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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1908)
AMERICAN WOMEN " NEAR TO THRONES There Is Not a Nobility in the World, Except ing China's, That Has Not Had a Fair Daughter of United States in It. WRITING In tho Phlla delphla Public Led ger "A Veteran Dip lomat" haa this to say of American born women who havo shared royal thrones: Tho American woman has gone everywhere and becomo everything by marriage. There Is not a nobility In tho world, excepting China's, but that has its American woman In It. But royal families havo been of necessity moro exclusive when wives aro to bo chosen for their scions and royalty has generally evinced little predilection for thoso outside of equally exalted fam ilies, oven In Europe On tho conti nent, in fact, It Is practically true that only thoso sheep blackened, or at least sunburned, by tho fierce light that beats upon a tlironu have married non royal persons. Those who havo made morganatic, but perfectly honorable marriages, llko Grand Duke Michael or Russia, are very rare. Yet there aro now living a countess, widow of a king whoso love for the Boston girl changed tho courso of nine tecnth century history; an American princess who actually shared a throno or at least u palace Is still allvo; and another, a New Yorker born, Is aunt by marriage of tho German em press. Prince Leopold of Llppe-Bles-terfeld, who died a few months ngo, nearly lost his principality of Lippc Detmold because his grandmother was n Philadelphia!!. Feminine citizens of the United States have reached the dubious positions of unofficial consort of u king of Holland, wlfo of a throne less Donaparto who had to glvo up his American spouBO to enter royal ranks; and It was a daughter of John H. Flag ler of Now York who was wife of the first nnd only "king" of Trinidad, tho self-styled James I. of tho Island. A Remarkable List. Tills is a remarkablo Hot when the conditions and barriers, to bo burned or pushed away aro kept in mind. The more fact that every royal family is subject to its own laws by which mes alliances are viewed In as serious a light as are criminal acts under the laws of the non-royal Is only the smallest obstacle to be overcome. In most European countries the Salic law prohibiting the Inheritance of the throno In the female line Is recognized, und accordingly there Is a less super vision of the lovo uffnlrs. of a princess than of a prince nnd a corresponding care In selecting wlvos for tho latter. Even for royalty albeit youthful to defy royalty Is no small mnttor, and scions of ruling houses llko Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, who suc cumbed to tho ciiarms of a non-royal woman, must needs bo only morgana tlcally married. Dut Princess Hohen berg's rendering of tho archduke's heart captive was a comparatively simple matter, she having been a lady In waiting at court and so virtually one of the royal family circle. Hut the Amorlcan woman can enjoy no such ndvantago If she sots her cap for a princeling. Women citizens or the re public, thousands of them, have been years abroad, and only glimpsed an oc casional royal personage. A New Orleans Girl. It required no Judicial decision at all to make a New Orleans girl a rul ing princess In Monaco. Only sho could not enduro the dignity long on nccount of the prince she had to tako along with It. She who was known In the Louisiana metropolis as MIbs Marguerite Alice Heine not only pos sesses the distinction of being tho only person of Now World birth who has shared a genuine realm with a ruler, but also is tho only Jewess ever legiti mately married to a reigning Christian prince. Her marriage to Prince Albert of Monaco was not morganatic. For 13 yenrs sho was a real, not a titular, princess. Hor father was n cousin of Helnrich Heine, the great German lyric poot, and her own cousin married n nephew of Napoleon III.'s financo mlntstor. She herself, ns most of her family, Is not of tho Jowlsh faith. As Miss Heine, daughter of the New Orleans banker, who, aftor making his money there, re tired to Paris to live, she marrlod Ar mando Due de IUchollou, who died. Prince Albert of Monaco, the present prince, who Is best known for his work as a hydrographer, had been married to Lady Mary Hamilton, but sho had secured a divorce. On October 31, 1889, at Paris, ho married tho widowed Duchess de Richelieu and tho famous old Grlmaldl palace at Monto Carlo was tho scono of great festivities when he brought his bride home. .The wholo foilr square miles and a half of tho principality woro bedecked with Vene tian masts and triumphal arches and a cantata was performed In tho cathedral in her honor. .Such wns the reception of tho bride. In 1902 sho secured a Judicial separation from tho prlnco and still enjoys her freedom. Tho son of Prlnco Albert, who is his heir, Is not hor son, but tho offspring of Lady Mary Hamilton, now the wlfo of Count Tassllo Festetlcs of Hungnry. A King In Thrall. A plebeian Ohio woman for years held a king in thrall and Mme. Musard is, I bellove, tho one case of tho kind in tho annals of tho New World. On the other hand, shameless European adventuresses who have fascinated monarchs have been many. Tho story is now forty or fifty yoars old. Mario Musard, a Frenchman of Belgium, was tho leader of an orchestra In Paris in the heyday of his career. He made a flying trip to this country nnd took back with him a wife, who wbb a na tive of a small Ohio town and was named Eliza Parker. He hlmsolf was at best an adventurer and sho his willing assistant. While ho was en gaged In a professional capacity at Baden-Baden he succeeded in throwing his wide-awake, ambitious and pretty wife In the way bf the austere William III. or Holland In such u manner as completely to capturo him. Tho relations or king nnd beauty woro ror many years a scandnl but they had made her or Independent means. For one day William III. drew rrom his writing table a package of old mortgages on some lands In Pcnnsyl vania and gavo them ns a souvenir to tho fair Eliza, who, with all hor flauutlng of propriety, had a good head for business. Sho promptly fore closed tho mortgages and became pos scssed of some of tho richest petro louni lands In tho world In tho days when kcroseno was Just boglnnlng to bo recognized as an extremely valua bio natural product. Sho thus becamo one of tho richest women In Europe All of this happened about 18G0, and Mme. Musard promptly set up an es tabllshment In Paris without bothering to separate herself from her legal him band, who forthwith dropped from sight In an exceedingly obliging man ner.' In Profligate Splendor. Sho purchased a sumptuous hotel, built palatial stables for her 80 magni ficent horses and ontertnlned with sy baritic lavlshncss. Her pnlnco was tlip Mecca of high society during the Third Empire. Her splendor equaled her profligacy. At a dinner In honor or tho Prlnco do Chlmny sho woro a dress embroidered with moro than 1,000 pearls. Her stables wero marvels or equlno luxury, and tickets or admis sion wero Issued to them ns to great art collections. She wns accustomed to giving elaborate breakfasts. In them, at which such notables as Arseno Houssayo, Thcophllo Gautler and tho painters Chaplin nnd ZcliA wero guests. Tho tnblo service at theso re pasts waB performed alternately by three coal-black, negroes and three whlto men, all In her own Bpcclal liv ery; Her equipages woro moro magni ficent even than the Empress Eugo tilo's. Her entertainments In the Avcnuo do Ieua nnd at her country jent, tho Chautenu do Vlllcqulors, wero on a superb scale, and enthusias tically do bon vlvants or that time recall thorn, and declaro that nevor since have tholr llko been neen. End Comes Suddenly. When Mmo. Musard's edifice col lapsed It was with a startling sudden ness. First Uio favor of tho Dutch sovereign was lost to her nnd Europe was nearly plungod Into war thoroby. In 1867 sho botrnyed her royal lovor's negotiations with Napoleon III. for tho snlo of Luxemburg to Franco. Tho king wns In need or money, whllo tho woman wns enjoying tho height or lux ury as n result or his girt. Luxemburg was his and ho sought to sell, thus vio lating tho treaty guaranteeing Its nou trallty. In Mnrch tho treaty or cession to Napoleon was drawn up. William confided tho contemplated net to his Egorla. Mmo. Musard betrayed the fact, some say to tho Gormnu ambas sador, others to tho Marqulso do Pnlvn. Tho disposition or tho sovereignty or tho duchy had been settled 30 yenrs bororo by a concert or tho powers. Germany was rurlous over tho plotted schemo and was was only averted by the calling or a conferonco In London which settled Luxemburg's neutrality and decreed that It should remain In tho possession or tho hotiBO or Orange Nassau. Egorla had lost her Numa. Dies In Asylum. Nemesis followed hard aftor. Tho lndlscroot talk of madam lost hor royal rrlend, but she was wealthy, and ono report had It that sho had divulged the secret negotiations ror hard cash, was, In ract, a gilded spy In tho pay or Ger many. Her Joyftll life ns tho adulated or all adulators bado fair to last long. Rut ono night in her box at tho opera she was suddenly seized with n paraly tic attack. Hor left eyo was so af fected she was never ablo to open It again. Sho soon lost hor mind; n few montliB later sho becamo n raving ma niac and tried to kill Chaplin, tho painter. Sho was shut up In tho asy lum of Dr. Rlancho, tho famous spe cialist, and died Bhortly, leaving what remained of hor fortune to hor Amorl can relatives. Tho parasites who had hovered about hor mado ofT with u good portion or her money, and It is needless to say that tho heirs of tho obliging Mussrd put In n claim that had to be fought In tho courts. So ended In oblivion tho glittering courso of tho fair Amorlcan who becamo queen of society und mistress of ray alty. Through tho contompbrnry records of her motcor-llko career Mario Mus ard plays tho part or ghost as ho did In life. It wns not even known whether ho was French or Holglnn In origin. Tho nonrest un nsslduous Amorlcan could come to writing his history CO years ago was tho six words: "Ho loads orchestras; that Is all." Tho scntonco wns written In 1858, when Musard was In Now York and was expected to Inaugurate there Saturday evening masked balls similar to thoso which had becomo so popular under his direction at Paris that the enthusiastic chronicler declared, that Gulzot, tho then strongest man In Franco, might be killed without creat- lug n tenth part of the demonstration that would follow tho death of Musard by violent means. Tho fiddler boro an uncnvlablo reputation oven then. Whllo Now York's curiosity wns piqued to hoo him, tho town wns not ambitious to behold his activity. Wit ness tho contompornry account: "If wo havo masked balls hero, there will bo n scene of such lmmornllty nnd pro fanity nnd dlsgrneo of nil kinds ns evon this vicious city has nevor known before." Queen or I rmldad. Thero Is opera bouffo equal to nny on tho comic Btnge, ns well as lovo and trouble nnd Infamy, In the history of Amorlcan women who hnvo becomo queens. One, for Instance, ruled a kingdom that existed only In tho mlml of her husband, Tho UaronoBs James Hardon-lllckoy, dnughtor of John H. Flagler and cousin of Henry M, Flag ler of tho Stnndnrd Oil Company, was queen of Trinidad for n space of tlmo nfter this rnshlon. Hor huBhnnd was an eccentric or American origin, French citizenship, nnd strong roynllBt leanings. Ills title wns n papal ono, and nfter being educated nt French mllltnry schools ho began to publish a roynllBt nowspnper In Pnrls, which caused his speedy expulsion from tho republic. Ho had n fortune of his own, and Im nglncd thnt ho was destined to con quor worlds and iUlo nil tho' con quorcd. Leaving Franco by govern montal Invitation ho wns shipwrecked on Trlnldnd and conceived tho king dom ho wns afterward to establish for a minute or two. Tho next year ho married Anna Flnglor In tho United Stntes, but mnrrlngo, Instend of quiet Ing his restless spirit, scorned only to incite his romantic disposition. Tho Odyssoys ho performed woro as start ling as that of Maximilian to Mexico, which wns then fresh In tho minds of thu world, and without any mnnncr of excuse excoptlng his own porvorso do sire. Ho roved qver tho world, nnd al ways encountered ndvontnros that had no place In the life of a nineteenth ccn tury citizen. Ho should hnvo lived In tho dnys of tho threo musquctoors or earlier In tho crusading times to have been entirely ut homo with his period. Harden-Hlckey's End, It wns In 1891 that ho set out In n yacht with his wife. Thoy woro wrecked on Trinidad, nnd tho bnron sot up the government ho had planned bIx yenrs before. At least ho began nlong thoso lines, und got as fur ub taking tho tltjo of .Inmos I. ror himself and awarding thnt of Queon Anna to his wife. His rule wns so Bhort-llvod that ho did not oven hnvo opportunity to get his extravagant plans out of his head oven onto paper. Tho big Island off tho Venezuelan coaBt was dlscov ered by Columbus on his third voyage, and for u century boforo King Jnmes proclaimed hlmsoir had belonged to Englnnd. At tho time It had n British governor and 200,000 Inhabitants. King Jnmos, therefore, speedily encountered John Hull, nnd as quickly ns tho ex changes or tho Information rogardlng his usurpation could ho mudo thu London government dispatched a cruiser to deal with this brund-now problem of colonial control. King James and Queen Annu, at tho time constituting all tho royal govern inont, wero oxported to Key WeHt, and tho king died as king for wnnt of a placo to -rule. Hardon-Illckcy finally shot himself, and tho baroness brooded over Vis death mull rhe ueenmo insane (jw last summer was committed to n Con necticut asylum. Tho present widowed Countess Al bert von Wnldorseo, whoso husband was tho famous German field mursbal Is an aunt by mnrrlago to tho German empress, Sho acquired tho relation ship by her provlous marrlugo to Prlnco zu Noor. Bishop Resigned Office, Aftor an active servlco of moro than twenty yoars, Bishop Cyrus D. Fobs has resigned the presidency or tho Mothudlst Episcopal Board or Home Missions und Church Extension, as signing us tho reason his 111 health of tho last year. Bishop Luther B. Wll i son has been chosen to succeed htm, 1 JOHNNY IKES' LOVE AFFAIRS 1 The Triumph of a Tactless Woman hi J? (Copyright, Ford "I often think," sighed Mrs. Berk- cloy Doxter, "how perfectly good I could bo If thero wero no other wom en In tho world." Sho leaned back In her chair and gnzed thoughtfully Into spnee. I had my doubts as to tho efficacy of solitude, nnd 1 expressed them. "If I romomber rightly," I udded, "thero wns only ono woman In tho Gnrdon of Eden, nnd oven she, poor, denr lady" Mrs. Dexter Interrupted with chnr- acterlstlc disregard for any one's feel ings but her own. "Don't, bo silly," sho said, pleasantly. "I wns really thinking of Lady Passay. She's bucIi n droadhilly Interfering old thing." "Old?" Her ladyship's eolffuro over dolled Inspection, nnd my curiosity hnd always boon almost feminine, "I wonder. Hor llguro Is youthful, nnd her check Is childlike, Btlll, ono never knows. And, after nil, youth Is moro ly comparative" "Do you know Johnny WeekB?" Mrs, Dexter demanded, suddenly. "Ho wns tho frlond of my child hood," Mrs. Dexter continued, drcnin lly retrospective, "nt least, or my nls ter'a childhood It's tho Binno thing." "Hnrdly," I ventured to Interpose. Mrs. Dexter wns uncompromising In hor enndor as to tho sum or her rrlend'H years. "Ho Is 12," sho de clared, lmpiiBBlvoly; 'but I wns tho youngest or u very largo family. Johnny wns an nffocltonnto soul, and mado lovo to us all In turn, ns wo grow big enough; It wnB IiIb wny, and wo oxpected It. But ho wns ongngod to my sisters to ono of them at least." I sighed I bellovo from onvy. "To lovo ono of you," I observoil, "Is n lib eral oducatlon to lovo tho wholo fam ily" I paused loBt In my pursuit of ndequato expression. Mrs. Doxter. snld: "Yob, of courso," In an absent sort of way, and relapsed Into unexpected silence. "Ho Is to bo congratulated on his enterprise,"! went on. "Did ho did ho so to speak, pursue tho sumo tac tics with you nil, or did ho allow for "Why Don't You Get Married Your self?" 8he Asked. difference of temperament, nnd vary his or mode of procedure? I mere ly ask, don't you know. For myself, I wus only nllowcd " Mrs. Dexter cut mo Bhort. "It has been u most distressing affair, but wo'vo mnnnged to suvo him." "Wo?" "To bo absolutely correct, It wub I who saved lilin, though, of courso, Lady Passay lays claim to nil thu credit. All sho did was to bully I nover bully." "All things to ull men," I snld, vaguuly, and trusted tho romurk might fit in somehow. "No. I wus only very kind to him, and spent u lot or tlmo In showing him what a nice tlmo people could havo when thoy were good. I took him out to dinner I took him to moro than one bull I tint out dancos with him, und" shu paiiHcd to give tho next announcement Its full force, "I oven let lilni hold my hand." "Ah! And whoro was Berkeley?" I put tho question as casually as I could, but It suumed thnt somebody ought to consider Borkoloy, oven It his wlfo had forgotten all about lilm. "And then I made him toll mo tho wholo thing," sho went on. "Lady Passay had said sho was an ahsoluto Impossible person It appeared that Lady Passay had boon Interfering rather actively boforo sho camo and Implored my nld, and tho young worn an had defied her, and I didn't know this before, or I think I should havo let them light It out anyhow, I don't trust Ludy Passay, and I hnvon't tho least faith In her Jtidgmout. You know what people aro when thoy got to her ngo?" "Which is?" "So I determined to use my own discretion, und had tho two Johnny and his young woman up to dinner. But, oh! my dear!" Mrs, Doxter camo to u sudden and horrlllod stop, I forgave tho obscurity of her romurk for tho sake of the "my m I'ub. Co.) dear," nnd tried for n momont to pre tend that tho designation was right fully bestowed. Fatuously I consid ered It, nnd believed mysolf to bo in tho seventh heaven. Mrs. Doxtcr'u noxt words recalled me. " With neither looks, nor manners, nor style," sho wns saying "perfectly shocking. Aftor thnt I gnvo my wholo mind to tho business thero was no defying me nnd In n week," sho con cludod, with n smllo thnt would hnvo been triumphant If It had not been so Bovorly superior, "In n week tho engagement wuh oft ilnlshod douo with." "Aren't you nshnmod of yourself?" I demanded, with some Bhow of Indig nation, "I told Ludy Passay ho wouldn't bo ameuablo to bullying," wns tho only response, "but alio hasn't any tact. Tho othor way wns fnr tho best, und much moro Interesting." I began to feel sorry for tho dlson- gaged girl, nnd said bo. "Tact," I added, Ma n Very good word, but It's npt to bo misplaced. And why did Lady PaBsay Interfere? Was Johnny n friend of hor childhood as well?" Mrs. Rerkoley Dexter did not re spond directly. "It's not ns If ho envod two pins for tho girl," sho nrguud, "nor she for him. Sho tricked him 'into tho engagement, nnd thought It would bo a good nintch. Absurd I"- "On your own allowing,"! pursued, "tho entire matter was most dlscrod- liable, not to any Improper!" Mrs. Dexter mado u variant effort to rotuln her dignity. "1 beg your par don," sho snld, coldly, "on my part, nt any rnte, quite properly lmpropor." "And, of course, you told Borkoloy ull nbout It?" 8ho turned on mo with n counter question, "Why don't you got mnr rled yourself?" sho asked, "or, nt lonst, engaged?" "With people llko you nnd Lndy Pas say about?" I ejaculated, "hoavon for bid!" "I should bo very kind to you," smiled Mrs. Berkeley Doxter. "Tho tlmo for thnt," said 1, "Is puBt." As 1 spoko, my oyo fell und rusted on a bowl ot roses that stood on an ad jacent table. I leaned forwnrd. "It UBod to bo your favorlto llowor," I murmured, ns I selected n lino Ulolro do DIJon, nnd laid It besldo her hand. "How well you romombor!" Mrs. Doxter gavo. tho suspicion of n nigh. "Reniembrnneo Isn't taxed," I told her, "except porhaps with rogrot, and Bomotlmcs, pcrhups, with n llttlo aur prlso. Wo aro growing old gradually, hut suroly." "And wo ought to uso our experience for tho benefit of our friends, oughtn't wo?" wns Mrs. Doxtor'H sweet rojolnd or. "Which wns precisely what I thought when I heard that poor Johnny wns so unhnpplly ongnged. Lady Passay said ho wus most awfully mlsornble," "Ho doosn't show up very well," I comniontod. "Why on earth couldn't ho mnnngo his own uffnlrs nnd not allow u couplo of women to Interfere! You might nsk him." "I don't think I shnll," snld Mrs. Doxter. "You'ro nfral.l." "I'm not. Only, you boo, ho doosn't think I did Interfere; ho thinks ho did It ull hlniBoir." "Ho ought to go back, Into pina fores and lending strings a man? Pooh!" "Great mon uro not nlwnyfl wise," retorted Mrs. Doxter. "Ho would hnvo boon moro difficult In pinafores. Don't you know your box yot?" I rose to tnko my lenvo. "It's vory sordid," I romnrked, ns I hold out my hand, "but, nfter till, tho lady Is to bo congrutulnted on hor osciipo. Sho would havo been wretchod," "You don't really think so?" "I'm convlncod of It. And what uro you going to do now?" "I'm not quite sure," hcaltuted Mrs. Dexter, "thero uro Just tho usual things going on, und I'm really rather popular ub a hostess, with always n Bparc placo for uu old friend, Why not consider un early wookend? Berkeley would bo delighted," "And Johnny?" "Oh, Johnny," Mrs, Doxtor'H tono consigned Johnny to ovorlastlng obliv ion, "Didn't I tell you JiiBt now how perfectly good I could bo If thero wero no other women In tho world? Well, I could. But when you huvo u lot of worry, and go out of your way to bo kind to a chlhlhood'ti frlond, und thou wake up ono dny to find you'vo mere ly been mado a cat's-paw of, It'ii linrd vory hard. I've had a letter from Johnny to say that noxt week ho's going to marry Lady Passay, nnd they've had tho audacity to Invito mo to tho wedding. Mo! And thoy'll bo awfully disappointed If I don't go, thoy sny. 1 always said that woman hadn't any tact!" Tho opportunity wan Irrlslstlblo. "Out of tho fnlluosB of tho hoart tho mouth sponketh," I murmured. "Did you want him yourself?" , Woman Suffrage Increasing. In proportion to tho population, tho llttlo kingdom of Belgium probably can claim tho groatest numbor of or ganizations ndvocnllng womnn suf fruge. At the Inst count thoy num bered 12!l. 1