Year: 1879

A London letter says: Is il not
enough that the Prince Imperial should
have been killedY Why must he be
married too2 Are there no limits to
political hatred When the Prince
set out for Zululand there was some
talk about a bethrothal to the Princess
Beatrice, and now La Petit Lyonnais
publishes an extremely circumstantial
and ingenious story to this effect. Act
|. Last year about the close of the
bathing season couple took lodgings
az Bath (where nobody ever goes to
bathe bo it observed) in England. The
gentleman was young and looking
"like Frenchman whose vivacity had
been extnguished by an enfeebled
constitution !" the lady was tall, of
light complexion, and spoke English
with slight German accent. They
had nurse and child three or four
months old. After q week the hus-
band left Bath. He returned several
times to see his wife, on some occasions
wearing tho uniform of an officer of
artillery. They lived in strict seclu-
sion having but one visitor, the priest
of neighboring church. Act IL.
When the Zulu war broke out the
husband went to this priest and said
he was ordered to Africa family rea-
sons did not permit him to reveal his
name or avow his marriage would
the priest during his absence act as
protector of his wife and child The
good Father consented, and when the
news of the Prince Imperial's death
was received, sent the paper to the
lady to cheer her up, as it were. She
read few lines and promptly swooned.
Act Ill. That same afternoon a blonde
woman In deep mourning arrived at
Chiselhurst (of course by special train
from the far west Of England) and beg
ged with tears an audience Of the En-
press. 1t was refused, but she had a
long interview with Father Goddard.
Next day she came back, but was still
not admitted. Act ". Her disap.
pearanoe being noticed at Bath the
priest at that place was surprised, and,
with the welLknown discretion of his
order Immediately went into the pub
lie place and told all that he knew
about this woman. "But," said a by
stander who must have come up by
express from Kent, "that's precisely
the description of the mysterious wo-
man at Chiselhurst' So both of them
ran and brought photograph Of the
Imperial The priest Immediately on
seeing it cried "That is the husband
of this young woman" Could any
thing be more Interestingly 1t is q
reproach to the Paris papers and 10
the London correspondent of our own
Epening Post that It should first have
seen the light in penny journal at
Lyons. There are some facts, it will
have been observed, however, which
it is not easy to reconcile with its strict
accuracy. Thus, people do not 60 to
Bath to take sea baths as VIC have
hintcd, among other reasons, because
the city of King Bladud and Beau Nash
is not on the sea. Again, the Prince
Imperial at that particular season was
making q very extended tour on the
Continent. Thirdly, nobody ever saw
an Englishman in the uniform of an
artillery officer five minutes after be
was released from duty. Fourthly,
what earthly blonde woman, not an
American, could recover from swoon


get suit of mourning and travel from
Wiltshire into Kent by the same after
noon2 Filthy, how did the mixed
company at Bath hear oil about hoI
visit which wasn't in the papers On
the whole, the author of this tale de
serves to be recognized as the Lyin
King Of Gallo journalism.