Year: 1869

mantic Iale Oh COuftsulp.


Paris Correspondence Court Journal, July lst.l


The announcement of the approaching
recognition by the Imperial family OF
Austria of the marriage Of Duke Louis,
of Bavaria, with the beautiful M M'lle Men
del, the actress, of Augsburg, has given
new aim to the theatrical ambition of
the ladies of the Paris boards. The visit
about to be made by the Empress Eliza
beth to the beautiful castle of Lake
Stahnberg, where the newly-marrled
couple reside, has become the talk of
every foyer dartisties in Europe. They
say in the coulisses here that her Aus.
trian Majesty was the great promoter OF
the marriage, the story connected with
her brothers love and courtship being
romantic enough to excite the strongest
interest in her kind and womsnly heart,
and making it forgetful of all distinction
Of rank where an equal share of love and
delcacy had been displayed by both the
lovers. Mile Mendel, who had preserved
her reputation unsullied amid all the
perils and temptations OF a theatrical
life, is considered the most lovely woman
in Germany, her beauty being of the true
German type, of the peculiar fairness
beheld in no other country-golden hair
in soft silky masses, without the smallest
tinge of auburn-pure gold-unburn.
ished complexion delicate as the inner
petals of the Bengal rose-pale pink,
scarcely ever seen in nature and almost
impossible to produce by artificial means;
lips of the deepest carnation; teeth
small aud exquisitely white, and eye
brows of the darkest brown, with eyes
of the deepest blue. All this made
such an impression on the heart OF
Duke Louis that from the moment he
first beheld her at the Munich Theater he
vowed himself to the worship of this one
idol. But Mile Mendel was valiant in
defense of her reputation, and aware OF
the responsibility incurred by the posses
sion of great talent, she resisted every
overture, even that of marriage on the
part of the Duke, we'll knowing that it
was out of his power to contract any al
lance of the kind, as much was expected
of him by his family. At that time Mile
Mendel was in the habit of wearing a
velvet collar with clasp ornamented by
single pearl of great value, which had
been presented to her by the King OF
Saxony, and in order to quell all hope OF
success in the bosom of her royal ad-
mirer, she declared to him one day that
she had made vow to bestow her heart
and hand on him alone who could match
this single pearl with as many others as
would form the whole necklace. The
declaration was made laughingly for the
fair creature knew we'll enough the Duke,
living fully up to his income, which was
but mediocre for his rank, could never
accomplish this herculean task, and she
laughed more merrily still when she be-
held the disconsolate expression OF his
countenance at the announcement she
had made. But soon afterward she heard
that the Duke had sold his horses and
broken up his estabishment-gone to live
in the strctest retirement in a small cot
tage belonging to his brothers park.


That very night, when about to place
the velvet band upon her neck, she found,
to her great surprise, that second pearl
had been added to the clasp. She knew
well enough whence it came, and smiled
sadly at the loss of labor she felt sure
that Duke Louis was incurriug for loves
sake By degrees the velvet band be-
came covered with pearls, all of them as
fine as the one bestowed by the King of
Saxony, until one evening great was the
rumor in Augsburg. The fair Mendel
had been robbed while on the stage,
diyested of all ornament, in the prison
scene as "Bettina Won Armstedt," her
dressing-room had been entered, and the
velvet collar with its row of priceless
pearls had disappeared from the toilet
table. The event was so terrible, her
nerves so shaken, that in spite Of the
assurance of the Chief Police Magistrate,
who happened to be in the thester at the
moment, that he was sure to Ind the thiei
in very short time, for he had the clue
already, poor Mile Mendel was so over
come BY grief that her memory failed her
entirely, SO that on returning to the stage
not a word could she remepbey OF her
mart The audience waited for some
time in sstouishment at the silence main
tanned by the actress; the actress gszed
at the audience in piteous embarrass-


ment, until, By a sudden inspiration, and
almost mechanically indeed, she remem;:
bered that she had the rehearsal copy OF
the plav in the pocket of her apron, She
drew il forth without hesitation, and began
to read from it with the greatest self
! ! ,,..-session Imaginable. At first, the
audience knew ne. whether to laugh or
be angry, but presently memory, pstnos,,
forgetfnlness Of all but her art returned
to Mile Mendel, and In the EttsFsnps o.
one OF the most impsssioned sent,l tlnentss
of her speech, she flung the rehearsal
copy into the orchestra, and vent
on With her part without pause OF
hesitation, The applaass of TIE
audience was 90 tremendous thai oae
Of the witnesses to the scene has told Us
that the great monster chandelier In ths
center of the roof swung to and fro win
the vibration. But on her return to ner
dressing room the excitement proved TOO
much, and she tainted away. On coming
back to consciousness, it was 70 nna
Duke Louis at her feel, apd the tesq
Commissaire standing BY her SIDE, PIG,
ding her take courage, for the pearls nae
been found. "Where are theyr ex-
claimed she. "Are you sure that none ne
] Kan nf0lcn