South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-13

late Prince e.
Wittsenstein and Of his wife Made
mOiselle Julie Cavalcanti de Nillen-
euve. whose mother, the famous
Countess de Villeneuve, was cOnsid-
cred the most beautiful woman in
Europe for something like 40 years.
She was a brazilian, the wif~ of
that rich Count OF NiHeneuve. the
owner OF the biggest newspaper in
Rio de JaneirO, who was for many
years in the Brazilian diplomatic
service and who occupied for a long
time the post Of minister in Brus-
sells. Madame de Nilleneuve was
certainly ;he lOveHest creature any
ones imagination could conceive.
Wherever she went people raved
about her. and every artist Of talent
I'm the second half of the last CEN
fury wanted to paint her portrait
She held a prominent position every
where.
II is impossible TO give an idea OF
the purity Of her features, which she
kept unimpaired until her death, at
relatively early age. She was
.
and looked only five and twenty.
There was not one wrinkle on her
face, and ill-natured people used to
say that she never laughed or even
smiled. for fear of contracting the
smOOthness Of her skin. The coun-
tess was certainly one of the Won
ders of her sex, and one may al
most say OF Europe, and no one
who has had the advantage of con-
templating her imposing personality
can ever forget her. She entirely
aRnihilated every other woman pres
ent when she entered a room, and
she made the loveliest face appear
old and faded besides hers.
Madame de Villeneuve had two
daughters. who. though handsome,
had not inherited her particular and
wonderful charm The eldest mar
ried Count GOertz, the head of one
OF the wealthiest and greatest of
German families. and was the only
creature who, if all that one hears
is 10 be believed. inspired with a
lasting affection Kaiser Wilhelm IL,
who was seen 10 shed tears when
she died about 10 years ago, and
who was 50 overcome by his erro-
ton at her funeral that he had TO
be led out of the church during the
service. 1t seems, also, that the En-
press Augusta who generally show
ed herself most philosophical in re-
gard TO her hus cand's fiirtations,
could not restrain her jealousy in
{ ra I'd 70. 20
heard to express her satisfaction
when death removed from her path
this dangerous rival
The Youngest Daughter.
Madame de Villeneuve's youngest
daughter became the wife of Prince
Francis OF Sayn Wittgenstein. with
whom she settled i'm Munich. where
she resides to the present day. She
was a very hard mother for her own
children. ano showed herself not
only neglectful of them, but also
harsh and unfeeling with her girls,
whom she wished above everything
to make brilliant marriages. In this
ambition SIZE succeeded for the
youngest was lucky enough to at
tract the heir 20 the many millions
/ of the old Prince Henckel Won Don
IEersmarck. whose fortune is consid-
cred 10 be the largest in the whole
I of Germany after that OF Bertha
/ Krupp But the eldest the Priu-
| cess Eleonore. did not show herself
SO tractable i'm regard 10 her
mothers wishes as her sister had
been. and she refused one after the
other all the occasions which were
offered her 10 establish herself as
well as her parents desired.
She was in love with the brother
OF two of her best friends and COM
panions. the future queen of the
Belgians and the crown princess Of
Bavaria. Duke Ludwig Wilhelm.
They had been brought up almost
as brother and sister. the estate Of
I Prince Wittgenstein being situated
quite close 10 the villa where Duke
7 Charles Theodore of Bavaria was
living on the shores of the lake of
Tegernsee. And they fell in love
with each other when they were al
most children. The Wittgensteins
we're considered equal by birth TO
I y
from that point OF view. marriage
+ between a daughter OF that family.
and the son and heir of Bavarian
prince, would not have offered any
difficulty. But both the young peo-
! pie were poor. and the Princess
WittgenStein would not hear of
such a thing
TnCkcd Into Marriage.
, one relates that she tol, her
daughter "a story she had invented
/ about the prince in which he was
I represented as being the lover of "a
beautiful actress who was the fash
| ion in Munich at the time. Elenore
was SO hurt. and disguised, that she
/ consented in her anger 10 give her
hand 10 the reigning prince OF
SchonbOurg- Waldenbourg who had
! since fOHS time entreated her TO
/ do SO.
They were married i'm haste. and
/ the bride had the time 10 repent at