The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
QUEEN NATALIE RESTS
IN A PARIS CONVENT
"The Solitude" Offers Peace
and Comfort to Servia'S
"First Lady"
SHE WAS EDUCATED THERE
Nuns BestOw Affection and
Guardianship on Their
Royal Guest.
SHE WAS EDUCATED THERE
special Correspondent. to rrrsr.

PARIS, June l1.-F1-ouesn Natal. n
spending her days in retirement In q Pal.
convent II IL in the guest house Of III,
Solitude that tho Queen OF servia nov
lives.
Here with a small suite for COMPANY
she devotes her time TO different char.
table works brought TO the notice OF IN,
nuns.
The guest mother, Mere Bet'ina. a tiny
frail old woman. has tho guest nous.
in her charge. and comes In many t'mes A
day to see that all In as {. should be-
photograph of King Milan stands on
the chimneypiece In the salon. and an.
other OF King Alexander and Queen
Draga stands near the Queens chair
Queen Natalie IL a; home IN the con.
vent, for she was educated there and sns
loves every stick and stone In the plaza
Her father was an officer IN the French
army, and her marriage with the King
OF Servia did not prove II very happy
one. The frightful tragedy happening
so closely on King Mllan's abdicaton
when King Alexander and his Queen
were murdered. has made Servia odlou,
to Queen Natalie and she will probably
make Paris her permanent home.
She II so happy in The SOLITUDE"
with the kindly nuns that she has, for me
moment ut all events, abandoned the
idea OF taking an apartment In the city
80 long rs the Queen remains In This
Solitude" no other guests will be al.
mtted. All the year nround there 10
house and It Is always filled with vai.
tors. old pupils OF the convent for he
most par, or women otherwise well 40
credited to the mother superior. Mers
Bettina looks after their comfort ana
listens with great enjoyment 20 their
tales Of the outer world.
The nuns of this wealthy and aripto.
cratic order OF Notre Dame de Sion arc
women OF high culture. and their principal
occupation has been teaching. They are
tolerated by the Government on accoun,
OF the valuable colonizing work they do
for France by means of their branch
houses in Algeria, Morocco and the East
The mother superior, accompanied hy a
small court composed OF secretaries and
assistants. moves from one establishment
TO the other inspecting. organizing. advis
ing. correcting and with great skill an,
tact administering the vast property No
cumulated in the course OF time ry 'a.
order.
Almost all the houses that stand arouu.
the Paris convent and garden arc ~
property OF tho convent and very h..
indeed II Il TO obtain lease from q
sisters. Once your character and pos i'i..
and you are In possession or an apa..
ment. you are favored beyond the con
mon run OF mortals. for the nuns are th
best OF landlords.
II Is In these surroundings that Ques'
| Natalie IL spending her lonely widowhnod
and here. guarded by the sisters IN col
ard veil. the weeks slip peacefully ny
/ Every day the Queen and her ladies eros
the garden to the convent chapel. wher'
! they hear mass. and often Queen Natalie
I passes before that crusty FORTRESS. ant
with a single one OF her ladies' for escor
| goes out on some errand into the city.
| One afternoon recently. when crossing
the Tuileries Gardens, the Serv,an eI
| Queen passed another widowed and exilsd
majesty. who, leaning on an ebony stick
was slowly walking down the long terrscs
| at the end OF which are tho fragments Of
the facade Of the former Imperial Palsce
| To the Empress Eugenie-for OF course Il
was she-Paris Is full OF bitter reminders
to Queen Natalie Il Is a refuge and b.
! loved home.