotten all about
the concert. %, mother. you can't guess
how deeply amazing. how thrilling, is
the conversation of the Prince of Rou-
mania. and how envy him his beaud-
full task, Just imaginei He rules a
nation quite new TO the world, but at
the same time ancient IN blood and his
tory: and he has to understand them
and 10 make them happy. A splendid
mission, indeedH
We'll, my child. that task. that mis-
sion. might be yours also. The Prince
of Roumania wants to marry you. He
has come here with the sole purpose Of
meeting you. This is no chance encoun-
ter, as you believe You have but one
word to say
II remained perfectly bewildered for
a few seconds. Then, as if urged on by
the resistless impulse Of my destiny.
answered:
Yes, I will marry him. / will help
him, and follow him to that wonderful
land q"
War Against Insineerity.
Carmen sylvia. who sometimes laugh
ingly calls herself Donna Quixota,'
takes a real pleasure IN humiliating her
enemies by the generosity OF her for
giveness Thus she said: I am not as
good as I appear, assure you. am
exactly like the Popes mule in that
charming little tale Of Alphonse Daudet
The mule only kicked her foe seven
years after he had inflicted bitter in
jury upon her. kick-after seven years
silence and sometimes more-but never
kick vigorously.
MY favorfte vengeance Is = very
harmless one. ] force people to act as
they speak. 20 live up TO their principles:
take every word they say for sin
cefe expression of their desires. This
means some cruelty on my part. because
in our presence they don not only their
best dresses. but their most high-fown
of noble aspirations. which are carefully
put aside IN everyday life. The most
frivolous young dame pretends she loves
solitude. books. and the company OF her
husband and children; the ambitious tell
me that they simply desire modest in
comes. ard a place Of qdist retirement
so whenever I am able 70 do so I give
the giddy young woman an excellent OPP
portunity OF looking carefully after her
home, and spending studious afternoons
force the ambitious man 10 content
himself with the joys Of the existence
whose charms he describes to me- "
Stronger Than Her Fate.
The Queens one grief-the loss OF the
little Princess Marie-is touched upon
in the most pathetic bit Of descrip-
ton in the book. OF this the author
says:
Armed with desire to be stronger
than the strength OF her fate, the Queen
has lived and done her duty as IL from
that hour all her hours had not beer
void of hope and light; as II the smiles
fond mothers lavish upon their children
and receive from them again did not
sink as deeply Into her wounded flesh
as the form OF that heavy marble cross
which lies so cold upon her life. She
% whom such a portion OF human bliss
has been denied. has. at least, tasted al
the SAVIOUR Of heroism and mute de-
spair. Sometimes II seems to have made
her seek the means OF suffering more
and more.
oh, the first children's bail az which
! presided after her death-scarcely
one year afterl on, the music OF that
ball-it whirls yet IN my memory. The
pattering OF the little feet struck or
my heart like a rain of fire. And
held my arms open and the little chill
dren came 10 me and nestled IN my
bosom. Each Of them reminded me OF
heroine had her way OF kissing. another
almost spoke with the accents Of hei
voice; yet IN each OF them 1 missed the
grace. the smile. the vivacity which
were her own. Oh. was meant 70 bs