South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-28

Duke cna NlChOlaleWltScn. the
grand uncle of the former car
Nicholas III. and the sister Of that
Grand Duke Michael. who. together
With his charming wife. the Coun-
cess Torby. has made England his
home for such a long time. She
was married when a mere child of
16 to the then hereditary grand
duke Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
through the intrigues of the lat
ter's sister. the Grand Duchess
Marie Pawlowna, who had wished
to secure to her German family. TO
which she had remained passion
ately attached. the immense dowry
Of the young Russian princess.
A Political Marriage.
The marriage had been a purely
political affair. one of these unions
such rs used at that time 10 take
[ place so often among the royal and
aristocratic circles of Europe, where
the bride was never consulted, but
simply told 10 accept the husband
whom her parents had chosen for
her. The duke of M~ecklenbourg
personally was a charming and
amiable one. but one whom a young
girl could scarcely have been ex-
pected to fall in love with, because
he was very delicate i'm health and
afflicted with two diseases. chronic
asthma and a chronic skin aliment,
which at times transformed his face
into something repulsive. But he
was a great match in the material
sense of this word, the heir TO a
German throne. and also 10 great
wealth to which he would eventual
ly succeed after his own fathers
death.
Anatasia was lonely as a dream.
but she had been brought up in
strict seclusion and had never been
given the chance 20 sc anything of
the world. Her mother was an i'm
perious woman of whom her chill
dren stood in awe and whose deci-
sions were never questioned in the
immediate circle Of her family.
When she told her daughter that she
was TO wed the prince. who had
come TO seek her hand, the thing
had to be done, and it was done be-
fore unfortunate A~nastasia had had
even the opportunity to say whether
the idea was a pleasant one to her
or not. The marriage was SOL
emnized with great pomp in the
winter palace in St. Petersburg. and
the wedding presents showered up
on the bride surpassed in magnih-
cence anything seen before. she
was hardly given time 20 breathe
before her sba carried her off
TO his home in Germany. where she
was received with much ceremony.
but with very little cordially.
The grand duchess did not find
her new surroundings c%ongeniaI.
But she was too young TO say any
thing, and, therefore. she tried to
hide her feelings from her own fam
lily, while getting 10 hate more and
more the sitting German atmos-
phere in which she found herself
imprisoned. What would have hap
pened IL is difficult 10 say if the
health of her husband had not re-
quired his spending the winters in
some warm climate. The couple
was first sent to Italy, and their first
season was spent between Naples
and Palermo. where their only son
was born. Left TO herself. Anastasia
Michaylowna developed independent
tastes and 500 won for herself
friends who would most probably
not have been approved of by all her
relatives-in-law in Mecklenburg had
the latter heard of their existence.
The French villa.
When the grand duchess returned
to the castle II Ludwigslust, near
Schwerin, her manners provoked
considerable criticism. but people
feared to say anything TO the grand
duke Of Mecklenburg leaving him 10
discover alone and unaided the va
rious eccentricities which had al
ready provoked the displeasure Of
his court. Of his new daughter-in-
law. The latter by that time had
made up her mind not 10 spend an
other season in ner husbands home
and she persuaded him first 10 hire
and then 10 buy a villa at Cannes,
on the French Riviera, where. I'M
der the pretext Of his health. they
used TO stay for eight months out
Of the u OF the year.
II N1RAAaNAtA VI -
did not like il; the more so that aft
er the death OF the grand duke, his
son did not change in his habits. He
intrusted the government OF his
country 10 his ministers. preferring
to remain in his French home. 10
the disgust Of his subjects. Dol ru-
mors went about that il was the
grand duchess whose French sym
pathies were at the bottom OF her
husbands decisions. and her con
duct became the subject OF bitter
and unmerciful criticism. The name
Of a certain Capt. Percival was cou-
pied with her own and her Partially
/ for the gambling tables OF Monte
Carlo was commented upon in any