Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29
Sordid Sequel to
Aristocrat's Mesa11iance
Special Correspondence of The Star.


BERLIN, July 49,
A MOTHER chapter can now be added
~ to the romantic story of Count
Erasmus Erbach- Erbachs romantic
marriage to a washerwoman's daughter,
who had herself served an apprenticeship at
the tubs before she welded the infatuated
young nobleman. 1t might be entitled The
Sordid Sequel" It's case of cupid being
vanquished by poverty-of love yielding to
luxury. To rid himself of his wife, which
is necessary to secure his reinstatement as
the heir to a magnificent property and ST.,
100000 year, the count has had recourse
to the plea that he was of unsound mind
when he contracted the marriage and has
retired to sanatorium, while his relatives
work the machinery of the law to procure
the annulment of the marriage.
The counts father meanwhile allows the
wife $50 month. That is a beggarly sti
pend for countess, though 1t is big sum
for a washerwoman's daughter However,
she does not think it enough and brought
an action against her august father-ln-iaW
TO get her allowance increased to S125 a
month on the ground that as she and the
count, while they were together, had lived
at the rate of $4,000 a year-albeit on
credit-to be compelled to live on 5000
year scale was a terrible hardship. She
contended that she should be treated as
countess rather than as daughter OF the
the court, and the verdict went against
her. 1t was pointed out to her further
more that II the marriage were not an
nulled, she could get no allowance at all.
So She Is left to ponder over the question
whether it is better to be an eX-countess
$50 month or q grass widow countess
with nothing at all and the washing tub
her only means of earning livelihood. The
next stage will be an action for the disso-
luton of the marriage on the ground that
when it was contracted Count Erasmus Err
bach-Erbach was non compos menus.
Whether or no the countess contests 1t, II
is pretty sure to succeed In a German court.
In that event the count will no doubt be
speedily restored to reason, and in due
course will become the reigning count him
self and figure among the SHINING Hgnts
of the hereditary aristocracy.
The counts marriage occurred only last
year, and doubtless the main features of the
queer story are still fresh IN the memories
Of American readers The marriage took
place in London because there, both parties
being over age, parental objections don't
count The counts father and the other
members of the family raised a fuss over
1t. The Erbach -Erbachs are no end of hered-
itary swells. They belong to the. media
tized nobility, which means that they enjoy
equality of birth with the royal families of
Europe The head of the house Is entitled
to style himself serene shfghness BY
law, too, designed to protect their blue
blood from plebeian faint. the offspring OF
a mesalliance, as in the case of royalty, are
barred the succession. The house laws
of the Erbach- Erbachs, which have been IN
force for over five hundred years, provide
Furthermore that the head of the house
may disnherit any Erbach who marries
woman not of royal rank. At a solemn
family council the threat OF disinheritance
was launched against the contumaeious eid-
est son and heir
K
He answered it in a strain of heroic de-
fance Not for moment did he regret the
step he had taken He loved his wife ana
she loved him, and though Of humble birth
she was far more worthIer of lifelong de-
votion than any of the pampered daughters
of royalty or hereditary petty potentates
AS for being deprived of his income by his
irate father, that did not bother him DIT.
He rejoiced In the opportunity 1t AFFORDED
him to prove to- the Erbach- Erbachs and
the hereditary aristocrats OF Europe gen.
orally that there was still left man OF
noble birth who welcomed the chance OF
showing his love for the purest and best.
woman on earth by earning living for
her And so on and so on.
It sounded very fine The hereditary
workers clapped their hands. This is man
OF the right sort, they said; he shows the
proper spirit: he is too good for the aris-
focracy; he is one of the people. But the
arietocrats knew the breed. They said
hwait." And It did not prove long walt,
either.
AS long as the heir to the princely Err
bach Erbechs could live on credit ne ana